Corrie's Kirkbride: I ignore people who call me Deirdre
Anne Kirkbride hates it when people refer to her as her 'Coronation Street' alter ego, Deirdre Barlow.
The iconic star has appeared as Deirdre on the ITV soap for 40 years, but gets upset if fans don't refer to her by her actual name when they meet her off set.
She told the Daily Star newspaper: "Everyone is always really lovely when I'm out and about. But I only answer to people if they call me Anne. If they've gone to the trouble of knowing my real name, then I appreciate that.
"If people just yell 'Deirdre!' I don't turn around.
"Generally, whenever I go out around Manchester, people either leave me entirely alone or just tell me that they like the character. I've also had some nice comments from people now that I'm on Twitter."
Anne, 58, differentiates between herself and the character she plays - who has been married three times in the show - and if she sees a picture of herself in a magazine, doesn't think of it as her, but her character instead.
She added: "To be honest, I differentiate between me and Deirdre. If it's a Deirdre front cover, it just wouldn't be something I'd worry about."
Asked what her character would typically pick up from the supermarket, Anne joked: "Cigarettes, a marrow and a bottle of red wine."
