Rita Sullivan
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| Coronation Street character | |
| Rita Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| Played by | Barbara Knox |
| Duration | 1964, 1972- |
| Date of Birth | 25th February 1932 |
| Marital Status | Widowed |
| Address | 10a Coronation Street |
| Occupation | Owner/worker of The Kabin shop |
| Family | Len (deceased), Ted (deceased), Sharon (foster daughter) |
Rita Sullivan (née Littlewood, previously Fairclough, previously Bates) is a fictional character on Coronation Street. She is played by Barbara Knox.
[edit] Info
Rita was introduced in 1964, although this was a one-off appearance. She returned in 1972 and has appeared consistently since then. Rita was the common-law wife of Harry Bates. She married Len Fairclough, but after six happy years she was widowed when Len was killed in a car crash. After his death, she discovered he had been having an affair.
Rita currently runs a newsagent's shop in the street, called "The Kabin", which she acquired during her marriage to Len. The shop was originally at 14 Rosamund Street, but re-located to Coronation Street when a new building development took place. She met her second husband, Ted Sullivan, there; he was a sales rep for a firm of sweet manufacturers. Shortly before their marriage, Ted confessed that he was dying of a brain tumour. Rita then abandoned plans to retire abroad, and decided to stay in the Street.
The scenes in the Kabin are usually a comedy double-act between Rita and her assistant (first Mavis Wilton, now Norris Cole). Rita once gave Chesney Brown a clip around the ear for stealing from her shop, and Chesney's conniving mother Cilla attempted to sue Rita. She continues to hate Cilla, but has a soft spot for Chesney, once taking him in for a night when he had nowhere else to go.
As well as her two marriages, Rita has had three serious relationships, one with the violent Alan Bradley, who attempted to kill her by pushing her under a Blackpool tram. Later she became involved with Alec Gilroy, an old friend who had been her manager in her career as a pub singer, before her first marriage; this relationship ended when Alec moved away from Weatherfield. Finally, Rita met Anthony Stephens, a cultured man who wanted to marry her. His grown-up children interfered in the relationship, and Anthony went to live in New Zealand.
In recent years, it has been deduced that veterans such as Rita have been neglected in storylines to make way for younger stars such as Sarah, Maria and Candice. The producers have now decided to give Rita and the other veterans more storylines and they will once again become the focus of the show.
In 2006 Rita faced the trauma of her flat being broken into. Orchid, who was in Coronation Street in 2004 when she conned Fred Elliott by pretending to be a Thai bride when actually she was just someone from Manchester and her real name was Stacey. In 2006 she reapeared on the street. She had conned another man called Stuart, he locked up in his flat for days on end. One day she escaped and was beaten up by the so-called boyfriend. She moved into the street and started to live with Rita. One day they returned from town to find Rita's flat totally trashed! A couple of days later Rita was petrified when Stuart entered the Kabin demanding to see Stacey, he threatened to beat her up if she did not tell him where she was hiding. Once Stacey had got to the shop along with Fred there was trouble. Nathan who was working in Webster's Garage came over and pinned Stuart down on the floor. The police came and arrested him and Stacey. Rita decided to move into her friends house Emily Bishop and her other friend Norris Cole moved into Rita's. Rita comforted Emily when Ed, the man who killed her husband turned up on the Street.
In October 2006 Rita and Norris went on a holiday they had won to Hungary. Rita broke her foot whilst there and had to stay in hospital, while Norris returned. Ken Barlow helped out in The Kabin for a while whilst they were away, but he quit when Norris's nagging became too much for him. Rita returned in November 2006 to reveal how she broke her foot-Norris did it to get to a bread bun first!
[edit] Family
- Father: Howard Littlewood
- Mother: Amy Littlewood
