Julie Goodyear MBE
Julie Goodyear MBE
Children: Gary (f: Ray Sutcliffe; b: 28 April 1960)
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Played: Bet Lynch (1966; May 1970 - 2 October 1995; 10 - 23 June 2002)
Julie's father walked out on the family soon after Julie's birth and the couple divorced later so Julie was brought up by her mother Alice and her new husband, publican Bill Goodyear. Whilst at school she had ambitions of being a singer but decided to set her goals towards modelling. In order to raise finances she trained as a shorthand typist, worked in an aircraft factory, sold washing machines and worked as a waitress. She even served behind her step-father's bar The Bay House in Haywood.
At the age of 17 Julie found herself pregnant from draughtsman Ray Sutcliffe. The couple married in 1960 and their son Gary was born on 28 April 1960. The marriage only lasted three years. Julie's modelling career soon took off and she was named Miss Britvic and Miss Astral Cream. In 1966 her modelling led her to a part in the comedy series Pardon The Expression. She soon made a six-week appearance in Coronation Street as Bet Lynch from Elliston's Raincoat Factory. During her time at Granada she was advised by Pat Phoenix to get some formal acting training. Julie joined The Oldham Repertory Company and a year later she was given a role in the drama series A Family At War. Other roles in The Dustbinmen, Nearest and Dearest and City 68 followed before she rejoined Coronation Street in a regular role.
In 1972 she was involved with comic Jack Diamond but their engagement was called off. In 1973 she married company secretary Tony Rudman but the marriage didn't last much longer than the wedding reception after thousands of fans turned up to wish the couple well. The marriage was later annulled. In 1979 during a routine check up Julie discovered she had cervical cancer and had two operations. In 1982 she became engaged to Coronation Street producer Bill Gillmour but they later called off their wedding. The following year the press revealed that Julie was having an affair with her housekeeper Janet Ross and another romance with cabbie Duncan Ford was reported. In 1985 Julie married airline executive Richard Skrob but because they lived so far apart the marriage ended within two years.
Julie formed a charity to finance a smear testing centre in Manchester but was charged with fraud accusing her of fixing a raffle, she was found not guilty. Despite this set back she continued to raise money and the Julie Goodyear Laboratory now operates at The Christie Hospital, Manchester. In 1987, Julie left the series for a while to nurse her mother Alice who was dying of terminal cancer. Julie finally quit Coronation Street on 2 October 1995 after walking away with a lifetime Achievement Award at the first National Television Awards.
Julie returned to her farm, Primrose Hill Farm to oversee renovations and became a hostess on Manchester Talk Radio. She signed a deal for commercials for Shredded Wheat and collected an MBE from The Queen in 1996. Julie also took to the stage as Widow Twanky in Aladdin at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool. She made a pilot of a chat show for Granada called The Julie Goodyear Show but the projected series was cancelled. She was also considered for a role in Kay Mellor's Girls Night Out but lost out to Julie Walters and a Coronation Street spin off Bet's Bar was talked about and forgotten, as was a film called The Star. Julie has remained in the news by opening a bar in Lanzarote with drag queen friend Ricky Day and her various romances with stripagramm Tony Sipes, footballer Justin Fashanu, builder Scott Brand, transvestite Kevin Lawin and Elvis impersonator Michael Wong still guarantee her a front page story. An unauthorized biography Queen Of The Street was written by Sally Beck.
Julie says that she is happy down on the farm, she is in fact a member of the farmers union, and looking after her grandchildren Emily Alice, Elliott Thomas and Jack William. In 1999 Julie briefly returned to Granada to co-present the TV show Live Time on the Granada Breeze satellite channel.
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