Actress Joanna Lumley is best known for her roles as Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous and Purdey in The New Avengers, but she also starred in Coronation Street back in 1973

Joanna Lumley, the beloved British actress famed for her roles in The Avengers and Absolutely Fabulous, took a trip down memory lane to her days on Coronation Street back in 1973.

Cast as Elaine Perkins, Ken Barlow’s (played by Bill Roach) girlfriend, Lumley looked a lot different from the image we know today, sporting long brunette locks instead of her signature blonde hair.

Her stint may have been brief, with just eight episodes under her belt, but her character left a lasting impact, especially after turning down a marriage proposal from the notorious charmer Ken. Celebrating her 78th birthday today (May 1), Joanna recalled the backlash she faced from viewers during a chat with Gyles Brandreth on his Rosebud podcast.

“Ken Barlow proposed to me and my character said no! ” she shared, revealing that this led to the public “hate” her. Lumley even tried to negotiate a longer stay on the cobbles. She explained: “I said, ‘Couldn’t she just say yes and I could be in [the soap] for more than eight episodes?’ They said, ‘No, you’re just an interim, we’re going on with someone far more important than you!'”

Her stint on Coronation Street was brief  (Image: Granada Television)

But it wasn’t meant to be, as they had other plans. She recounted her plea to remain on the show: “I said, ‘But I could stay! Do I really have to say, ‘It’s so boring living in Coronation Street? ‘ Do I have to say that? ‘ They said, ‘Yes you do’ and of course the public hate me! I’d just turned down Ken Barlow and I’d said it’s boring living in Coronation Street. I’d thought my life was rock bottom.”

Joanna didn’t mince her words, branding Ken a “provincial twit” after his accusations of Elaine’s promiscuous behaviour. After this she was never seen again on the ITV platform, instead embarking on a modelling career, reports the Daily Star.

Bringing up her unexpected career transition, she confessed: “I know it sounds like a snooty thing to say because catalogue work is great, but as a model, it was rock bottom! ” However, three years later Joanna bounced back with her big break in The New Avengers, stepping into the role of secret agent, Purdey.

“I thought it would change my money. It didn’t. It was really mean – they got me on a five-year contract and they said, ‘The first two years are rock bottom. After that, it begins to soar. By the end of it, you will own Scotland! ‘”. Yet, the actress couldn’t refrain from joking: “I thought, ‘This is the job for me.’ But what they didn’t tell me is that they planned to stop the show after two years!”