Coronation Street newcomer Helen Lederer is a very familiar face to anyone who’s watched any television since the 1980s!
She’s an actress and comedian, who’s probably best known for her role in Absolutely Fabulous and now she’s heading to Weatherfield.
Helen is appearing in tonight’s episode of Coronation Street as Elspeth, who tries to woo Ken Barlow at a singles’ night in the Chariot Square Hotel.
Elspeth sends drinks over to Ken and son-in-law Steve. Ken invites her to join them, leaving Steve gutted that he’s not met anyone!
Coronation Street newcomer Helen Lederer
“When you get the call for Coronation Street you drop everything,” Helen said. And to be offered a part playing a role opposite William Roache (AKA Ken) is even more exciting, I had met him once before when I sat next to him at an event and I thought what a lovely man he was and so personable. So for me to be offered this brief role was a joy.”
This isn’t Helen’s first stint in soaps, however. Here’s a round-up of where you might have seen her before.
Where do you know Helen Lederer from?
Helen’s career in comedy started back in the 1980s. She appeared in shows including The Young Ones, Girls on Top, and Harry Enfield’s Television Programme, as well as on the sketch show Naked Video.
Since then she’s been a regular on our screens.
She played Catriona – the ditsy boss of Joanna Lumley’s character Patsy – in Absolutely Fabulous and in the spin-off film, and has appeared in just about everything you can think off, including Heartbeat, Marple, and the CBeebies series Old Jack’s Boat. She also appeared in Celebrity Big Brother back when it was on Channel 5.
Helen’s other soap roles
Helen’s never appeared in Coronation Street before but she has been seen on our screens in other soaps.
She’s played two roles in Casualty, including Dr Hilary Oppe. And she’s also played two different roles in Doctors. One particularly bonkers episode of which was called Wonderland, and it featured her and EastEnders star Harriet Thorpe in a Mat Hatter’s Tea Party dream sequence.
Continuing the medical theme, Helen appeared in Hollyoaks as Mariam Andrews.
She was the ex-wife of Dr Charles S’Avage who was also the drunk midwife who delivered Dee Dee Hutchinson and Rose Lomax in 2013, and managed to swap the babies round!
She returned in 2015 and thought she’d proved that Charles was the Gloved Hand Killer.
Unfortunately for Mariam, Charles wasn’t the killer – which she found out when she became the third victim of the real killer – Lindsey Roscoe.
Helen’s family life
Helen was married to journalist Roger Alton and the pair share a daughter, Hannah Lederer-Alton. She is also an actress and appeared in Echo Beach with Jason Donovan.
Now Helen is married to Chris Brown, who is a GP. They’ve been married since 1999.
Read more: Complete Coronation Street cast list 2023 – meet them all here!
Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV.
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