Corrie barmaid sacked after 40 years

11:39 17 April 2009

Coronation Street's legendry barmaid Betty Williams is to be fired from the Rovers Return after 40 years behind the bar.

Betty, played by Betty Driver, has been working in the Street's local since 1969 but is set to be sacked by the newly promoted manager Poppy Morales this summer.

However the actress will not be leaving the ITV soap with soap bosses telling her she has the part for as long as she likes.

A soap insider told The Sun: "Betty is a viewers' favourite. She's got a place here as long as she wants it. She's more of a fixture than the cobbles.

"She'll be here for a long time to come she'll just be on the other side of the bar for a change."

Betty loses her job when Steve McDonald puts Poppy (Sophiya Haque) in charge while his mother Liz is on holiday in Spain.

But when Betty refuses to swap shifts for her new boss, Poppy sacks her. Betty says: "Sacked after all the years I've given this place. Annie Walker now that was somebody to be sacked by. Alec Gilroy and Bet at least they sacked people with a bit of class.

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"But to get my cards from that madam Poppy when she's not even been here two minutes it's nothing short of scandalous."

Betty was fired from the Rovers once before by Annie Walker, who thought she was stealing money. She also walked out on Jack Duckworth in 1995 after he and his wife Vera took over the pub and tried to make Betty be the cleaner.

But Betty's world famous hotpot secured her job back then after she threatened to sell it in a rival watering hole.