Coronation Street could be welcoming back a soap legend in a major Ken Barlow twist, as fans predict the return of Alma Baldwin almost three decades after her character died.
Ken Barlow's History on the Cobbles
Ken (William Roache) has been a staple on the cobbles since his debut in 1960 when the actor was only 28 years old. As the longest-serving character on the show, Ken has been involved in several big storylines, including his own 'whodunnit' and discovering he has a secret son.
His love life has often been a topic among viewers. He has dated Denise Osbourne (Denise Black) and Susan Cunningham (Patricia Shakesby), and was married to Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) until her death in 2015.
Fans Predict Alma Baldwin's Return
On a Coronation Street Facebook fan page, viewers have predicted Alma Baldwin (Amanda Barrie) will make a shock return. Alma first appeared on the soap in 1981 for a brief stint before appearing regularly from 1988 until 2001.
Viewers watched the supermarket worker marry fellow legend Mike Baldwin (Johnny Briggs), partner with Gail Platt (Helen Worth) in running the café, and maintain a long friendship with Gail's mother Audrey Roberts (Sue Nicholls). She also survived a terrifying ordeal in 1997 when her ex-lover Don Brennan (Geoffrey Hinsliff) trapped her in a taxi and drove it into a canal, but she swam to safety.
Alma dated Mike's rival and sworn enemy Ken briefly in 1991 after Mike dropped her. In 2001, Alma discovered she had terminal cervical cancer after a misdiagnosis and died at Audrey's house, surrounded by Mike, Ken, and Audrey.
With the soap no stranger to bringing back dead characters, fans are speculating about a cobbles comeback. One person wrote: "Could Alma be brought back as a ghost? I believe the actress is alive 90 odd? Could be a storyline with Roy or Audrey having dreams about Alma in the cafe?" Another added: "I'd love this." A third wrote: "It would make more sense than some current storylines tbh."
Coronation Street airs Monday to Friday at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
