Anne Kirkbride, actress, was surprised by Michael Aspel while filming a scene for the ITV soap opera Coronation Street at Granada Studios in Manchester. Anne, who was born in Oldham, first began acting with the Saddleworth junior players before joining the Oldham Theatre Workshop at the age of 14. After leaving school at 16 she secured a job as Assistant Stage Manager with the Oldham Repertory Theatre, where she would appear in over 40 productions. Anne's first television appearance was in the Granada Television produced drama, Another Sunday and Sweet FA, which caught the attention of the producers of Coronation Street. She made her first appearance in the ITV soap opera in the role of Deirdre in November 1972 at the age of only 18, and soon became a household name through such headline grabbing storylines as Deirdre's love triangle in 1983, which attracted over 29 million viewers.