The beloved butcher first appeared on the soap in 1994.
Fred Elliott was a true icon of Coronation Street during his decade stint on the cobbles.
The butcher and Rovers landlord played by John Savident first appeared on the ITV soap in 1994. Known for his no-nonsense approach and deep voice, Fred was a much-loved character who forged a sweet relationship with his son Ashley Peacock (Steven Arnold), originally thought to be his nephew.
His love of Ashley and his butcher shop aside, Fred was very much a ladies’ man. He had romances with several women but shared a particularly strong bond with Audrey Roberts, portrayed by Sue Nicholls since 1979.
Who was Fred Elliott in Coronation Street?
Fred was a butcher and the landlord of pub Rovers Return Inn.
The character was married three times and had a son, Ashley. When Ashley’s mother Kathleen Gutteridge (Elizabeth Rider) rejected the baby, Fred trusted his sister and brother-in-law Beryl (Anny Tobin) and Sam Peacock to raise him.
Ashley believed Fred to be his uncle and the two had a close relationship, with the young man working as an assistant at the butcher’s shop.
In 1999, the truth about Ashley’s true parentage was revealed and the two men were able to deepen their bond as father and son.
Fred didn’t have much luck in his romances. Following the death of his first wife Sybil, he started a relationship with Kathleen but the two split up after Ashley was born.
In 1997, the butcher married Maureen Holdsworth (Sherrie Hewson) but that relationship was equally short-lived. Not even two weeks after tying the knot, Maureen fled to Germany with Bill Webster (Peter Armitage), claiming to feel smothered by Fred’s constant attention.
In 2001, Fred gave love another go when he said “I do” to Evelyn Sykes (Melanie Kilburn), later revealed to be a bigamist. When he found out his wife was still married to another man, Fred threw her out.
Throughout the years, Savident’s character proposed to several women, including Rita Sullivan, Doreen Heavey and, of course, Audrey. They all rejected him, though his bond with Audrey would continue until Fred’s death in 2006.
The Rovers was a constant in Fred’s life. He first bought it in partnership with Mike Baldwin and Duggie Ferguson in 2000, but lost it when the latter tricked him and Mike into selling their shares to him through a third party.
Later on, Fred managed to buy the pub at an auction as a present for his bride Evelyn. In 2006, he decided to sell up when marrying Bev Unwin (Susie Blake).
What happened to Fred Elliott in Coronation Street?
On his wedding day to Bev, Fred went to see Audrey to have her blessing. Despite her admitting to having made a mistake when she said no to him years prior, Fred was adamant to marry Bev.
Unfortunately, he would never make it to the altar as he suffered a stroke while at Audrey’s and died.
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