Ivy Joan Tilsley is a fictional character from the British soap operaCoronation Street. Played by Lynne Perrie, Ivy first appeared on-screen on 14 June 1971, initially on a recurring basis, before becoming a regular in 1979. As the character continued development, Ivy's stringent religious beliefs would become a synonymous part of her storylines on the show. Before becoming a regular character, much of Ivy's backstory is inconsistent; in her early appearances her husband was referred to as "Arthur", "Wilf" and "Jack", who went on to appear in the show in 1975, after Ivy had stated she and Jack were childless. By the time she became a street resident and a more regular character, her husband was named "Bert" and they had an adult son, Brian. Ivy is the grandmother of Nick Tilsley and Sarah Platt. Storylines have included her quarrel with Brian's wife Gail, losing her husband and son; and forming a relationship with fellow resident Don Brennan.
Storylines
Ivy is introduced as a worker at the Mark Brittain warehouse. She and another worker Edna Gee started spreading rumours that Elsie Tanner's husband Alan Howard was having an affair. In 1975, the warehouse burned down and Edna died. Ivy soon began working for Mike Baldwin at Baldwin's Casuals, and was later elevated to supervisor. A staunch Catholic, Ivy vocally opposed Brian's relationship with Protestant, Gail Potter, looking down on her and Gail's single unmarried mother, Audrey Potter. Nevertheless, Brian and Gail married in 1979 in a Catholic ceremony; their son Nicky was born the following year. Ivy soon began interfering in Brian and Gail's marriage, setting her in frequent conflict with both Gail and Audrey over the years; she strongly disapproved of Gail's decision to return to work and leave Nicky with a childminder. Ivy suffers her first personal tragedy in 1984 when her husband Bert dies of a heart attack in a psychiatric hospital following a nervous breakdown. Ivy is further upset in 1986 when she learns that Gail has been having an affair with Brian's cousin Ian Latimer ; it is also discovered that Gail is pregnant and there are doubts as to whether Ian or Brian is the father. When the baby, Sarah-Louise, is born in February 1987, a paternity test proves Brian is the father. Despite this, Ivy never truly accepted Sarah as her granddaughter, and most of her affections went to her grandson Nicky. After a short-lived romance with factory warehouseman George Wardle, whom she dumped when she learned he was divorced, Ivy met widower Don Brennan one night when he drove her home in his taxi. The couple eventually began a relationship and married in 1988. Ivy's second brush with tragedy occurs in 1989 when Brian is stabbed to death outside a nightclub; she never fully recovers from his loss. She is later horrified to learn of Gail's relationship with Martin Platt, who is 11 years her junior. In 1990, when Gail discovers she is pregnant and plans to have an abortion, Martin persuades her not to. Upon announcing the pregnancy to the family, Ivy is mortified, insisting that Gail and Martin get married so that the child doesn't have the Tilsley name. The couple's son, David, is born on Christmas Day 1990; Gail and Martin eventually marry in September 1991. With Martin hoping to formally adopt Nicky and Sarah, Ivy felt the memories of Brian and Bert were being pushed out of her grandchildren's lives, and attempted to smear Martin and Gail's reputations to the social worker overseeing the adoptions, but to no avail. Though Martin and Gail are comfortable as atheists, Ivy becomes obsessed with ensuring Nicky is raised within the Catholic faith he was christened into, believing it was what Brian would have wanted. Ivy further upsets the Platts by manipulating Nicky's passion for football, making him a member of the local Catholic church's football team, thus causing Martin to walk Nicky off the pitch. Ivy again causes friction with the Platts when Sarah repeats her threat if she and Nicky change their surnames from Tilsley to Platt, they won't inherit a penny from her will. At the intervention Don and her best friendVera Duckworth, Ivy bitterly accepts Martin as Nicky and Sarah's adoptive father for the sake of maintaining contact with her grandchildren. In 1990, Ivy attends spiritual meetings and believes she is a psychic, claiming to have received a message from Ernest Bishop which she delivers to his unwilling widow Emily. She causes further upset by claiming to have been contacted by Bet Gilroy's deceased son, Martin Downes, causing yet another conflict for Don to fish Ivy out of. She gives Gail a scare by telling her that Martin was involved in a car crash with a woman named Elizabeth. In 1992, Ivy's fixation with meddling in the Platts' lives begins to take its toll on her marriage to Don, who becomes increasingly sympathetic and supportive of the Platts, which puts him in constant conflict with his wife. When Vera attempts to constructively criticise Ivy, this only leads to various arguments and fallouts. Don seeks solace through an affair with barmaid Julie Dewhurst, revealing it to Ivy before he leaves her, saying she has transformed for the worst from the woman he initially married. Heartbroken Ivy seeks solace through alcoholism, leading to many embarrassing incidents, including Nicky witnessing her arguing with nanny Carmel Finnan. She later has a meltdown in the Rovers, saying she has nothing left to live for, before eventually finding inner peace after some of words of wisdom from her local priest. Ivy reconciles with Don in 1993 after his suicide attempt which results in him having his leg amputated. However, it is later revealed he is the secret telephone stalker of Denise Osbourne. In 1994, after accepting that the marriage is beyond repair, Ivy decides to go on a Catholic long-term retreat in a convent, where she dies in her sleep from a heart attack in August 1995. Her interference in the Platts' lives would continue beyond the grave; as she had always wanted her grandson Nicky to retain the surname Tilsley, Ivy stipulated in her will that Nicky would inherit her house – but only if he changed his surname from Platt back to Tilsley, much to Gail and Martin's annoyance. Sarah and Don were left with nothing. Don is almost evicted as he and the Platts fight over Ivy's legacy; this eventually ends with Don buying No.5 from Nicky for £12,000. With Martin and Gail's blessing, Nicky changes his surname back to Tilsley. In 2004, after her great-grandson Billy death, Gail mention to Todd how Ivy's change her life for protected her kids - despite their conflict.
Creation
Casting and characterisation
Perrie joined Coronation Street in 1971 as a semi-regular character before joining full time in 1979. The character of Ivy was described as a woman who had "a sharp tongue and staunch Roman Catholic beliefs". Ivy's Catholicism was something that developed as the character became more established. At Christmas 1976, Ivy stated she wasn't bothered about Christmas or religious holidays in general and didn't observe them.
Departure
In February 1994, without consulting her bosses, Perrie had cosmetic surgery to make her lips look fuller, but the results were unflattering, and Perrie was sacked from the show after twenty-three years as Ivy. The press speculated that her departure was a direct result of her plastic surgery, though Perrie denied this, insisting that she felt that her character had simply run its course. This version of events matched accounts given by the show's then producer Carolyn Reynolds. Ivy Tilsley died off-screen the following year. Perrie stated in a 1994 interview on 'The Word' she was unhappy that they didn't kill her character off and that she would only return to the show on the condition that it would center around her death as she wanted closure.
Reception
Ivy was included in Digital Spy's feature on "bizarre" soap exits following off-screen scandals. Adam Beresford branded the character "the fearsome 'Poison Ivy'", and said it was "slightly incongruous" when she suddenly appeared with fuller lips. He continued, "Ivy's exit is unfortunate and possibly one of the reasons why the character doesn't get her due in the realm of Corrie icons. She was no pushover and was a believable battleaxe without being a caricature. Her power struggles with daughter-in-law Gail were legendary, and it was also fascinating to see a character whose religion dominated her life to such a degree."
