Corrie Double Act - Jack and Annie

Often overshadowed by other married double acts such as Stan and Hilda and Jack and Vera, the Walkers were the first double act in Coronation Street, appearing in the very first episode in 1960. What made them popular was their personality clash, Annie with her snobbishness and megalomania and Jack with his broad Lancashire accent and friendly approach. When they were introduced, Jack and Annie had been married for 23 years. Being the landlord and landlady of the Rovers Return, the Walkers were at the centre of all the drama on the cobbles. As well as performing the soap’s earliest comic scenes, Jack and Annie also starred in some dramatic storylines that included Frank Turner blackmailing Jack and Annie being kidnapped as well as son Billy popping in and out of their lives, usually in debt. Humorous storylines included Annie accusing Jack of having an affair with Street siren Elsie Tanner. In 1964, Jack and Annie became Lucille Hewitt’s guardians after her father Harry and his wife Concepta left for Ireland and she gave them a new lease of life. The partnership lasted a decade, leading to Stan and Hilda Ogden becoming the next married double act. It ended due to Jack’s untimely death of a heart attack in 1970. Annie soldiered on for another 13 years before retiring to Derby.