At one time in the mid-1970s, the actor Anita Carey, who has died of breast cancer aged 75, seemed ever present in television comedy. But she switched to soap in 1978 when offered a short run in Coronation Street as Brenda Summers, a victim of domestic violence, who was befriended by Emily Bishop (played by Eileen Derbyshire).
“I’ve done so much comedy on television that I was anxious to get a really meaty dramatic role,” said Carey, who researched the subject by talking to women at a Manchester refuge. “The social relevance of the part was a big challenge. It made me think hard about battered wives.”
