Hearing-impaired actress Ali Briggs first appeared as Freda Burgess, the deaf niece of Emily Bishop in Coronation Street in August 2005 and March 2006. The character was the brainchild of writer Debbie Oates and the positive impression gained by the scripts and Ali’s confident performance (coupled with great comic scenes involving Norris Cole) won Ali and the programme a Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation (RADAR) People Of The Year award for the "best portrayal of the lives and viewpoints of disabled people on television".

Ali returned to the role in July 2009. She has also appeared in The Alphabet Soup Show.