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Irma barlow

Publicity photo of Sandra Gough as Irma.

Sandra Gough (born 2nd August 1943 in Manchester) is an British actress best known for her role on Coronation Street as Irma Barlow, daughter of Stan and Hilda Ogden, which she played from 1964 to 1971. She also had minor parts on the Street as a belly dancer named as Bettina at the August 1961 Bank Holiday fair, in July 1963 as Marjorie Platt and in December of the same year as a Factory Girl. In 1961 she appeared several times as an extra in Elliston's Raincoat Factory.

Sandra has also had stints in Emmerdale, as Doreen Shuttleworth, then Nellie Dingle, and she played Paul Calf's mother in the Steve Coogan vehicles Paul Calf's Video Diary, Pauline Calf's Wedding Video and Coogan's Run.

She left the Street in the late 1960s when her screen husband, Alan Rothwell, gave up his role as David Barlow after which she appeared in the Granada comedy show Nice Time. She came back to the Street for several weeks in December 1969 when Irma visited her parents for Christmas and returned permanently in April 1970 when the producers decided to kill David off in Australia to allow Irma to be seen again. However on 13th June 1970 Sandra married her Spanish husband, Miguel Mayor, and started to take unauthorised time off in mid-1971 to be with him, claiming illness. She returned to the programme for a brief time in October 1971 but was sacked two months later and vanished from the programme abruptly. Sandra was quoted in the press saying that she was pleased with the result as she was tired of Irma and wanted to leave.

Sandra Gough Corrie Years

Sandra in an interview for "The Corrie Years" in 2012.

In a 2012 episode of "The Corrie Years - After the Street" Sandra Gough was interviewed and revealed why she had left so abruptly. She told how Alan Rothwell had wanted to leave for some time & had told her that he wouldn't leave because they (The producers) would write her out as well. One day she went to Alan and told him they were going to tell the Producer they were both leaving. When she came back a few years later she said "my mother had a bone disease and was very very ill. I asked them (The Producers) for months and months, please write me out, please write me out...then in the end just to finish filming one Friday...and I never went in on the Monday" She went on to say "I am very sorry and I will say ashamed to do that" she appeared surprised how the story of her disappearance appeared in all the papers because she said "I phoned and told them...I said I'm going because you won't let me go properly, I'm going"

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