Veronica Holdsworth (née Hardback) was the first wife of Reg Holdsworth. Veronica was a forceful woman who seemed oddly immune to Reg's charms. She credited herself for Reg's ascension up the Bettabuy career ladder and described him as being great on flannel. Reg was similarly disparaging about Veronica, once describing her as having masculine tendencies.
In April 1990, Veronica threw Reg out of their house in Hillside Road when she found out he'd slept with Renee Dodds. By July, he had wheedled his way back into the marital home.
In February 1991 Veronica was staying with her sister Eileen in New Zealand when a friend who was keeping an eye on Reg (on her instructions) let her know that Reg had a fancy woman - Rita Fairclough. Veronica flew back to the UK and got a taxi straight to The Kabin to have it out with Rita. Reg and Rita were only friends but, hoping for more, Reg had told her he was separated. Veronica put Rita in the picture and told her she could have Reg as she'd met a real man in New Zealand and had only come back to sell the house.