Thelma Barlow

Thelma Barlow (née Pigott; born 19 June 1929) is an English television actress and writer, known for her roles as Mavis Wilton in the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street and as Dolly Bellfield in the BBC One sitcom dinnerladies.

Early life Barlow was born in 1929 in Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, Her father, Tommy, a cabinet maker, died of pneumonia five weeks before her birth, aged 37, and Barlow was brought up by her mother Margaret. In 2024, she appeared on Good Morning Britain and said "it would be the pressure of the work that would frighten me to death".

In 1990, Barlow appeared as a contestant on Cluedo, facing off against Ned Sherrin.

Barlow's next major role was that of Dolly Bellfield in Victoria Wood's sitcom dinnerladies, In 2005 she played her first film role in Mrs Henderson Presents, for which she was nominated "Most Promising Newcomer" at the British Independent Film Awards 2005. In 2007 she portrayed Lady Thaw in the Doctor Who episode "The Lazarus Experiment". In 2016, she had a small speaking role in the film Florence Foster Jenkins.

Since her departure from Coronation Street Barlow has acted on radio,

In 2024, Barlow came out of retirement and returned to acting in a short film Sleepless In Settle. Directed by Judy Flynn and filmed in the town of Rye, East Sussex, Barlow played Barbara, a woman who is trying to find a wife for her son.

Personal life She married Graham Barlow in 1956; their marriage produced two sons. The couple divorced in 1983. Barlow maintained her married name since all of her television and film credits, until her divorce and after, have been as Thelma Barlow. In 2003, Barlow moved to the Isle of Purbeck.

Honours Barlow was awarded the Honorary degree of Doctor of Letters (D.Litt) from Teesside University on 21 November 2008.