Truth be told, we still can't quite believe Anne Kirkbride has departed this mortal coil, and there's no doubt it was all tremendously raw for the cast of Coronation Street at last night's National Television Awards.
Bill Roache, who of course played Deirdre's husband Ken Barlow on the soap, paid tribute to his on screen wife with that 'husky voice and trademark spectacles'.
Roache spoke of her as 'one of the best loved and most enduring characters on British Television', describing their characters as 'soul mates'.
There wasn't a dry eye in the house, particularly amongst the Corrie cast, who were visibly emotional by the end...
