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Secrets of "The Street": My Life as Ivy Tilsley
The inside story of the television series "Coronation Street".
- GenresNonfiction
Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 28, 2016
Lynne Perrie tells her story as if she is sitting with you in the pub and just having a chat and sharing stories. She is a fun storyteller with no concern over her language, story content or attempts to edit it to make it less offensive. That is why I liked the book so much-it really was warts and all with all the details. I prefer this in a memoir as I see little point than reading an edited version of the persons life!
Her relationship with her husband is certainly unconventional and she doesn't hold back on what she sees as his faults-being tight with money, never showing her affection, refusing to live with her in Manchester when she was on Corrie, having little sex drive. Lynne on the other hand freely admits to all her faults-infidelity, wasting money, alcohol problems, prescription drugs addiction, domestic violence, not being there enough for her family. At times they really seemed to hate each other yet neither asked for a divorce and Lynne admits that they do love each other in their own strange way. There really are some bizarre moments between the two of them over the years. Lynne does say that Derrick was an excellent agent and would ferry her around to gigs, enjoying being slagged off in her comedy routines.
She doesn't hold back when talking about her countless affairs and the man she wanted to leave Derrick for. She admits to having affairs with Coronation Street co-stars but does not name those involved to respect their privacy. The details are quite shocking when she talks about her sex life as you still her see as the straight laced Ivy from Corrie in your head! It was certainly entertaining and a few of her conquests are household names. Lynne also admits that when her father refused to let her marry DErrick, she got pregnant just to force him to give his blessing.
Her adventures in Africa on the Cabaret circuit were very funny. Her story of Chick Murray's attempt at seduction, getting arrested for persuading a black hotel worker to use the white only lift, running screaming from the toilet with her knickers round her ankles at a party because of huge spiders roaming the bathroom, being tricked into sitting on an ostrich egg to get it to hatch and trying to watch the moon landings with a pair of binoculars as she had no TV! I liked the story of when she asked the black houseboy if he would call his employers if there was an uprising and he responded 'No no madam I couldn't do that. I kill the family next door and their boy kills everyone here.' You don't know how to react to that!
Lynne talks in detail about her Corrie co-stars. Her friendships with Pat Phoenix, Johnny Briggs, Charlie Lawson, Anne Kirkbride, Julie Goodyear, Jill Summers etc. Her uneasy relationship with Geoff Hinsliff began on the first day when he told her she was too old to be his wife and he looked down on anyone not classically trained. Her friendship with Liz Dawn was up and down due to some rivalry between then and Lynne thinking that Liz was always trying to copy her. She talks about the young actors like Warren Jackson and Chloe Newsome needing sorted out, Bill Roache being a ladykiller, the jealousy aimed at Julie Goodyear as she took over the Rovers, Simon Gregson's issues adjusting to fame, Bill Waddington's penny pinching and her own position as the gossip hound of the Street.
Lynne talks about how lonely she was on her own, living in a small place near the studio, and getting drunk most nights in the pub that the cast went to. For all her problems with her husband you can see that she wanted him there. I liked what she said about Charlie Lawson always ensuring that she got home safely after a drinking session and that Johnny Briggs, also lonely on set was a platonic friend she could always count on. She is also open about her decision to have plastic surgery and why she was really sacked from Corrie.
This book is full of drama, shocks and a lot of laughs! It was one of the best memoirs that I've read and I recommend it to Corrie fans and those who like interesting memoirs.
Her relationship with her husband is certainly unconventional and she doesn't hold back on what she sees as his faults-being tight with money, never showing her affection, refusing to live with her in Manchester when she was on Corrie, having little sex drive. Lynne on the other hand freely admits to all her faults-infidelity, wasting money, alcohol problems, prescription drugs addiction, domestic violence, not being there enough for her family. At times they really seemed to hate each other yet neither asked for a divorce and Lynne admits that they do love each other in their own strange way. There really are some bizarre moments between the two of them over the years. Lynne does say that Derrick was an excellent agent and would ferry her around to gigs, enjoying being slagged off in her comedy routines.
She doesn't hold back when talking about her countless affairs and the man she wanted to leave Derrick for. She admits to having affairs with Coronation Street co-stars but does not name those involved to respect their privacy. The details are quite shocking when she talks about her sex life as you still her see as the straight laced Ivy from Corrie in your head! It was certainly entertaining and a few of her conquests are household names. Lynne also admits that when her father refused to let her marry DErrick, she got pregnant just to force him to give his blessing.
Her adventures in Africa on the Cabaret circuit were very funny. Her story of Chick Murray's attempt at seduction, getting arrested for persuading a black hotel worker to use the white only lift, running screaming from the toilet with her knickers round her ankles at a party because of huge spiders roaming the bathroom, being tricked into sitting on an ostrich egg to get it to hatch and trying to watch the moon landings with a pair of binoculars as she had no TV! I liked the story of when she asked the black houseboy if he would call his employers if there was an uprising and he responded 'No no madam I couldn't do that. I kill the family next door and their boy kills everyone here.' You don't know how to react to that!
Lynne talks in detail about her Corrie co-stars. Her friendships with Pat Phoenix, Johnny Briggs, Charlie Lawson, Anne Kirkbride, Julie Goodyear, Jill Summers etc. Her uneasy relationship with Geoff Hinsliff began on the first day when he told her she was too old to be his wife and he looked down on anyone not classically trained. Her friendship with Liz Dawn was up and down due to some rivalry between then and Lynne thinking that Liz was always trying to copy her. She talks about the young actors like Warren Jackson and Chloe Newsome needing sorted out, Bill Roache being a ladykiller, the jealousy aimed at Julie Goodyear as she took over the Rovers, Simon Gregson's issues adjusting to fame, Bill Waddington's penny pinching and her own position as the gossip hound of the Street.
Lynne talks about how lonely she was on her own, living in a small place near the studio, and getting drunk most nights in the pub that the cast went to. For all her problems with her husband you can see that she wanted him there. I liked what she said about Charlie Lawson always ensuring that she got home safely after a drinking session and that Johnny Briggs, also lonely on set was a platonic friend she could always count on. She is also open about her decision to have plastic surgery and why she was really sacked from Corrie.
This book is full of drama, shocks and a lot of laughs! It was one of the best memoirs that I've read and I recommend it to Corrie fans and those who like interesting memoirs.
August 25, 2021
Can’t believe I’m admitting to this, but I Found this in a charity shop and couldn’t resist it, seduced by the sticker ‘the book they tried to ban’. Not my usual sort of read and I certainly raised a few eyebrows reading it on the train. Certainly an eventful life, some of the language used might sound shocking by today’s standards, but overall a fun, rollercoaster of a read albeit in a gossipy / trashy way.
August 24, 2025
I've often thought it a shame that Lynne Perrie isn't always recalled with the same fondness as some of her contemporaries. I think the main reason for this is that, when she reached her sixties, she was just too candid for some people, and it raised more than a few eyebrows. People expected her to be just like the self-righteous character that made her a household name in 'Coronation Street,' and felt she should have known better at her age. I think the public was shocked when Ivy Tilsley launched her book in 1994, and her appearance on Channel 4's 'The Word' sealed her fate.
"My book was a terrible mistake," she sighed in 2003. Written by two journalists for 'The Sun' newspaper, 'Secrets of the Street' is quite a read. Lynne had recently left 'The Street' in a blaze of publicity surrounding her infamous lip implants and became the darling of the tabloids. Unfortunately, she was also a troubled soul and would go to extremes to make people laugh, like the trooper she was.
As for 'Secrets of the Street', I found it unputdownable. As you might suspect from a book that was serialised in 'The Sun,' it's trashy, it's gossipy, and the journalists clearly wrote it with their audience in mind. Sex sells, and sure enough, it became a best-seller. Lynne's former TV bosses attempted to ban its publication. But aside from revealing that there was a bit of bitching in the green room, shattering the illusion that the cast was one big happy family, and a few uncomplimentary comments about two of her former co-stars, there wasn't a great deal to merit the injunction. On the contrary, Lynne spoke glowingly about many of the cast.
However, despite the title, it isn't really a book about 'Coronation Street,' it is a full-scale autobiography. Some write about their childhoods in too much detail, but not Lynne, whose early adventures made me laugh as well as her days aboard on the club circuit. I came away feeling a bit sorry for her husband, Derrick. Some of the things she said about him were quite cruel. He must have loved her dearly, though, as he always stood by her right until she passed away in 2006.
Lynne freely admits to all her many affairs, particularly with toyboys, her heavy drinking, one-time gambling habit, erratic behaviour, a suicide attempt and a homemade abortion. Particularly sad was to read of the pain and worry she felt over her son, Stephen, who was diagnosed with HIV and later full-blown AIDs.
She enjoyed great success as a nightclub singer and comedienne, performing on stages all over the world and working with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Sachi Distel, to name only a few. She was spotted by Ken Loach, who cast her as the mother in 'Kes,' one of the most acclaimed British movies of all time. So good was Lynne in the film that she never had to audition for anything - the TV roles came to her. From appearing opposite Diana Dors in the hit comedy series 'Queenie's Castle ', to starring in one of the BBC's prestigious' Play For Today' dramas, Lynne had a brilliant CV. John Schlesinger offered her a good part in his film 'Yanks,' starring Richard Gere, but she turned it down to sign a permanent contract with 'The Street.'
I have to say, though, I feel there a bit was too much detail about Lynne's sex life in the book. I would have liked to have read more about her career, the stars she worked with and the friendships she made. I didn't really care to read so graphically about her encounters with toyboys. I also feel that the writers 'spiced up' the contents on many occasions with exaggerations. Of course, this helped to sell more copies, and as well as plastic surgery, she became something of a poster girl for infidelity.
After leaving 'Coronation Street,' she was often asked to voice her opinions on sex in print and on TV. She even sent herself up in a 'fitness' video (which really wasn't the 'video nasty' that one critic said. It was clearly satire.)I can't help but think that those involved in the adult channel Television X had seen all of this and thought, 'Let's book her on one of our shows and take advantage.' They did, and she appeared on the first episode of a game show that would have otherwise remained even more obscure, 'Caesar's Rude Arena,' to judge an underwear contest. I have seen how she was encouraged to 'mess around' with the males taking part, and felt sorry for her. To many, this is how this once critically acclaimed performer, famous for 50 years, is best remembered. As recently as 2024, clips from that show were shown yet again in a Channel 5 list programme.
Despite the overkill on her sex life, Lynne's memoir is an entertaining romp, though certainly not for everyone. If you're easily offended and don't want to read about her orgasms, you might want to pass. I laughed out loud on many occasions and came away liking her even more. She was indeed a gutsy lady whose busy life was never plain sailing. But I do wish she hadn't been so open in certain eras, as I do think this was the start of a slippery slope. The public began turning their noses up and laughing at her. Lynne was sometimes plagued with personal problems, but was always pure entertainment.
"My book was a terrible mistake," she sighed in 2003. Written by two journalists for 'The Sun' newspaper, 'Secrets of the Street' is quite a read. Lynne had recently left 'The Street' in a blaze of publicity surrounding her infamous lip implants and became the darling of the tabloids. Unfortunately, she was also a troubled soul and would go to extremes to make people laugh, like the trooper she was.
As for 'Secrets of the Street', I found it unputdownable. As you might suspect from a book that was serialised in 'The Sun,' it's trashy, it's gossipy, and the journalists clearly wrote it with their audience in mind. Sex sells, and sure enough, it became a best-seller. Lynne's former TV bosses attempted to ban its publication. But aside from revealing that there was a bit of bitching in the green room, shattering the illusion that the cast was one big happy family, and a few uncomplimentary comments about two of her former co-stars, there wasn't a great deal to merit the injunction. On the contrary, Lynne spoke glowingly about many of the cast.
However, despite the title, it isn't really a book about 'Coronation Street,' it is a full-scale autobiography. Some write about their childhoods in too much detail, but not Lynne, whose early adventures made me laugh as well as her days aboard on the club circuit. I came away feeling a bit sorry for her husband, Derrick. Some of the things she said about him were quite cruel. He must have loved her dearly, though, as he always stood by her right until she passed away in 2006.
Lynne freely admits to all her many affairs, particularly with toyboys, her heavy drinking, one-time gambling habit, erratic behaviour, a suicide attempt and a homemade abortion. Particularly sad was to read of the pain and worry she felt over her son, Stephen, who was diagnosed with HIV and later full-blown AIDs.
She enjoyed great success as a nightclub singer and comedienne, performing on stages all over the world and working with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and Sachi Distel, to name only a few. She was spotted by Ken Loach, who cast her as the mother in 'Kes,' one of the most acclaimed British movies of all time. So good was Lynne in the film that she never had to audition for anything - the TV roles came to her. From appearing opposite Diana Dors in the hit comedy series 'Queenie's Castle ', to starring in one of the BBC's prestigious' Play For Today' dramas, Lynne had a brilliant CV. John Schlesinger offered her a good part in his film 'Yanks,' starring Richard Gere, but she turned it down to sign a permanent contract with 'The Street.'
I have to say, though, I feel there a bit was too much detail about Lynne's sex life in the book. I would have liked to have read more about her career, the stars she worked with and the friendships she made. I didn't really care to read so graphically about her encounters with toyboys. I also feel that the writers 'spiced up' the contents on many occasions with exaggerations. Of course, this helped to sell more copies, and as well as plastic surgery, she became something of a poster girl for infidelity.
After leaving 'Coronation Street,' she was often asked to voice her opinions on sex in print and on TV. She even sent herself up in a 'fitness' video (which really wasn't the 'video nasty' that one critic said. It was clearly satire.)I can't help but think that those involved in the adult channel Television X had seen all of this and thought, 'Let's book her on one of our shows and take advantage.' They did, and she appeared on the first episode of a game show that would have otherwise remained even more obscure, 'Caesar's Rude Arena,' to judge an underwear contest. I have seen how she was encouraged to 'mess around' with the males taking part, and felt sorry for her. To many, this is how this once critically acclaimed performer, famous for 50 years, is best remembered. As recently as 2024, clips from that show were shown yet again in a Channel 5 list programme.
Despite the overkill on her sex life, Lynne's memoir is an entertaining romp, though certainly not for everyone. If you're easily offended and don't want to read about her orgasms, you might want to pass. I laughed out loud on many occasions and came away liking her even more. She was indeed a gutsy lady whose busy life was never plain sailing. But I do wish she hadn't been so open in certain eras, as I do think this was the start of a slippery slope. The public began turning their noses up and laughing at her. Lynne was sometimes plagued with personal problems, but was always pure entertainment.
January 22, 2021
To quote the late great Pat Phoenix (Corrie Icon Else Tanner) 'If anything is worth doing, do it with panache'. It's an idiom that working-class club singer Jean Barksby (nee Dudley) took on with aplomb when joining Coronation Street, and it resonates well with this fascinating book about her life growing up in 1950's south Yorkshire, her cabaret club career, and rise to stardom. Before her phenomenal break in 1960s kitchen-sink film 'KES', Lynne Perrie was a singing star having supported The Beatles, and Engelbert Humperdink before touring around the world. Although married with a young son, Lynee's ferocious appetite for extra-marital sex and booze makes fascinating reading and her early life is equally as traumatic as her on-scene alter ego 'poison Ivy' Tilsley. Her working-class roots make this an entertaining read as a memoir of a famous actress, that's for sure and that's without the explosive warts-and-all gossip she gives from her time on the nations most successful continuing drama. The book that Granada TV tried to ban is as sensational as you could imagine.
A MUST for any Coronation Street fan. Brilliant!
A MUST for any Coronation Street fan. Brilliant!
April 14, 2024
Worth a read if you're a classic corrie fan but if you're looking for juicy Street gossip I think you will be disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews