Bet Lynch

Bet Lynch
Coronation Street character
Portrayed by	Julie Goodyear
Duration	1966, 1970–1995, 2002–2003
First appearance	Episode 569 25 May 1966
Last appearance	Episode 5636 30 November 2003
Classification	Former; regular
Introduced by	Howard Baker (1966) June Howson (1970) Kieran Roberts (2002, 2003)
Book appearances	Coronation Street: The Complete Saga Coronation Street: The War Years
Spin-off appearances	Coronation Street: After Hours (1999)
In-universe information Occupation Factory worker Barmaid Pub manager Pub landlady Businesswoman Father Patrick Lynch Mother Mary Lynch Husband Alec Gilroy (1987–1999) Sons Martin Downes Stepdaughters Sandra Arden Uncles Ted

Bet Lynch (also Gilroy) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Julie Goodyear, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on Monday 25 May 1966. Appearing over 25 years, Bet became a Coronation Street icon.

Bet first appeared in May 1966, but did not become a regular until 1970. In October 1995, Goodyear made a permanent departure in a storyline which saw Bet unable to raise the funds to purchase the Freehold of the Rovers Return and subsequently flee Weatherfield. She returned in June 2002 in what was intended to be a permanent return for the character. However, Goodyear quit after just two weeks, this being put down to the heavy work schedule. The following year, Goodyear returned temporarily in a storyline that accommodated the return of Beverley Callard as Liz McDonald. Bet last appeared in November 2003.

Bet was initially made a barmaid at the Rovers Return Inn and later became the landlady in 1985. She likes to dress in a way she considers glamorous, and has a fondness for leopard print clothes and a beehive hairstyle. Her style partly inspired the look for Freddie Mercury's drag character in the 1984 music video for "I Want to Break Free" by rock band Queen.