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A Coronation Street icon's wages from her time on the cobbles have been disclosed. Eileen Derbyshire portrayed Emily Bishop on the ITV programme, first appearing all the way back in 1961. As a cherished Weatherfield local, Emily proved popular with viewers and became a mainstay of the show. Moreover, Eileen remained until 2016 - establishing her as one of the longest-serving performers in a British soap. Only Bill Roache has appeared on the programme longer, having played Ken Barlow since the inaugural episode in 1960. Emily's departure was attributed to a journey to Peru to visit a family member. It was subsequently confirmed that Emily is residing in Edinburgh and in 2019, viewers were delighted when she featured in an episode of the ITV programme. Emily made an appearance as her dear friend Ken Barlow marked his 80th birthday in the Rovers Return accompanied by his loved ones. She wasn't present to celebrate with him physically but had filmed a video greeting for her old companion, reports the Daily Star . Since that time, Emily hasn't been referenced, but Eileen's son, Oliver has consistently provided fans with updates on how his mother is faring. Earlier this year, the sports journalist disclosed she is "doing ok" but has a "few issues". Throughout recent months Oliver has also been posting on social media numerous items from his mum's Coronation Street collection, including stage props and newspaper cuttings. This week, he thrilled fans once more by posting a snap of Eileen's first pay slip from her time on Coronation Street. The pay slip reveals that Eileen earned just over £39 for a stint in 1961. Soap enthusiasts were quick to respond to Oliver's post. One fan exclaimed: "Wow that's cracker pal, what a great keepsake." Another added: "Not bad that for back then. A third commented: "That's probably around £1000 in today money, not too shabby! "Earlier this year, Oliver shared a series of snaps on Instagram honouring his mum's impressive career. One photo featured a black-and-white image of Eileen standing with her colleagues outside the iconic Rovers Return. The nostalgic picture included Coronation Street legends Pat Phoenix, Doris Speed, and Betty Driver, who were renowned for their roles as Elsie Tanner, Annie Walker, and Betty Williams respectively.Captioning the framed photograph, which marked the start of his memory-sharing posts, Oliver penned: "Back at my mum's place. Found this packed away. Halcyon days of Coronation Street." Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX
