Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Katie Fitzpatrick

Rita Sue and Bob Too cast: What happened to the stars of the 80s comedy from Corrie and Benidorm to sad death

This year marks 35 years since the release of the bawdy British dark comedy Rita, Sue and Bob Too.

The Channel Four film was adapted by Andrea Dunbar, based on two of her stage plays; Rita Sue and Bob Too and The Arbour.

Directed by Alan Clarke, the film set in Bradford, West Yorkshire tells the shocking story of two teenage schoolgirls from a run-down estate who have a fling with a married man.

READ MORE:

To earn some money the girls babysit for Bob, played by George Costigan, and his wife Michelle, played by Lesley Sharp, who live in a detached house in a nicer part of town.

When Bob drives them home he sleeps with both girls and they plan to make it a regular thing.

So what has happened to the cast since the 1987 film shone a spotlight on Thatcher's Britain?

Michelle Holmes - Sue

Michelle played Tina in Corrie (Granada Television)

Michelle, 55, from Rochdale, played barmaid Tina Fowler for two years in Coronation Street.

She also starred in Heartbeat, the BBC police drama Merseybeat and she played Lyndsey Woodham a headteacher candidate in the Rochdale-based school drama Waterloo Road.

She was Yvonne Sparrow in the time travelling BBC sitcom Goodnight Sweetheart and she played Theresa in the gritty Manchester drama Shameless, cafe owner Mary in the return of the comedy drama Cold Feet and Maggie Kinsella in the Channe Four soap Hollyoaks.

Siobhan Finneran - Rita

Siobhan Finneran at the BAFTA Television Awards (Getty Images)

After making her debut in Rita, Sue and Bob Too Oldham-born Siobhan played Julie O'Neill in three series of the BBC One drama series Clocking Off and she played Janice Garvey, the head of one of the most popular families in seven series of the popular ITV sitcom Benidorm.

In 2010 Siobhan, 55, was cast as maid Sarah O'Brien in Downton Abbey and a recovering heroin addict Clare in the BBC One crime drama Happy Valley.

In 2020 she played Detective Sergeant Johanna Griffin in Netflix mystery thriller The Stranger.

George Costigan - Bob

George Costigan in Happy Valley (BBC/Red Productions)

George, 74, who was raised in Salford, rose to fame as adulterous businessman Bob in the film.

His TV credits include Bergerac, Minder, Casualty, The Royal, and Happy Valley.

And he starred in the films Calendar Girls as Eddie and in the romantic comedy drama Shirley Valentine as holidaymaker Dougie.

Lesley Sharp - Michelle

Lesley Sharp (PA)

The Manchester actress made her film debut as Bob's wife Michelle in Rita, Sue and Bob Too.

She went on to play secretary Trudy Graham in the Manchester drama Clocking Off.

Lesley, 61, was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the 1997 film The Full Monty.

And between 2011 and 2016 she starred as DC Janet Scott in the drama Scott & Bailey on ITV.

Danny O'Dea -Paddy

Danny, who performed alongside some of the biggest names in the showbusiness including Arthur Askey, Cilla Black, Dick Emery, John Inman and Les Dawson, played an elderly man called Paddy in the film.

He worked until he was 90, playing bumbling Eli Duckett in the long-running sitcom Last of the Summer Wine.

Danny, who played a character called Arthur in Coronation Street in 1986, sadly died the year after his final TV appearance in 2003, aged 91, in Hartshead near Huddersfield.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.