Moira Pollock is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street. Played by Louiza Patikas, who was simultaneously appearing in the radio soap opera The Archers, she made her first appearance on 12 July 2017. Pollock was characterised as being rude and feisty and was used to create comedy on the soap. Moira was greatly received by viewers and critics, who enjoyed the character's comedy. For her role as Moira, Patikas was nominated for British Soap Award for Best Comedy Performance and longlisted for "Funniest Female" at the Inside Soap Awards in 2018.
In June 2017, it was announced that British actress Louiza Patikas, well-known for her long-running role as Helen Titchener in the radio soap opera The Archers, would be joining the cast of Coronation Street as Moira Pollock, an office manager for the soap opera's fictional Weatherfield Medical Centre.[1] That July, pictures of Patikas in character were released showing Moira leaving Liz in charge of reception to attend a meeting.[2]
Patikas was in a "Visiting Artists Dressing Room"[3] and did not find it difficult balancing her work between Coronation Street and The Archers, with both soaps happy for her to be on both.[3] Moira's first appearance as Moira aired on 12 July of that year.[4] After she began appearing as Moira, Patikas found it strange to be recognised by members of the public.[3] She temporarily left the series after leaving Weatherfield with Colin (Jim Moir) in the episode broadcast on 23 November 2017 after he invited her to come with him to Stoke-on-Trent;[5][6] her exit had been previously hinted by Digital Spy due to Moir's guest stint on the soap coming to an end.[5] In February 2018, it was announced that Moira would be returning to the soap later that month;[7] her return aired on 28 February of that year.[8] Patikas then made her final appearance as Moira in the episode that originally aired on 6 January 2020.[9] Patikas did not make an official exit and she has not appeared since.[10]
Storylines
Moira is introduced as Liz McDonald's (Beverley Callard) new boss at the Weatherfield Medical Centre. On Liz's first day as a receptionist, the women clash over Liz's lack of professionalism and Moira disapproves of her Peruvian God statue because of its religious connotations. Moira further insults Liz by criticising the pub that she worked at and telling her to smoke at the back entrance to not give the medical centre a bad image. Liz tells her son Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson) that Moira constantly switches from criticising and complimenting her, which she finds frustrating.
Liz finds out that Moira's husband, Stuart Pollock (Mark Cameron), scammed her and tried to have an affair with her, so she convinces Moira to leave him. However, Liz is forced to reluctantly let Moira move in with her. Whilst Moira considers Liz a good friend, Liz does not like her. Whilst staying with Liz, she annoys Steve by reorganising his fridge and telling him to do yoga to get fit. Steve's friend Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) later sets Moira and Steve on a blind date, much to Steve's horror, but Moira lets him down gently by telling him he is not her type. Moira becomes romantically involved with Colin Callen (Jim Moir) as they bond over their experiences in Lisbon. Colin tells Moira that he believes that his father is Norris Cole (Malcolm Hebden) and convinces her to steal Norris's blood sample in order to take a DNA test to see if they are related. When Colin reveals what Moira did, she is then fired by Dr Susan Gaddas (Christine Mackie) for gross misconduct and she leaves Weatherfield to go to Stoke-on-Trent with Colin.
Months later, she returns after winning her tribunal to get her job back after Liz told them that she was mentally unstable. Liz hides from her, worried that she heard the description, but Moira reveals that Liz's evidence proved that it was unfair dismissal and she thanks her for her friendship. Moira reveals that she and Colin broke up and he blamed her "erratic behaviour", which Moira believes is due to being peri-menopausal. Moira winds up Liz and her friend Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) and annoys most of the guests at Eileen's party by getting drunk and telling them the gossip that she heard about them. Moira begins to suspect that Liz has feelings for married man Johnny Connor (Richard Hawley), and despite Liz's denials it turns out to be true when they have a brief affair. Liz confides in Moira about their kiss and she encourages her to go for him. Moira later annoys the medical centre's new counsellor, Toyah Battersby (Georgia Taylor), by criticising her "hippy" look. Moira also falls for Jan Lozinski (Piotr Baumann), though he is more interested in Eileen. Moira is last seen when Evelyn Plummer (Maureen Lipman) demands to see the medical records of her great-granddaughter Hope Dobbs (Isabella Flanagan), and she annoys Evelyn by making a joke.
Reception
For her portrayal of Moira, Patikas was nominated for the Best Comedy Performance award at the 2018 British Soap Awards.[11][12] Patikas was also longlisted for "Funniest Female" at the 2018 Inside Soap Awards.[13][14] The latter's Allison Jones called Moira "mean spirited", "malicious" and Liz's "sassy superior" and Liz the "minion" of Moira,[4] while the magazine later called Moira a "rude" receptionist.[15] Sarah Ellis from the same magazine called Moira amazing and joked that Moira's friends "think she's less Pollock and more pillock", and added "We all know a Moira. (And if not, maybe we are the Moira!)"[16] Ellis's colleague, Laura-Jayne Tyler, wrote that she could not get "enough" of Liz's bickering with "battleaxe" Moira, which she regarded as "absolute TV Gold".[17] Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy was shocked by her 2018 return,[7] while a writer from Inside Soap added that Moira had made a "big impression" on the street.[3]
Discussing Steve and Moira's blind date, a writer from Soaplife wrote that Moira's "chilly personality" could turn "everyone's dinner cold!"[18] The writer called the date a "disaster" and joked that Steve would reconsider his friendship with Dev after he set him up with Moira.[18] They also called her "Moira the misery".[18] Hayley Minn called the Moira and Colin "oddball[s]".[19] In 2018, Beth Allcock from OK! wrote that Moira became an "instant fan hit" when she debuted in 2017 and believed that she was one of the most popular Coronation Street characters of 2018 and would make "viewers laugh for many episodes to come".[20] Allcock's colleague, Alana Anderson, called Moira a "fiery redhead".[21] In 2023, Alison Graves from OK! called the character a "medical busy body" and believe that her 2020 departure was "mysterious".[10]
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