Molly Dobbs (also Compton) is a fictional character from the BritishITVsoap operaCoronation Street. Portrayed by Vicky Binns,[1] she debuted on 5 September 2005. Introduced as the daughter of a local baker, she is the love interest and later wife of Tyrone Dobbs.
On 6 May 2010, Binns announced she was quitting the soap.[2] Molly was killed off on 9 December 2010 in a live episode celebrating the show's 50th anniversary, by a tram crashing into the corner shop.[3]
After briefly working in her father's shop and at Kirk's kennels, Molly then starts working for Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) at his corner shop. Molly begins dating Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) and lives with him and his foster parents Jack (Bill Tarmey) and Vera Duckworth (Liz Dawn). Molly forms a close bond and friendship with Vera and asks her for advice about her relationship with Tyrone. Molly is devastated when Vera dies in January 2008.
After Vera's death, Molly and Tyrone buy the Duckworths' house and live there with Jack, and also keep Jack and Vera's grandson Paul Clayton (Tom Hudson) in as lodger until he leaves in May 2008.
In May 2008, Molly makes her mark on the Duckworths' house by removing the stone cladding that Vera had put on the front of the house in 1989. Jack agrees with this move but Tyrone is not happy as he sees the cladding as a memory of Vera. Eventually as the builders proceed to remove the cladding they inform Molly that the job would be much more expensive as the cladding is ruining the brick work as it is removed. The cheapest option was for the cladding to remain on the house and Molly agrees, much to Tyrone's delight.[5]
In July 2008, Tyrone is advised by Jack to propose marriage to Molly at an upmarket restaurant. Tyrone chooses not to propose at that moment. Molly later plans a surprise proposal to Tyrone and the two get engaged, with the help of Molly's aunt Pam Hobsworth (Kate Anthony), who arrives in Weatherfield around the same time.[6]
In August 2008, Tyrone decides that Molly should meet his mother Jackie (Margi Clarke). Everything goes to plan, until Molly and Tyrone discover that Jackie is £1,000 in debt to an old friend of Tyrone's father and needs the money to pay this off, much to Molly's despair. The couple use their wedding savings to pay the man off. This puts their plans on hold for Molly to afford her dream wedding dress.
In December 2008, Molly becomes suspicious of Tyrone's behaviour. He has secretly been selling illegal merchandise with Pam, to help pay for their wedding. Molly mistakenly thinks that Tyrone is having an affair with Minnie Chandra (Poppy Jhakra), after she spots the pair flirting, when in reality Minnie was buying perfume and T-shirts from Tyrone. When Tyrone confesses that he has been selling illegal stock with Pam, Molly is furious and leaves him, saying that she can no longer trust him. She later forgives him, and the couple get married on 12 January 2009.
In mid 2009, Molly strikes up a friendship with Tyrone's workmate, Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell). The pair, along with Jason Grimshaw (Ryan Thomas), train together for the local fun run. Although Kevin jealously accuses Jason of sleeping with Molly, Molly laughs it off and they remain friends. Kevin is the only person to support Molly at the local fun run and, the same night, Kevin looks longingly at photos of Molly at the fun run on his mobile phone. In June 2009, Molly confronts Kevin to why he is acting so strangely around her; Kevin reluctantly admits that he is in love with her. Molly slaps him and leaves, but outside the garage she smiles to herself.
They later begin an affair which is nearly exposed at Kevin's wife, Sally Webster's (Sally Dynevor) 42nd birthday party in July 2009. Molly smooths things over between the couple, ends her affair with Kevin and goes on holiday with Tyrone. When she returns in August 2009 she does the fun run again with Kevin and they celebrate by having sex at a nearby hotel. Some weeks later Pam spots Molly kissing Kevin. When Pam confronts Molly about her affair, Molly declares that she is in love with Kevin. Pam disapproves and gives her an ultimatum: Confess to Tyrone or end her relationship with Kevin. As a result, Molly pretends to end her affair with Kevin. In a conversation with Tyrone about Kevin and Sally's marriage, she discovers that she is not the only liaison of Kevin's as Tyrone mentions that he has had previous affairs in the past, which she feels insulted by.
Molly and Kevin soon confess their love for each other, and pledge to leave their respective spouses and start a new life together. Sally had a secret of her own - she had breast cancer. On Christmas Day, just as Kevin is about to tell Sally that he is leaving her, she breaks the news of her illness. Kevin then hurries over to the Dobbs' house, on the pretense of needing stuffing for the turkey, after seeing Molly sitting Tyrone down. When Tyrone leaves the house to go to the Rovers, Kevin tells Molly about Sally's breast cancer. Selfishly, Molly tearfully says how unfair it was, not for Sally, but for them. Kevin gets angry and tells her that their relationship is over, as she was the least of his worries, and that he would support Sally through her illness. Molly reveals her heartbreak and ends her Christmas crying. On New Eve's Eve, she dolls herself up to make Kevin jealous. Her appearance catches a lot of attention and Kevin is disgusted when Molly accuses him of lying about Sally's cancer. Molly is later seething when she sees Kevin and Sally welcome in the New Year.
In January 2010, Molly promises to be a better wife to Tyrone on their first wedding anniversary. On the second anniversary of Vera's death, Molly tells Tyrone that she is leaving him because she no longer loves him, and he begs her to stay. She denies that she has been seeing someone else and moves into the flat above Dev's shop. In March 2010, Molly is shocked to discover that she is four months pregnant, with the possibilities that the father is Kevin or Tyrone. When she informs Kevin of her pregnancy, he refuses to have anything to do with her and he coldly burns the baby scan picture in front of her. With nowhere left to turn, she tells Tyrone about the pregnancy and they reconcile and agree to give their marriage another chance. In April, Molly and Tyrone find out Molly is expecting a baby boy. Kevin is furious and demands Molly has an abortion and to pass it off as a miscarriage.
In April 2010, Tyrone asks Kevin to check up on his car. Whilst fixing it, Kevin is distracted by his daughter Sophie (Brooke Vincent) who is upset. Thinking that the car is ready, Tyrone takes it and drives through the countryside with Molly to tell her father Diggory the news about her pregnancy. Kevin realises that the car is missing before he has finished his work on the brakes and frantically calls Molly and Tyrone. Molly tells Tyrone not to answer as she wants to have a peaceful trip. Tyrone loses control of the car when the brakes fail and it leaves the road and somersaults into a field. Molly and Tyrone are both left unconscious. As Tyrone regains consciousness he finds Molly, still unconscious, next to him. Tyrone flags down a passing motorist who calls 999 and Kevin arrives after following an ambulance to the scene. Kevin and Tyrone both watch as Molly is cut from the wreckage. She is rushed to hospital where she has a scan whilst she is still unconscious and the doctors discover there is still a heartbeat from the baby. Tyrone is told, as long as Molly's life is in the balance, so is the baby's. Tyrone is horrified of the condition of his wife and the unborn child and turns to Kevin for support.[7] When she regains consciousness Molly asks Pam, who is visiting her, what happened and she reveals that Kevin did not fix the brakes. Kevin feels guilty and arrives at the hospital. Molly accuses him of trying to kill her and the baby. Kevin apologises but a furious Molly tells him to save his story for the police.[8] Kevin panics but with Tyrone by Molly's side she changes her mind about her decision. Kevin returns to the hospital to thank Molly but says she did it for Tyrone, not him. Molly tries to persuade Tyrone to move away from Weatherfield for a fresh start as she does not think it is fair for him or the baby to be around Kevin.[9]
In July 2010, Molly is thrilled when her neighbour Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) expresses an interest in buying their house, much to Tyrone's despair. Whilst Eileen and Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies) are examining the house, Molly has a health scare and nearly collapses. At the hospital the doctors tell her that her collapse was caused by stress. Molly changes her mind about moving and remains in Weatherfield.
On 6 September 2010, Molly gives birth to her son, Jack. She suddenly goes into labour in her home and it is left to Sally to deliver the baby as Tyrone is out on a breakdown call-out.[10] After Kevin agrees to godparenting Jack with Sally, Molly is furious and tells Kevin that she wants him to play no part in Jack's life. Kevin then asks Molly for a DNA test to prove he is the father, but she refuses, believing Tyrone is Jack's father. Kevin steals Jack's dummy in the Rovers following his christening and sends it away for testing. On 5 November 2010, Kevin receives the DNA test results, proving that he is the father. He shows the results to Molly and she is distraught and furious with Kevin for going behind her back.
Not long afterward at Jack's wake, Molly tells Kevin that she is still in love with him. Kevin tells her that he loves Sally and wants to be with her. Realising that Kevin no longer has feelings for her, Molly is heartbroken.
On 6 December 2010, Molly leaves Tyrone, telling him that he is not Jack's father, but she does not tell him who the father is despite his demands to know. She sets out to leave with Jack, intending to go and stay at her father's. She goes to the corner shop to say goodbye to her former employer, Sunita Alahan (Shobna Gulati). Kevin comes into the shop to buy some milk and says goodbye to Molly and Jack after she tells him that he will never see his son again. Shortly after Kevin leaves the shop, there is an explosion in 'The Joinery' bar which throws Molly and Jack to the floor. A tram derails and crashes into the shop, burying Molly and Jack in rubble. She tries to comfort him and loses consciousness. She comes round when firefighters arrive, and Jack is removed from the wreckage and taken to hospital. Molly is trapped under a beam and has to be released by heavy lifting gear and cutting equipment. Sally enters the wreckage and sits by Molly's side to comfort her and keep her conscious. Molly's condition deteriorates and, when she realises that she is dying, she confesses her affair with Kevin and apologises to Sally, saying that Kevin chose Sally because she was beautiful inside and out and that he loved Sally and their daughters more than herself and Jack. Explaining that Kevin is Jack's father, Molly asks Sally to look after him and says that Jack is the only thing from the affair she does not regret. After Molly admits this, Sally lets go of her hand. As Molly pleads for Sally to stay, her hand goes limp and she dies, shocking and devastating Sally. Shortly afterward, Tyrone returns from the hospital and is devastated when Sally emerges from the rubble and informs him of Molly's death.[11]
Creation
Background
The character of Molly was introduced as the daughter of local bakerDiggory Compton (Eric Potts) in 2005. She was a former classmate of character Fiz Brown (Jennie McAlpine); Molly was very resentful against Fiz, who had bullied her at school. She worked in the bakery until her father's departure and worked briefly as a kennel-maid before becoming an assistant to Dev Alahan (Jimmi Harkishin) at the Corner Shop.
Casting
Vicky Binns was selected to join Coronation Street as a rival for at-the-time already established character Fiz Brown. In real life, Binns is the best friend of actress Jennie McAlpine who plays Fiz. She told the Manchester Evening News: "They brought me in to play her rival, which is ridiculous. It really requires some acting.".[12] In April 2010 Binns announced that she had quit the show and will leave at the end of her contract which she did when she was killed off in the 50th anniversary when a tram crashed of the viaduct and destroyed the corner shop which Molly was in at the time.[11]
Development
Personality and identity
The Coronation Street official website described Molly as a bubbly, optimistic, friendly and outgoing character. She first arrived in Weatherfield after her father bought the bakery in May 2005. There were rumours that she would leave along with her father in July 2006, but she stayed on.[1] Binns says she is grateful that her character appears to be "un-trendy".[13] Molly's look changed a little at the beginning of 2008 after Binns went on a strict weight loss regime. The producer was supportive of Binns and did not mind changing Molly's appearance slightly.[14] Binns stated in another interview that Molly is stubborn and that honesty is the element of a relationship she wants most, which was why she was reluctant to forgive Tyrone for his deception.[15]
Another focal point of the character's style is the rucksack which she carried frequently. Binns once stated that she did not think her character would ever stop wearing it.[16] Gareth McLean of the Radio times even joked that when Molly and Kevin Webster consummated their relationship, he doubted Molly would remove her rucksack.[17]
Relationships
Molly's relationship with Tyrone Dobbs (Alan Halsall) began in 2006. Their relationship has been long-term and appeared perfect to begin with. After Molly moves into number 9 to be with Tyrone permanently she wants to take her relationship to the next level and forms a close bond with Vera Duckworth (Elizabeth Dawn) who Tyrone regarded as his mother. She even turns to her for advice on furthering her relationship with Tyrone, in scenes which Binns said were really funny.[18] The media called the pairing the next 'Jack and Vera' with the show's bosses even stating their potential. Actress Vicky Binns stated in an interview that she was flattered but thought they could never replace the couple: "You can't really replace anyone like that. The show progresses and changes so much with new characters you don't even know if they'll keep Molly and Tyrone together. But I suppose Molly is quite bossy and, like Vera, will keep Tyrone under her thumb."[15] The characters go on to buy their own home together and eventually get engaged. They hit one of their first difficulties when Molly finds out that Tyrone has been selling illegal goods with her Aunt, Pam Hobsworth (Kate Anthony). Vicky Binns also revealed that she and Alan Halsall, who plays Tyrone, work so well together and hope that they had many more scenes to come and she also stated that in real life, fans approach her in the street to ask where Tyrone is.[19]
Ian Wylie of The Manchester Evening News praised the character and actress for scenes which aired during the highly publicised death of long-term character Vera Duckworth, stating: "readers will know how impressed I was by the acting of Vicky Binns in scenes immediately following the death of Vera Duckworth".[20]
The affair between Molly and Kevin received some negative attention, and criticism for changes in Molly's character, described by the author and TV critic Grace Dent as transforming her into a "sex fuelled dick-daft strumpet."[21] Vicky Binns was surprised by positive reaction: "I love playing a minx. Women give me a nudge and a wink when I'm in the supermarket and say, 'You go girl!'"[22] Ruth Deller of entertainment website Lowculture criticised her affair storyline stating: "Like the rest of the world, we’ve hated the Kevin/Molly storyline. We hate it even more for it turning Molly, previously somewhat likeable, into an out-and-out bitch. Let's just hope it's one of those storylines that will be swept under the carpet soon and never mentioned again…"[23] In 2010, Dan Martin from The Guardian put Molly on his "fantasy hit-list" of characters to be killed-off in 50th anniversary special as he believed that Molly had "lost her personality", and that he believed that it would create "better drama" if the soap's scriptwriters used the accident to kill-off "major characters we're supposed to care about".[24]
Related Research Articles
Maria Connor is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Samia Longchambon. The character made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 19 May 2000. During her time on the show, Maria has been the centre of major storylines. In late-2009, Longchambon took maternity leave and Maria was off-screen from November 2009 until June 2010. Longchambon went on maternity leave again in 2015 and Maria was off-screen from October 2015 until April 2016. In June 2019, it was announced that Longchambon had signed a new contract keeping her with the show for at least another 12 months.
Vera Duckworth is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Liz Dawn. Vera is known for her long-standing marriage to Jack Duckworth ; they became one of the best-loved couples in television history. Vera was often shown in a comedic light.
John "Jack" Duckworth is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Bill Tarmey. The character debuted on-screen during the episode broadcast on 28 November 1979. Jack was introduced by executive producer Bill Podmore. Tarmey had previously appeared as a background character in many episodes featuring scenes in the Rovers Return, including some occasional speaking lines.
Kevin Webster is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Michael Le Vell, the character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 19 October 1983. Le Vell was suspended from the soap in February 2013 due to allegations of sexual offences, with scenes he had already filmed cut from broadcast. Le Vell was found not guilty of all charges in September 2013, and briefly returned in early 2014, before taking another 3-month break from the show and returning once again.
Sally Metcalfe is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Sally Dynevor. The character first appeared on-screen during the episode airing on 27 January 1986, when Kevin Webster drove past her in his van and accidentally splashed her while she was waiting for a bus. Her notable storylines have seen her have an on-and-off relationship and marriage with Kevin, becoming the victim of domestic violence by Greg Kelly and her attempts to become the pillar of the community and annoy Janice Battersby in the process. During her time on the soap, she has also tried to impress her bosses Bet Lynch, Alf Roberts, Mike Baldwin, Paul Connor and Carla Connor and gain promotions. In 2009, Sally was diagnosed with Breast cancer; whilst portraying the storyline, Dynevor herself found out that she also had breast cancer, and claimed that the storyline had potentially saved her life. Following a second divorce from Kevin, the character embarks on a relationship with Tim Metcalfe and goes on to marry him, survives a minibus crash, begins a political career on the local council and later progresses to become the Mayor, becomes the victim of an internet troll, is wrongfully imprisoned for fraud and is injured when the roof collapses at the factory.
Tyrone Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Alan Halsall, the character first appeared on screen during the episode airing on 30 November 1998 and is still a cast member over 20 years later. Tyrone's storylines have been focused on his relationships with Maria Sutherland and Fiz Brown as well as his doomed marriage to Molly Compton and suffering domestic violence at the hands of his fiancée Kirsty Soames. In 2018, following the death of his mother Jackie, Tyrone discovers that Jackie was not his biological mother and while searching for his birth parents, meets his maternal grandmother, Evelyn Plummer.
Fiz Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Jennie McAlpine, the character first appeared on screen on 20 April 2001. Initially appearing for five episodes, McAlpine's contract was soon extended and Fiz became a regular character. In May 2014, it was announced that McAlpine was expecting her first child and Fiz temporarily departed on 14 November 2014, returning on 19 June 2015. In November 2017, McAlpine took a break from filming to take part in the 17th series of the ITV reality show I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and her exit aired on 18 December 2017, she returned on 2 March 2018. In April 2018, McAlpine announced that she is expecting her second child; she took maternity leave from the show on 5 December 2018 and returned on 30 August 2019. McAlpine took maternity leave a third time in 2023 and returned in March 2024.
Terry Duckworth is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Nigel Pivaro. He was introduced as the son of popular characters Jack and Vera Duckworth, making his on-screen debut on 1 August 1983. Terry has three sons: Paul Clayton, Tommy Duckworth, and Brad Armstrong. The character made regular appearances until leaving Weatherfield in 1987 and has made only brief visits in years following. In February 2012, it was announced Pivaro would be returning to Coronation Street and he made his return as Terry on 16 April 2012. Terry departed on 11 May 2012 and this was his last appearance to date.
Bill Webster is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Peter Armitage. The character first appeared onscreen during the episode airing on 6 February 1984 and remained in the show until 1985 when Armitage decided to leave. The character was reintroduced in 1995 but he was again written out two years later. Armitage returned once again in 2006 and appeared frequently until late-April 2010 when the character suddenly appeared only a recurring basis. It was reported in 2011 that Bill was going to be axed completely, however, he continued to make appearances on a recurring basis. His last appearance was broadcast on 29 December 2011, where Bill was in attendance at youngest granddaughter Sophie's wedding to her fiancée Sian Powers. Armitage died on 30 November 2018, therefore ruling out a future return for the character. The character was killed off-screen in April 2023.
Natalie Horrocks is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Denise Welch. She made her first appearance during the episode broadcast on 26 February 1997. She departed the series on 31 December 2000.
Paul Clayton is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Portrayed by Lee Booth, the character first appeared on-screen during an episode that aired on 29 November 2000. When the character returned in 2007, Paul was played by Tom Hudson.
Jackie Dobbs is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street played by Margi Clarke. She was introduced in 1998, but written out in 1999 due to the personal problems of the actress who played her. Nine years later, in 2008, the character was reintroduced, once again played by Clarke, who initially signed a two-month contract. Jackie continued to make sporadic appearances until March 2010.
Coronation StreetLive is a live episode of the British soap opera Coronation Street, which was first broadcast on Thursday 9 December 2010 on ITV. The special live edition was to celebrate fifty years of the programme being on air. The sixty-minute episode was directed by Tony Prescott, who had directed the soap's 40th anniversary live episode in December 2000. The episode, the 7487th in the series, was written by Jan McVerry and produced by Phil Collinson for ITV Studios. It was filmed at the Granada Studios complex in Manchester.
Kirsty Soames is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Natalie Gumede. She made her first on-screen appearance during the episode broadcast on 7 September 2011.
Pam Hobsworth is a fictional character from the British soap opera Coronation Street, played by Kate Anthony. She initially appeared between 2008 and 2010, before making guest stints in 2011 and 2012. The character has been referred to as Auntie Pam in the media and in the soap itself. Anthony was happy to be cast on the soap and she attributed it to helping her career by raising her profile; however, she found it difficult as she had to leave her family in London. Molly Dobbs and she later became a love interest for Bill Webster. Binns praised the character and believed that Pam and Molly had a really honest relationship. Pam was characterised as being a wheeler-dealer, with one of her first storyline seeing her almost die in an explosion after she tries to create biofuel. Pam then became the first regular character on the soap to find out that married Molly is having an affair with Bill's son, Kevin Webster, and she initially is angry with Molly but later supports her. Pam later blames Kevin for Molly's death and becomes engaged to Bill. Anthony became recognised for the role and the character received mixed reception from critics.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
