Changes: Linda Baldwin

Revision as of 11:03, 1 December 2021

Linda Baldwin (Nee Sykes) was a character in Coronation Street from 1998 to 2001. She married much older Mike Baldwin, probably due to his wealth. Linda was played by Jacqueline Pirie.

Biography

Backstory

Linda Sykes was born on 23rd June 1975 to Ryan and Evelyn. She also had four brothers, with one of them being the crooked Dean Sykes.

1998-2001

Linda began working as a machinist at Underworld on Coronation Street in October 1998. When co-worker Hayley Patterson revealed to the shocked workforce that she was a transsexual, Hayley found herself bullied by the workforce. Linda especially took delight in tormenting Hayley, and tried to prevent her from using the female toilets before being ordered to stand down by her boss Mike Baldwin. Eventually the rest of the girls softened towards Hayley and accepted who she was, although Linda still held her in contempt.

When Mike split from his wife Alma, Linda moved in on him and they began a secret affair. She eventually fell for Mike for good, and they later made their relationship public, which was met with amusement due to the age gap, although Alma was disgusted. The pair got engaged, although Linda began an affair with Mike's son Mark Redman. She still went ahead with the wedding to Mike in 2000, although Mark exposed the affair. This resulted in Mike disowning his son, although he forgave Linda and they remained together. In October 2000, Linda's brother Dean was shot dead when he held the Frescho's supermarket, with two of the hostages being Mike and Alma. Despite Dean's actions, Linda was devastated about her brother's death, and held contempt towards police officer Emma Taylor who fired the shot.

In 2001 Linda grew jealous towards Mike's closeness to Alma, especially after the latter was diagnosed with cancer. Mike chose to remain with his ex-wife in her final days of life before she passed away in June 2001, much to Linda's anger. In revenge, she had an affair with one of his clients. Mike realised that Alma was his true love, and in the wake of her death he made up with his son Mark. She asked Mike for a divorce and tried to reconcile her affair with Mark. When Mike found out in September 2001, he angrily bundled her into his car and ordered her to never return in his life again. Linda then drove off, leaving behind Weatherfield for good.

Following her departure

Linda dumped Mike's car in a river and moved to Dublin. She met a rich man there and shacked up with him. Due to her disappearance and not being heard of, some people suspected that Mike had killed her, but in 2002 her father Ryan revealed Linda's whereabouts and that she was engaged. It is unknown if the wedding went ahead as Linda wasn't heard from ever again.

Trivia

Jacqueline Chadwick joined the series as Linda in 1998. She had previously appeared in the other ITV drama Emmerdale from 1994 to 1996.
In March 2001 it was announced Chadwick was pregnant with her second child. She left the show in September 2001 due to complications with the pregnancy, and took six weeks off sick. She made her final appearance as the character on 3rd September 2001, and didn't film any exit scenes so Linda made an appearance from a distance and played by a double on 5th September 2001, when she was seen being forced into a car by Mike. Chadwick later confirmed that she wouldn't be returning to the series, and Coronation Street marked her final television appearance as she later quit acting and started a career as an acting teacher and then a crime writer.

Memorable info

Born: 23rd June 1975

Full Name: Linda Baldwin (Nee Sykes)

Parents:

Siblings:

Spouse: Mike Baldwin (2000-2001), Unnamed second husband (c.2002-)

Children:

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 '''Children''':
-[[Category:Coronation Street Characters.]]
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 [[Category:Past characters.]]
 [[Category:Characters first seen in 1998.]]