Coronation Street's Executive Producer, Kieran Roberts, has defended the soap for having characters who smoke.Kieran told the Radio Times: "While we have a duty not to glamourise the habit, it would be realistic to see nobody smoking - but only a few regulars do." He added that the smoking ban in 2007 means characters such as Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride) tend to smoke outdoors now, for example in the new smoker's shelter in the back yard at the Rovers Return.