9. Alec Gilroy and Bet Lynch/Gilroy 1986-1992 (142 votes)
Seventeen years after getting a job at the Rovers and after many conquests, busty Rovers landlady Bet Lynch finally got married. But it was to a man who was completely different to her other boyfriends – bumbling Alec Gilroy. At first they were business rivals – Bet at the Rovers and Alec at the Graffiti Club. When the Rovers was being refurbished after the fire, the club boomed in business and when the pub reopened, Alec was best not pleased. But he came to Bet’s rescue when she had money problems, becoming manager of the Rovers. A business partnership turned into romance and Bet’s friends were amazed when she married him. Their marriage went better than expected, although Bet’s miscarriage in 1988 strained it somewhat. It was filled with sarcastic banter and as well as running the pub, Alec also ran a theatrical agency which also flourished, mainly with cruise liners. He was also jealous of Bet’s friendship with Mike Baldwin and Jack Duckworth – also aware that they were previous boyfriends. In 1992, after five years the marriage ended when Alec chose a job in Southampton over Bet and the Rovers and they divorced. Alec returned in 1996, but by then Bet had left.
Were you fans of the Gilroys? Should they be in the top 10?
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