Raquel Watts
Raquel Watts (also Wolstenhulme) is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Sarah Lancashire from 23 January 1991 until 15 November 1996. Lancashire returned on 2 January 2000 for one episode. Storylines Raquel is established as the daughter of a strict Catholic father and heavy-drinking mother, estranged from her father after partaking in semi-nude modelling. She is introduced as an assistant at Weatherfield's Bettabuy supermarket, working alongside Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy), with whom she begins a relationship. They separate when Raquel develops feelings for a photographer and moves to London to become a model. Disappointed by the calibre of work she is offered, Raquel returns to Weatherfield and becomes a barmaid at the Rovers Return Inn. She moves in with local bookmaker Des Barnes (Philip Middlemiss) and they develop a relationship, but he evicts her when his estranged wife Steph (Amelia Bullmore) returns. Landlady Bet Gilroy (Julie Goodyear) allows Raquel to move into the Rovers. She dates Weatherfield County FC striker Wayne Farrell (Ray Polhill), but breaks up with him and pushes him into a canal when she discovers that he is cheating on her. Des and Raquel repair their relationship and move back in together but break up again when Des has an affair with Raquel's workmate, Tanya Pooley (Eva Pope). Raquel renews her friendship with Curly, who falls in love with her and proposes. Although Raquel accepts, she tells Des that she loves him, not Curly and decides to break off the engagement. The following year, Curly's boss Leo Firman (John Elmes) attempts to rape Raquel. She manages to escape and tells Curly, who attacks Leo. Raquel gives evidence of sexual harassment against him and Leo is fired. She and Curly grow closer in the aftermath. Though Raquel sleeps with Des again, he makes it clear that it was just a one-night stand, and Raquel accepts that she will never mean as much to Des as he does to her. Later that day, Raquel proposes to Curly. They have a quick register office wedding, and it is not until their honeymoon that Raquel admits what happened with Des. Curly forgives her, and their married life is initially happy. It does not last, however, and within a year Raquel leaves Curly to accept an aromatherapy job in Kuala Lumpur. Four years later, Raquel visits Curly seeking a divorce. She reveals that she was pregnant when she left and they have a daughter, Alice Diana Watts. She tells Curly that she couldn't stay in Kuala Lumpur once her pregnancy was revealed and got a new job as a housekeeper in France following Alice's birth, where she fell in love with her employer, by whom she is now pregnant and wishes to marry. Curly agrees to a divorce, giving Raquel's new relationship his blessing. Two years later, Bet mentions that she keeps in touch with Raquel who is still happily married and now also has a son. Creation and characterisation Raquel was created by Coronation