Liz Mc Donald - Storylines

Storylines

Liz first appears on Coronation Street with her husband, ex-army sergeant Jim (Charles Lawson), and their twin sons Steve (Simon Gregson) and Andy (Nicholas Cochrane). Liz makes friends with Deirdre Barlow (Anne Kirkbride), whose daughter Tracy (Dawn Acton) is slightly younger than the twins. Liz works as a barmaid at the Rovers Return Inn for some time, and is delighted to be offered her own pub, the Queens, by Newton & Ridley. She does really well there, and is in her element. At this time, she is going through a bad patch with Jim and eventually leaves him, moving into the flat above the pub. She takes up with Des Barnes (Philip Middlemiss)'s brother Colin (Ian Embleton), who is also working at the pub. It always seems that the relationship means more to him than her.

Liz gets a job at the bookies in 1995, because the owner, Sean Skinner (Terence Hillyer), fancies her. He thinks it is a pity the punters can't see her legs when she is working behind the counter. She leaves there after she and Des Barnes start becoming attracted to each other. It doesn't go further than a few kisses, but they both recognise the danger, and Liz wants to stay with Jim. However, Jim didn't believe her story of being sacked because they were over-staffed, especially when someone else was hired a few weeks later. She eventually admits the real reason and Jim flew into one of his rages. In early 1996, they were still trying to put this together when she revealed another incident on the way back from Jim's army reunion. This time, she'd slept with one of Jim's friends, way back in the days when he was in the army and she was left alone for long periods with just the twins for company. She'd found it too much and had finally given in to this guy who had been assiduously trying to seduce her for months.

Jim beats her and abandons her at the service station. She is left with nothing, and has to hitch a lift back home. The family are in uproar with Jim, and Liz goes to stay with Deirdre for a few days. Liz goes back to the house and changes the locks. Jim tries to get in to see her and has to be physically restrained by Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy) and Kevin Webster (Michael Le Vell) when he starts smashing the back windows of the house. Liz takes out a restraining order on Jim, and calls the police when he insists on speaking to her another time and follows her into the Rovers. Andy and Steve were angry with Liz because the blamed her that Jim would now have his bail taken away, but Liz fought back and said that he had hit her and how could they stand there saying that this "were all fault".

Liz, now single and on her own, and was working for Sean Skinner in the bookie's shop. She had a flirtation with Sean but it was thwarted by a criminal called Fraser Henderson. He had noticed her when she was visiting Jim in the nick and contacted her when he was released. He had Sean beaten but Liz gets involved with him anyway and he gives her a job in a wine bar he owns. Fiona's fiancé, police detective Alan McKenna (Glen Hugill) persuads Liz to get some inside info on Fraser who skips town when he finds out. But his henchman captures Liz and holds her and her sons captive in Number 11. Liz manages to use her stiletto on the thug and the police arrest him. In 1998, after Jim has a bad accident on a building site, he becomes temporarily paralysed and Liz, taking pity on him, moves back in to help take care of him. They grow closer but Liz soon becomes distracted by Jim's physiotherapist, Michael Wall (Dominic Rickhards) and starts an affair with him. Jim is going to propose and finds out, breaking his heart. Liz and Michael leave Weatherfield for a new life together in Milton Keynes.

Liz returns two years later when Jim is in prison, having confessed to beating Jez Quigley (Lee Boardman) which results later in Jez's death. She is no longer with Michael. During this time she and Jim get back together and remarry in the prison chapel. Liz leaves the Street again in January 2001, following Jim around as he is transferred from one to another prison, getting jobs nearby so that she can visit.

Liz reappeared in 2003 when she was living in Blackpool and regretting a fling with her latest boss, the owner of a pub. Jim got wind of her affair and broke out of prison to find her. They nearly escaped to Ireland on a boat but stopped to help Ashley (Steven Arnold) and Claire Peacock (Julia Haworth) who were in a boat and having trouble. Back on the dock, Jim was apprehended and sent back to prison. Liz went to Brighton with Bet Lynch.

Liz reappeared again for son Steve and girlfriend Karen Phillips (Suranne Jones)'s wedding in February 2004. She stayed for a while, causing trouble because she was spending time with Tracy Barlow (now played by Kate Ford and her baby granddaughter, Amy, whom Tracy and Steve had conceived through a one-night stand. She went back to Brighton but returned when Fred Elliott (John Savident) hired her to work in the Rovers. After several romantic encounters, Liz meets Vernon Tomlin (Ian Reddington), a workshy drummer. He is very laid-back and totally unlike Jim, but they have fun and Liz feels like a teenager again. The pair split when Liz, tired of being taken for granted and his roving eye, throws him out. He returns, begging her to take him back and they get engaged in 2007.

When Jim is released in November 2007, Liz is wary of allowing him into her life. However, impressed by how he has changed, they stay friends. However, when Jim corners her on her wedding day, her initial fears are justified. He tells her he loves her and will not allow the marriage to take place, launching a violent attack when Vernon intervenes. Liz suppresses her doubts about marrying Vernon and determined not to let Jim win goes ahead. The couple go on honeymoon to Nashville. In June 2008, Vernon and Liz go to view a bar, possibly intending to buy it. Liz admits to Vernon that she would not be happy and no longer loves him, ending their marriage. A devastated Vernon moves out of the Rovers that day.

Liz kisses Steve's best friend Lloyd Mullaney (Craig Charles) during a Brazilian crunch party. They then start a relationship. However, she becomes mad at him when he is too embarrassed to say that she is his girlfriend in public, but later forgives him. The relationship ends after a number of months with Liz blaming the age gap between them. Liz disapproves of Steve and Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly)'s marriage from the very beginning, stating that she thinks it won't go ahead. Their wedding is on March 13, but Becky turns up drunk, and they never get married, proving her right. On her return from Spain, she avoids Lloyd and finally tells him that what they had was just a bit of fun, a tearful Lloyd attempts to win her back. Later, Liz tearfully reveals to Betty Williams (Betty Driver) that she has entered the menopause and she can no longer conceive. In August 2009, at Steve and Becky's wedding reception, Liz is furious when the pub is raided by the police for drugs and results in banning Becky from serving as barmaid. Following Lloyd's drunken one-night-stand with Teresa Bryant (Karen Henthorn), it seems that Liz is willing to get back with Lloyd as they get ready to go out and kiss. However, once the word of Teresa gets around, Liz is furious and ends things with Lloyd once more. Liz finds herself attracted to builder Owen Armstrong (Ian Puleston-Davies), who is new to the area and openly flirts with him across the bar. She is disgruntled when he takes Eileen Grimshaw (Sue Cleaver) on several dates, but tries to hide it. Eventually she and Owen begin dating. In early December 2010, Liz hears rumours that Owen arranged for former husband Jim to be beaten up. She packs her bags and heads for Andy's home in Spain, leaving Steve to reveal to Owen that the relationship is over.

Liz returns in March 2011 and is horrified to discover that Tracy is now working behind the bar at The Rovers and is looking after Amy. Liz subsequently discovers that Steve and Becky bought Becky's nephew Max Turner (Harry McDermott) for 20,000 pounds, from Becky's sister Kylie (Paula Lane). She is further stunned when she learns that Becky looted from the corner shop, on the night of the tram crash three months previously, in order to give Kylie more cash. With the pub now under severe financial pressure, due to Steve and Becky buying Max, Liz is devastated. She makes her contempt for Becky clear from the outset, who responds by kicking Liz out of the pub.

A desperate Liz then bumps into Jim at a hotel she is staying at. She seeks his support as she tells him of the situation that Becky and Steve have got themselves into. He suggests that she buy the pub but the bank manager refuses to give Liz a loan. Jim then suggests that he could buy the pub for Liz, as Steve and Becky decide to leave Weatherfield with Max and Amy. Liz makes her peace with the couple after they agree to the sale. Liz is now convinced that her dreams of owning The Rovers is going to come true and soon realises that she wants Jim to run it with her. The estranged couple soon reconcile. The date for the sale is set for 11 April 2011. Liz and Steve wait patiently at the Rovers, with the solicitor, for Jim to come in with the money for the sale. Liz is astonished when the police suddenly arrive at the pub to tell her that Jim has been caught robbing a bank and now has a number of hostages. Over the phone, Liz and Jim (from inside the bank) speak, he explains that he never had the money but wanted to buy The Rovers to make her happy. A frightened Liz convinces Jim to let the hostages go, discard his firearm and surrender to the police officers waiting outside the building. After the stress of the incident, Liz makes a sudden departure from the street, not telling anyone before hand that she is leaving.