It's been a decade without Deirdre for fans as 10 years have passed since the iconic cobbles star Anne Kirkbride died.

fans will remember the long-standing character Deirdre Barlow for some of her most iconic storylines, such as her explosive love triangle with Ken Barlow and Mike Baldwin, her whirlwind and tragic marriage to Samir Rachid, and her wrongful imprisonment in the infamous Free the Weatherfield One campaign.

Deirdre's loyalty to her daughter Tracy, even during her murder trial, and her dramatic on-off relationship with Ken provided decades of gripping drama that made her a beloved soap icon.

Former Coronation Street star Beverley Callard, who played Liz McDonald, has opened up about her close bond with her on-screen colleague and beloved friend.

"You always knew she was in the building before you saw her because you'd hear that amazing, raucous laugh. She was just a powerhouse-but in a very kind, caring way," Callard revealed to The Guardian in 2015.

The pair's friendship began in the early 1980s in the Granada Studios canteen. "We just sort of caught each other's eye and gave each other a smile," Callard recalls. "Obviously, I knew she played Deirdre, but she didn't know who I was." Years later, when Callard returned to Coronation Street, Kirkbride remembered her vividly.

"She said: 'We've met before, haven't we?' I said: 'I didn't think you'd remember.' And she said: 'Oh, I'd remember those eyes!' And we hit it off straightaway."

Their bond extended beyond the cobbles, with the two spending countless moments together both on and off set. "We'd go out for lunch and go shopping and just laugh all the time," the Weatherfield legend says.

The pair even had homes in the same Spanish village, deliberately choosing to be neighbours. "We spent time in the sun with no makeup on, wearing baggy T-shirts and trackie bottoms, and no one had a clue what we did for a living."

Despite the laughter, Kirkbride, who was married to actor David Beckett, and Callard supported each other through some of life's toughest moments. Callard describes an emotional night in 1993 when Kirkbride faced chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

"She absolutely dreaded her hair falling out-at that time, she had the very famous perm. So we shaved it off. It was 4 am, and we laughed and laughed as we all tried on wigs."

Kirkbride's dedication to her craft never wavered. "She never blew a take ever, never fluffed a line. She just used to switch into 'Deirdre Land,' as she called it," Callard shares. Despite her fame, Kirkbride avoided the spotlight, preferring quiet moments with family. "She loved acting and was brilliant at it, but she wasn't ambitious and didn't like being in the public eye."

The mum-of-two also reflected on Kirkbride's final days in late 2014.

Diagnosed with breast cancer, the prognosis was initially optimistic. But just weeks later, Kirkbride suffered a sudden stroke, and doctors gave her only hours to live. Callard was by her side during her final moments. "I was holding her, and I was honoured to have that trust. There were no barriers whatsoever. I can honestly say she departed this life from a room full of love."

Kirkbride's death left an indelible mark on Callard. "After her death, I felt this overwhelming sadness at work-I thought: 'She's never going to be with me here again.'"

The pain spilled into her performance when Coronation Street addressed Deirdre's death on-screen. "Normally it's just words in a script, but suddenly the writers had tapped into the pain I was feeling."

Though still grieving, Callard holds onto the joy Kirkbride brought into her life. "She was a rocket of fun and charisma. I miss her so very much."