Julie Cooper

Name: Julie Cooper
First Appeared: 1st June 1989
Last Appeared: 15th March 1990
Played by: Louise Plowright

Julie Cooper, born Julie Robinson in Walford but raised in Salford, Manchester, made a splashy return to her roots in June 1989. Inheriting her grandmother’s house on Victoria Road, Julie leased a vacant property and hired Paul Priestly and Trevor Short to renovate it, sparking curiosity among the locals. Dot Cotton, ever the gossip, jumped to the wrong conclusion about Julie’s “personal services” flyer, assuming she was opening a brothel. Dot’s embarrassment was palpable when Ethel Skinner revealed that Julie was actually opening a hair salon named Julie’s on Turpin Road. Michelle Fowler became the salon’s receptionist, and a young trainee named Marie Davies joined briefly before clashing with Julie and leaving.

Julie, ever the flirt, set her sights on fellow northerner Paul Priestly, despite his relationship with Diane Butcher. Their affair, much to Diane’s annoyance, ended when Paul suspected Julie was using him for cheap labour. Diane’s vengeful tricks, like sabotaging Julie’s salon opening, only fuelled the feud, culminating in a showdown at The Queen Victoria pub. Julie then turned her attention to market trader Laurie Bates, who was more interested in Kathy Beale. Julie’s relentless flirting eventually led Laurie to spend the night with her, but he soon realized it was Kathy he wanted, leaving Julie scorned.

By 1990, Julie’s salon was struggling financially, leading her to consider selling the lease. Enter the Mitchell brothers, Phil and Grant, who both tried to woo Julie. Phil secured a date but stood her up for a business deal, prompting Grant to step in. Their fling continued until Julie decided to sell the lease, only to discover the Mitchells’ ulterior motives. Furious, she demanded £1000 more than Grant’s original offer, securing her victory and parting ways with the brothers. Julie closed her salon and returned to Salford in March 1990.