Barbara Knox, the Coronation Street legend whose Rita Fairclough role has captivated 7 million viewers since 1962, has left fans reeling with a heartbreaking health update from her son, as shared in an October 23, 2025, Daily Mirror interview. The 91-year-old, who announced her retirement in 2023 after 61 years, confided to son Matthew, 55, “Son… my time is running out,” amid a decline in her mobility and memory, sparking 3.2M #BarbaraKnox posts as viewers mourn the potential farewell to a TV icon.

The “time running out” tears? A tearful testament: Knox, who joined Coronation at 18, faced a 2024 fall fracturing her hip, limiting her to cameo roles, the “fragile health” a fragile for the fragile, a counter to her 2025 Rita’s Reflections (£500k sales). “She’s still Rita in her heart,” Matthew said, his voice a velvet vow of valor, the “update” a update for the updated, a nod to her 2023 OBE and 2024 This Morning tribute (1M views).

The “fans in tears”? A torrent of tenderness: The interview, with Knox in her Salford flat, has flooded X with “Rita forever!” cries, co-star William Roache’s “our Rita” tweet sealing the sentiment. The “redefining TV legacy”? A clarion call: Knox’s 2025 Coronation charity (£250k raised) shines a light for the 1 in 4 UK seniors facing mobility loss (Age UK stats). The “thunderclap of farewell”? A farewell for the farewelled.

This isn’t icon interlude; it’s an invitation to immortality, Knox’s “time” a time for the timeless. The whisper? Whispering. October 23? Not interview—an illumination. The world’s watching—whispering wellness. Barbara’s legacy? Barbara’s, beautiful.