Coronation Street star Barbara Knox graced the 2025 Variety Club Showbusiness Awards

arbara Knox, 92, made a rare and dazzling red carpet appearance this week at the 2025 Variety Club Showbusiness Awards, stunning fans with her ageless presence. The Coronation Street legend looked radiant as she posed for photos in a dramatic black velvet ensemble adorned with a show-stopping sequin and gold beaded jacket. The ornate coat featured detailed embellishments with floral motifs and sparkling embroidery in shades of gold, teal and emerald, making a bold statement on the red carpet.

Barbara, who has kept a low profile in recent years, wore her signature voluminous auburn hair styled in soft waves, paired with rosy pink lipstick, defined eyes and a sweep of blush, completing a glamorous, age-defying look.

In one photo, she proudly holds her red heart-shaped Variety Club award, honouring her decades-long contribution to British television. Her hands, painted with bright pink polish, held onto the award and a small gift bag as she beamed for cameras.

Barbara Knox attends the Variety Club Showbusiness Awards 2025

Fans quickly took to social media to celebrate the rare appearance, calling her “an icon” and praising her “incredible elegance at 92.”

Barbara appeared on the popular TV soap in 1964 as the character Rita and she received a lifetime achievement award at the British Soap Awards in 2004, and in 2010 was awarded an MBE for her services to drama.

arbara Knox poses with the Variety Club Silver Heart Award 2025

In 2017 in an interview with Lorraine that she wouldn’t be leaving the show anytime soon . “I would like to keep working,” she said.

“I really would. It is marvelous. It’s stimulating. You get fed up. You get tired. And yet at the end of the day, you go, ‘Oh thank god. That’s wonderful to work.’ So I would like to,” she added.

Barbara looks stunning at 92 years of age

In 2015, Barbara admitted the charge of drink-driving. She originally denied the accusation, but changed her plea as she was due to be tried at Crewe Magistrates’ Court. As well as a ban, Barbara was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,750.

 Judge Brigid Knight told the star that it was “regretful” her original not guilty plea had wasted the court’s time and money. Barbara’s lawyer accepted that the actress was “the author of her own misfortune”, adding that his client “considers drink-driving to be serious”.

The cast of British television soap opera ‘Coronation Street’ with the award for Most Popular Serial Drama at the 4th National Television Awards in 1998

Barbara was also arrested in March 2014 after arriving at Knutsford police station to bail out her daughter Maxine Ashcroft, who had also been arrested on suspicion of drink driving. Maxine was later banned from driving for two years after being nearly three times over the legal limit. A spokesperson for Cheshire Police confirmed at the time, “Police have charged an 80-year-old woman with drink driving following an incident in Knutsford on 10 March 2014. The woman turned up at Knutsford Police Station in relation to a separate matter and was arrested.”