Liz McDonald


Full name: Elizabeth Jayne McDonald (née Greenwood)
Parents:

Born:
29 October 1957
Siblings:

Married:

  1. Jim McDonald (5 January 1974; div 1997)
  2. Jim McDonald (30 November 2000, Manchester Prison, div 2005)

Children:

  1. Andy McDonald (b: 26 June 1974; f: Jim McDonald)
  2. Steve McDonald (b: 26 June 1974; f: Jim McDonald)
  3. Katie McDonald (b: 1 January 1992; d: 2 January 1992; f: Jim McDonald)


Played by: Beverley Callard
Appeared:
27 October 1989 - 13 November 1998; 6 October 2000 - 12 January 2001

Liz worked as a barmaid at the Rovers for some time, and was delighted to be offered her own pub, the Queens, by Newton and Ridley. She did really well there, and was in her element. At this time, she was going through a bad patch with Jim and eventually left him, moving into the flat above the pub. She took up with Des brother Colin, who was also working at the pub. It always seemed that the relationship meant more to him than her.

Jim found out and came round and hit Colin, getting barred by the brewery. But Liz went back to him in the end, and they started to make a go of things, wanting to buy the Rovers. This seemed as if it would really get their lives together, as till then, they'd always been trying to keep things going.

Unfortunately, they didn't get the Rovers and Jim lost his job at MVB Motors as well.

Liz got a job at the bookies, because the owner, Sean Skinner, fancied her. He thought it was a pity the punters couldn't see her legs when she was working behind the counter. She left there after she and Des were becoming attracted to each other. It didn't go further than a few kisses, but they both recognised the danger, and Liz wanted 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 admitted the real reason and Jim flew into one of his rages. 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 beat her and abandoned her at the service station. She was left with nothing, and had to hitch a lift back home. The family were in uproar with Jim, and Liz went to stay with Deirdre for a few days. Liz went back to the house and changed the locks. Jim tried to get in to see her and had to be physically restrained by Curly Watts and Kevin Webster when he started smashing the back windows of the house. Liz took out a restraining order on Jim, and called the police when he insisted on speaking to her another time and followed her into the Rovers.

Everyone else thought she'd been too harsh, as this time Jim was very rational. From then on, the rest of the family started to feel a bit more for Jim, having been unanimously against him at the beginning.

No sooner was Jim out of prison than Steve was in. Liz now spends her time seeing him, and trying to persuade Fiona to see him too.

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 got involve with him anyway and he gave her a job in a wine bar he owned. Fiona's fiancé, police detective Alan McKenna persuaded Liz to get some inside info on Fraser who skipped town when he found out. But his henchman captured Liz and held her and her sons captive in Number 11. Liz managed to use her stiletto on the thug and the police arrested him.

After Jim had a bad accident on a building site, he became temporarily paralysed and Liz, taking pity on him, moved back in to help take care of him. They grew closer but Liz soon became distracted by Jim's physiotherapist, Michael Wall and started an affair with him. Jim was going to propose and found out, breaking his heart. Liz and Michael left Weatherfield.

Liz returned some years later when Jim was in prison, having confessed to beating Jez Quigley which resulted later in Jez's death. She was no longer with Michael. During this time she and Jim got back together and remarried in the prison chapel. Liz left the street again, following Jim around as he was transferred from one to another prison, getting jobs nearby so she could visit.

We saw nothing of Liz until 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 and Claire 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 Steve and Karen's wedding in February 2004. She stayed for awhile, causing trouble because she was spending time with Tracy and her baby granddaughter. She went back to Brighton but returned when Fred hired her to work in the Rovers. Still wearing short skirts, high heels and plunging necklines, she incurred unwanted attention from builder Charlie Stubbs who was seeing pub manager Shelley at the time. Charlie made sure it looked like it was Liz doing the chasing and forced liz out of the pub, both home and job. Liz later got a job at the Weatherfield Arms and flat shared with Maria in the flat over the cab office. She continued to encourage Tracy's attentions to Steve even though Steve wants nothing to do with Tracy.

When Jim's temper got the better of him and had his time in prison extended again, Liz said enough was enough and she's divorcing him.


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