Anne Kirkbride ( 21 June 1954 -- 19 January 2015 ) was an English actress , known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in the ITV soap `` Coronation Street '' , which she played for 42 years from 1972 to 2014 .
Anne Kirkbride ( 21 June 1954 -- 19 January 2015 ) was an English actress . She was best known for her long-running role as Deirdre Barlow in `` Coronation Street '' from 1972 to 2014 .