Rita Tanner Rita Tanner ( née Littlewood , previously Fairclough and Sullivan ) is a long - standing Coronation Street resident and the former owner / co - owner of newsagents The Kabin . She is also the estranged wife of Dennis Tanner . Rita Littlewood was first seen in 1964 when she was working as a nightclub singer . She entered the Rovers Return where she and Dennis , who had also been working the clubs , recognised each other . He allowed her to stay at the Tanner residence while his mother was away . Rita returned in 1972 , now the common - law wife of Harry Bates but left him that year and started an on - off relationship with builder Len Fairclough . Len ' s reluctance to commit to Rita was an obstacle in their relationship but after a broken engagement they married in 1977 , living together at 9 Coronation Street . Although their marriage had many ups and downs , Rita loved Len and was devastated when he died in a motorway accident in 1983 , with Rita learning after his death that he had been cheating on her . In the 1980s Rita and Len became foster parents ; Rita continued to foster children after Len ' s death . When she was asked to look after Jenny Bradley in 1986 , Rita met Jenny ' s dad Alan and began a relationship with him that nearly cost Rita her life . In 1989 thuggish Alan secretly remortgaged Rita ' s house to raise money for a business and assaulted Rita when she found out and confronted him . Alan met his end in Blackpool when he was hit by a tram while chasing Rita . Rita married for a second time in 1992 to Ted Sullivan , although he died from a brain tumour only three months after they were married . Rita has been engaged twice without becoming married : firstly to former manager Alec Gilroy and secondly to Colin Grimshaw . In 2012 , she married for the third time to Dennis Tanner on 4th June . She had known Dennis on and off throughout her life . Rita ' s pride and joy has always been The Kabin . From 1973 to 2009 , Rita ran the newsagents , working first with Mavis Riley as assistant , establishing a years - long friendship , and later Norris Cole , who bought half of the shop from Rita in 2006 and the rest in 2009 , when Rita sold her remaining share after deciding to retire . Rita has since returned to work at The Kabin as a favour to Norris . Relationships . Len Fairclough . On her return in 1972 as Mrs Bates , Rita was living with Harry Bates , and his twelve - year - old son Terry . Terry was a pupil at Bessie Street School , where Ken Barlow was teaching . Rita made it obvious she was attracted to Ken , and it came to the attention of the headmaster , who told Ken to cool the relationship . However , we soon saw Ken with Rita , who by this time had started dating and begun a relationship with Len Fairclough . When Len discovered that Rita hadn ' t really been married and that Terry wasn ' t her son , he soon cooled the relationship . Ironically , Ken was then told to end their relationship as she was a married woman . It was several months later , after Rita had left the Street , that Len , out for a night with Elsie and Alan Howard , saw Rita singing in a nightclub . This was the start of an on - off relationship which was to accumulate into a stormy eleven year relationship . In 1973 , Len bought The Kabin , and installed Rita as manageress with the offer of the flat above it though she sometimes continued to sing , having been in the business since she was five when her mother entered her in a talent contest in Blackpool . Len was none too pleased when he found out she was married . When her marriage ended in violence , Rita leaned on Len and took a job singing in a nightclub . Len soon helped her set up a shop , The Kabin . Fiery Rita and stubborn Len faced a number of obstacles as well as breakups and makeups before finally marrying on 20th April 1977 after a five year on - off relationship . They ' d already had one engagement in 1974 , but broke it off . But this time Rita was going out of Len ' s life for six months on a singing contract to Tenerife . A going away party was arranged for Rita . Len took her to the airport , but she never boarded the plane , and several weeks later they were married by special licence . In 1981 , they were unable to adopt , due to their age , being too old , but for some time after much deliberation , took in a foster child , Sharon Gaskell in 1982 . Sharon enjoyed helping Len with the rebuild of No . 7 , as well as flirting with Brian Tilsley , to which both Rita and Brian ' s wife Gail didn ' t approve . However , Sharon stayed away from Brian after he told her that she was young and stupid . Depressed , she took a job as a kennel maid in Sheffield and after a sad farewell to Rita and Len , she left the Street . Rita and Len may not have got on well at times , but Rita cared a lot about him . In December 1983 , Len was killed after he fell asleep at the wheel of his van , which crashed into a bridge . The Street were celebrating the fortieth wedding anniversary of Hilda and Stan Ogden , which he was on his way to . When Rita was told what had happened , she was devastated and her world turned upside down . Sharon returned to comfort her , and she was shocked to learn that Len had been having an affair . She tracked down the woman she was looking for - Marjorie Proctor - and the two mourned together . Though Len was gone , Rita mentioned him again in 1995 during the argument with Bet Gilroy that ended their friendship . Alan Bradley . As well as her three marriages , Rita has had three serious relationships , one with the violent Alan Bradley . In 1986 , Rita took up fostering again , when Jenny Bradley , one of her paper girls lost her mother Pat in a road accident . She also met Jenny ' s missing father of eight years , Alan , who Jenny tried to reconcile with . Alan and Rita started a relationship , but Rita was unaware that Alan was also seeing Rovers barmaid Gloria Todd . She eventually found out about their affair and gave Alan an ultimatum . Alan chose Gloria , but Gloria changed her mind and ended their affair . Alan and Rita eventually settled down to a peaceful relationship . Rita asked him to move into No . 7 with her , after refusing his offer of marriage . In February 1989 Alan stole the deeds to Rita ' s house - which were in the name of her deceased husband , Len . He remortgaged the property for £15 , 000 , and set up Weatherfield Security Systems in Curzon Street . There he started Dawn Prescott as a receptionist , but things began to go downhill when he tried to rape her . Dawn told Rita about the attack and about the letters that arrived in Len ' s name to the workplace . Rita discovered the fraud and on the night of Jenny ' s 18th birthday party , she confronted Alan at No . 7 . She told him that she had informed the building society about him and that he was about to go under . Alan went mad , hit her and tried to kill her by suffocating her with a cushion . She was saved by the return of Jenny and Martin Platt , who were concerned when she wasn ' t answering the phone . Alan went on the run , but was captured some weeks later . At his trial he was given a two year sentence but was released as he had already served time in prison , and he walked out of the courtroom a free man . He started working on a building site opposite No . 7 and began to stalk Rita , until eventually she had a breakdown and disappeared . The Police suspected Alan had murdered Rita , and the site was dug up . Meanwhile , Bet and husband Alec found Rita singing at The Strand Hotel in Blackpool , where she had escaped to , but when Alan found out , he was furious and tracked Rita down . He followed her to Blackpool and found her in the street . He grabbed Rita and attempted to take her back to Weatherfield . Once Rita was in the car , Alan made his way round to the driver ' s side , but Rita jumped out and ran across the street . Alan gave chase . Rita avoided a tram but Alan didn ' t see it and was knocked down and killed instantly . As Rita turned and see Alan ' s body , her memory returned and she fell into Bet ' s arms , sobbing . Ted Sullivan . Rita met her second husband , Ted Sullivan at The Kabin ; he was a sales rep for confectionery company Cartwright ' s . Shortly before their marriage , Ted confessed that he had a brain tumour . He died peacefully a few months later , sitting on a bench , watching a bowls game . Rita then abandoned plans to retire abroad , and decided to stay in the Street . Alec Gilroy . After several years in mourning , Rita became involved with Alec Gilroy , an old friend who had been her manager in her career as a night club cabaret singer , before her first marriage . In July 1998 , Rita collapsed in her flat from carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty gas fire that Steve McDonald had installed a few days previously . Luckily she was saved in the nick of time by Alec who was worried about her not turning up at the Rovers when she was supposed to . Things took an unexpected turn when Alec , realising how he almost lost his best friend , proposed to Rita . After a few days , Rita accepted his proposal after initially turning him down . After a while they decided to live together and Alec had a connecting door installed between their two flats for easier access - much to the amusement of the other Street residents . In December 1998 , Rita and Alec mutually ended their relationship when they realised that they couldn ' t trust each other . Alec left Weatherfield for good when he went to open up a wine bar in Brighton with his granddaughter Vicky . Anthony Stephens . Finally , Rita met Anthony Stephens , a cultured man who wanted to marry her . Rita soon learned he was still married , and that his wife Isabel had Alzheimer ' s . His grown - up children interfered in the relationship , and Anthony went to live in New Zealand . Colin Grimshaw . Rita met Eileen Grimshaw ' s father Colin in December 2008 . Colin was immediately attracted to Rita and he charmed her with presents ; the pair soon hit it off . In February 2009 , she admitted to Eileen that she really liked him and Eileen gave the couple her blessing . On 27th April 2009 , Rita organised a party in the Rovers for Colin ' s 70th birthday . There he proposed to Rita , and she happily accepted . The party was ruined by a vicious argument between Julie Carp and her mother Paula . Paula had no choice but to tell Julie , in front of everyone , that Colin was Julie ' s father , that he had had a relationship with Paula when she was only fourteen years old . Rita was disgusted and immediately ended her relationship with Colin , refusing to hear his pleas and putting her engagement ring in The Kabin till . The support of Emily Bishop and Norris Cole helped her through . She told Norris that she felt incredibly silly and stupid . In spite of Rita ' s anger at Colin ' s actions , she visited him after he suffered a stroke . When she learned of his death , she initially chose not to attend his funeral , but changed her mind and showed up after the service to say her goodbyes and support his family . Dennis Tanner . As Dennis Tanner returned to the Street , he and Rita became closer than ever . Dennis was all set to leave for a job at a DIY shop in Birmingham but had a change of heart and surprised Rita by not going and ultimately proposing . She accepted , and the couple married on 4th June 2012 . The Kabin . For many years Rita ran a newsagent ' s shop in the Street , called " The Kabin " , which she acquired in 1973 during her relationship with Len . The shop was originally at 14 Rosamund Street , but relocated to Coronation Street when a new building development took place . As the years passed , more and more of Rita ' s life revolved around The Kabin , although she sometimes considered retiring or selling up . The scenes in The Kabin were usually a comedy double - act between Rita and her assistant ( first Mavis Wilton , now Norris Cole ) . Rita was often frustrated by Mavis , but they were very dear friends and Rita was sad to see her leave in 1997 . In 1990 Rita moved from No . 7 , letting the house to students , to flat 10a Coronation Street above The Kabin . She was pursued the next year by Reg Holdsworth , but she did not remarry until 1992 , to Ted Sullivan . As the twenty - first century unfolded , Rita began to have doubts about her future with The Kabin . In 2006 , a break - in terrified her to the point where she was reluctant to leave her flat . In 2008 , Tony Gordon convinced her to sell him The Kabin so he could replace it with a new business ( the plans fell through when Kevin Webster would not sell his business ) . In 2009 , Rita finally made the decision to retire after Ramsay Clegg ' s death spurred her to want to enjoy the rest of her life . Mavis Riley . Soon after The Kabin set up shop , Rita was asked to take on Deirdre Hunt , as her boyfriend , Len ' s partner Ray Langton , had initially wanted to buy the property . Rita refused , and instead hired Mavis , despite the fact she had been having hiccups during the interview . Fluttery , shy Mavis and straightforward Rita were an odd mix , but supported each other through good times and bad and were close friends for nearly a quarter of a century . In April 1997 , Mavis ' s beloved husband Derek died on her birthday of a heart attack due to an road rage accident . Rita poured all her energy into Mavis ' s life in helping her cope with her grief . Rita persuaded Mavis to start a new life in the Lake District managing a Bed & Breakfast . Mavis agreed , and they made plans to sell their properties and The Kabin . At the last minute , Rita backed out and Mavis , anxious to get away from Weatherfield and her bad memories , went to Cartmel on her own . Leanne Battersby . After Mavis left , Rita realised she needed another assistant for The Kabin as she couldn ' t cope on her own . In 1998 , Rita took on Leanne Battersby , a cheeky teenager who Rita sees as a lot like herself at that age . Leanne soon became an asset to Rita , even though they didn ' t share the friendship and closeness that Rita and Mavis once shared . Their relationship fractured when Sharon Gaskell returned to the area . Leanne felt shut out and when she was falsely accused of stealing money , she quit her job to work at the Rovers . Norris Cole . After Leanne ' s departure , Rita briefly employed Blanche Hunt , but found her to be unbearable . She then hired Norris Cole . Fussy , gossipy , and judgmental , Norris and Rita had little in common , but they became friends . Norris seemed to feel more for Rita than friendship , and proposed to her in 2007 ( although she rejected his offer ) . A few years later , he was very jealous of her relationship with Colin Grimshaw . In October 2006 , Rita and Norris went on a holiday they had won to Hungary . Rita broke her toes whilst there and had to stay in hospital , while Norris returned . Rita returned in November to reveal that her foot was broken when Norris tripped her while trying to get to a bread bun first . Jenny Bradley . After Len ' s death , Rita eventually took in Jenny Bradley , a paper girl who had recently lost her mother . Rita and Jenny were initially very close , and Rita helped Jenny build a relationship with her long - absentee father , Alan Bradley . When Rita uncovered Alan ' s lies and planned to call the police , Jenny walked in on him trying to kill Rita . After Alan ' s acquittal , Rita disappeared , and Alan was suspected of killing her . When he tracked her down , he was hit by a tram . Jenny turned against Rita , blaming her for Alan ' s death . In September 1993 , Rita was pleased to see Jenny had returned out of the blue . Things weren ' t as they seemed though , as Jenny only came back to try and con some money out of Rita . But Rita saw right through Jenny , and gave her £1 , 000 and told her that she didn ' t want to see her again . The Webster family . In March 1994 , Rita felt lonely , so she started taking Sally Webster under her wing when Sally found out she was pregnant with her and Kevin ' s second child . Rita and Sally became very close . So close in fact that Sally invited Rita to spend a holiday in Blackpool with them . Sally wanted to make Rita see that her bad experience in Blackpool in 1989 with Alan Bradley was over with . To Sally ' s relief , Rita had a wonderful time there playing with Rosie . When Sally gave birth to their second daughter Sophie , Rita was hurt to find out she was the last to know about it , due to an oversight . Rita later lent the family some money , but in 1995 , when Kevin ' s father Bill returned to town , Sally and Kevin gave him the money to pay for taxes on his new business . Rita told Sally she ' d given the family the money , not Bill , but Sally hit back that her family was not for sale . In spite of the friction , something of a bond remained , and Sally used Rita as a confidant during times such as her brief relationship with Martin Platt . In April 2009 , when Sophie confessed to stealing sweets from The Kabin , Rita forgave her , praising her for her honesty and convinced her to just help clean the store as payment . Rita was shell - shocked when she , along with half of the Street , discovered that Sophie was a lesbian and was in a relationship with her best friend Sian Powers , but was one of the first to accept it and helped Sally to do the same . Sharon Gaskell . Rita and Len fostered Sharon Gaskell in the early 1980s . Sharon was a tomboy who preferred working in the Builder ' s Yard to working in The Kabin . Rita tried to teach Sharon about self - respect when she decided to go on the pill so she could sleep with her boyfriend . A few months later , Sharon was moved to a new foster home , but ran away to be with Rita and Len again . They got permission for her to stay with them until she turned eighteen . Unfortunately , she became infatuated with Brian Tilsley , who kissed her while he was drunk . When wife Gail found out what had happened , he lied that nothing had gone on , and she believed him . Rita confronted Sharon , who told Rita she was a hypocrite for talking about dalliances with married men and Rita slapped her . Reality also gave Sharon a slap , as Brian told her she was just a young and stupid girl . Sharon got the message and backed off . She became too humiliated to stay in Weatherfield , and moved to Sheffield to work as a kennel maid . In 1999 , Rita received a wonderful surprise when Sharon returned . She had come by to visit Rita to invite her to her wedding in Nottingham . Rita persuaded her to hold the ceremony in Weatherfield . However , in March the wedding didn ' t take place as Rita had discovered Sharon ' s fiancé Ian Bentley was two - timing her with the new landlady of the Rovers , Natalie Barnes . Happy that Sharon decided to stay around after the wedding fiasco , Rita offered Sharon a job at The Kabin and Alec Gilroy ' s old flat . Sharon happily accepted . Much to the horror of Leanne Battersby , and a few others of Rita ' s friends , Rita offered The Kabin to Sharon as a birthday gift . Rita admitted to Sharon that she was lonely , that was why she offered her The Kabin . Her gesture was a living legacy from a woman who always looked upon Sharon as the daughter she never had . Rita was happy to pass on her experience knowing that The Kabin would be well looked after in years to come . Rita ' s pride in Sharon soon turned to anger when Sharon , after a suicide attempt over Danny Hargreaves , revived her relationship with Ian . Making matters worse , Ian forced Sharon to sell The Kabin so they could buy a home in Bolton . Rita swallowed her pride and bought The Kabin back . Doreen Fenwick . Rita has met up with her old friend Doreen . She had invited her to move into her flat which followed Doreen ' s eviction , much to the chagrin of disapproving Norris . While she and Doreen initially got on , enjoying reminiscences of the old days , Doreen outstayed her welcome , claiming that the council were delaying completion of works to her flat . Rita , who had come to the end of her tether , phoned Weatherfield Council pretending to be Doreen , and found out that the works were long since completed . After Rita confronted her , Doreen packed her bags and left Coronation Street , however she soon returned after being persuaded by the most unlikely of people - Norris . On 2nd September 2007 Norris proposed to Rita , However Rita turned him down , telling him that she had expected it for some time but had always known what her answer would be - he also went onto propose to Doreen . Family and Friends . Family . Rita has had three husbands : Her parents were Harold and Amy Littlewood . Friends . Rita ' s main friendships are with Norris Cole and Emily Bishop . Emily and Rita shared something of a bond in their earlier years on the Street ( Rita gave Emily ' s husband Ernest a job after he ' d been forced to go on the dole ) , but only in later life , when their husbands and many of their friends had moved away or passed on , did they become close companions . Rita even unwittingly saved Emily ' s life in 2003 , when she stopped by to check on Emily just as Richard Hillman was about to smother a sleeping Emily with a pillow . Previous friendships include : Blanche Hunt and Betty Williams who are now deceased , and a strong friendship with Bet Lynch , which dissolved over monetary disagreements . Recently Rita has acted as mother figure to the likes of Tommy Duckworth and Tina McIntyre , and offered them employment and accommodation in their times of need . Quotes . " Got your eyeful ? " ( First Line to Stan Ogden ) " What is it with me and trams ? " ( To herself / fireman when rescued from the tram crash ) " The doghouse ? You ' re nowhere near the doghouse ! You should be dreaming of the doghouse ! " ( Screaming to Dennis Tanner ) " I ' ve met some hard - faced bitches in my time , but you take the bloody gold medal ! " ( To Natalie Barnes ) " He sails through life , just taking . And always plenty of women . Strong , smart women who think they ' ll be the one ! Is that what you think ? You ' ll succeed where all the others have failed ? For heavens sake , he hasn ' t been married five minutes . " ( About Peter Barlow )