Secrets of the Street

Secrets of the Street is former Coronation Street actress Lynne Perrie's autobiography.

In the book, Lynne looked back at 50 years in movies, television and cabaret, and her 23 years as the Street's Ivy Brennan. She also revealed the story of her departure from the soap and the truth about her cosmetic surgery operations.

Publication
Lynne began work on the book shortly after she departed from Coronation Street in March 1994, and it was published in hardback on October 1 1994, and in paperback on 26 May 1995, where Lynne provided a new foreword to discuss the controversy surrounding her memoir, and explaining what she had been doing over the past seven months.

The official book launch was on November 7, and Lynne travelled around the country to promote it, including a book signing tour, and guest slots on television chat shows and radio stations. The Sun newspaper, who described it as "The best book ever written about Britain's number one soap opera", serialised it's chapters, and Secrets of the Street received positive reviews from numerous other newspapers and magazines. The book became a best-seller in Britain.

Controversy
Although essentially a book about her life and career, Perrie's memoir infuriated Granada Television bosses, who regarded Perrie's autobiography as a "poison pen".

The company wanted to protect current cast members of Coronation Street whom Lynne had written about, and attempted to ban its publication, resulting in Perrie having to go to the High Court of Justice in London on 29 September over an attempted injunction.

Street insiders said that Lvnne signed a contract with a clause forbidding her from making written or verbal attacks on colleagues. Her solicitor however, Robert Clinton said: "Our argument was that the clause was not binding after her employment had ceased. "The other key question was whether the information that would be in the book is 'confidential'."

The book's publisher John Blake said: "Granada asked us to cut about 10 percent of the book but we refused point blank. "The TV company has with drawn the action and we have cut out two very minor bits of the book."

Lynne herself was quoted as saying: "My mouth has got me into big trouble — just like Ivy," "But I'm not going to close my lips now. Here is my story. The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." She maintained that she had tried to not to hurt anybody in the book, but she had to tell the truth.

Granada were unsuccessful, and the book was published, billed as "The book they could not ban!".

In his 1995 autobiography, Ken Morley who played Reg Holdsworth wrote: "When Granada tried to stop her warts-and all-book's publication, the whole cast was shocked. They dreaded Lynne exacting her revenge on them. Books had been written before and if they had that book banned where would the rest of us stand with tomes about our own lives? When they failed to stop it there was a sense of relief and many realized for the first time that TV company couldn't control them for ever. Some, whose secrets were revealed in the book, however, had a different view of things."

Content
Secrets of the Street had chapters covering the following:

Her childhood and early years as a local celebrity. Her cabaret tours all over the world, and memorable gigs with artists such as The Beatles. Her breakthrough acting role in the film Kes, and the TV work that followed. Her 23 year stint in Coronation Street, with behind the scenes stories, and feuds and passionate friendship with co-stars. Her plastic surgery and departure from the show. Her troubled 50 year old marriage to her husband. Her heartache over her son's HIV. Her passion for toyboys. Her battles with alcohol and gambling addictions. Her secret abortion and suicide attempts.