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Jennifer Louise "Jenny" Tanner (née Sutton) was the first wife of Dennis Tanner.

Jenny was raised in a family of nine at a fourth-floor flat near Battersea Power Station. In 1968, the attractive young blonde arrived in Weatherfield from London in search of her sister Monica, who had written to her telling her that she was staying with Dennis who was "a bit square but a nice guy". Monica was in fact part of Robert Croft's hippy commune camping out at 11 Coronation Street.

After being put onto Dennis, Jenny joined the hippies even though she thought they were crazy. When the hippies moved on, Jenny remained and Dennis got her a job at the hotel where he was employed as a barman. Whilst there she had to fend off the unwanted advances of waiter Maurice Rowe, and when Dennis stood up for her he realised his affection for her. Jenny knew that Dennis liked her but returned to the South anyway. Dennis followed her and they became a couple while in London.

In March, they returned to Weatherfield and Jenny met Dennis's mother Elsie. Elsie gave them a hard time - they pretended to be married so she'd let them sleep together, but Jenny came clean with Elsie (although she'd seen through Dennis's lie anyway) and Elsie made Dennis sleep in the parlour. Elsie didn't take their relationship seriously (Dennis had never had a long-term relationship) and made Jenny feel unwelcome. When Jenny brought this up with Dennis, he told Elsie to be nicer to Jenny but things didn't improve so Jenny decided to return to London. To stop her, Dennis persuaded Minnie Caldwell to take her in at No.5. To their surprise, the kindly pensioner was every bit as uncompromising about letting them sleep together as Elsie! Minnie did, however, have a go at Elsie and make her realise how badly she was treating Jenny.

After a few weeks Jenny got a job as a demonstrator at Ashworths, selling kitchen equipment. Jenny and Dennis decided to get engaged - although it was badly timed as Monica had also just got engaged, and their father Ernie refused to pay for two weddings. As Monica was marrying a bank manager, Ernie supported that union and Dennis had to borrow money to pay for his and Jenny's nuptials.

Jenny and Dennis got married on 29th May. During his bridegroom's speech, Dennis confessed to Jenny that he had to be in Bristol that evening to see his boss. Jenny didn't mind - as long as he came back! It turned out to be a good move as Dennis's boss was so impressed with his devotion to the company that he offered Dennis the position of area manager, based in Bristol. Jenny got a transfer at Ashworths and the Tanners moved. Before leaving Weatherfield, Jenny conspired with Linda Cheveski, to have Elsie's nephew Gary Bailey go to Weatherfield to keep Elsie company.

The Tanners were happily married until 1973 when Dennis was sent to prison for posing as a salesman in a scam to con old age pensioners. Jenny decided to make a clean break and start a new life, refusing to see Dennis or Elsie. Meeting with Ernie, Elsie blamed Jenny for what had happened to Dennis and couldn't believe that Jenny wasn't in on the scam or that she at least knew about it. Ernie insisted that the Tanners' marriage was now over and Jenny was having nothing to do with Dennis in future.

Jenny and Dennis later divorced and she hasn't been seen or heard from since.

List of appearances[]

1968[]

External links[]

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