anita reynolds, played by elisabeth sladen, made her first screen appearance on 5 january 1970. "coronation street" marked sladen's second television appearance, after previously taking a minor part in an episode of "itv playhouse". sladen's character became a love interest for established character len fairclough (peter adamson), "even though the firebrand builder had gone to school with her father." in 2009, sladen recalled "in corrie, i played anita reynolds, len fairclough's new girlfriend, and i was in it for five or six episodes." a/ya'manda/molen