| abstract | - Charlie Whelan was a long distance lorry driver with a fondness for American country music. He appeared in December 1993 when he offered Bet Gilroy and Raquel Wolstenhulme a lift home after a long day of shopping in the Christmas sales. He reappeared at the Rovers Return Inn shortly after. Bet, not long separated from Alec, assumed he was there to pursue Raquel and was astonished, flattered and delighted to discover that it was her he was interested in! He dated her and treated her like a queen. He even entered her in a Dolly Parton lookalike contest which only annoyed her because he didn't ask her first! But, alas, in the end he proved to have feet of clay when barmaid Tanya Pooley, having been dumped by her married lover Alex Christie and having ruined Raquel and Des Barnes's relationship, focused her energies on him. She seduced him and in October 1994 they ran away together, driving into the sunset to Germany in Charlie's rig, breaking Bet's heart.
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