Betty Eagleton is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Paula Tilbrook.
Tilbrook was initially cast for three episodes and the character was introduced as the wartime girlfriend of Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards).
The character and Tilbrook's performance were widely praised by both viewers and critics alike; Brian Beacom of The Herald labelled her "a national treasure".
Following Wally's death in 1993, Betty returns to Beckindale village and finds her former partner Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards).
Betty decides to visit her friend Kathy Glover (Malandra Burrows) in Australia and goes on an extended holiday in early 2004.
After lamenting a lack of contact with his son, Terence Turner (Nick Brimble), Betty gets in touch with him and convinces him to return to the village.
It soon emerges that Terence sexually abused his sister, Steph Stokes (Lorraine Chase), as a child; Betty discovers this and warns Alan.
When a fire spreads through Emmerdale, it reaches Betty's house and she has to be rescued by the residents; she is taken to hospital suffering with smoke inhalation, but eventually recovers with the help of her friends Alan, Edna Birch (Shirley Stelfox) and Pearl Ladderbanks (Meg Johnson).
Betty subsequently goes on a six-month cruise and upon returning, she sells her house to Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins); she and Alan become sitting tenants.
Betty is on the judging panel to decide who the next vicar of Emmerdale will be – Ashley or newcomer Harriet Finch (Katherine Dow Blyton).
A crowd gathers to see Betty off, before her new partner, Reuben Archibald (Edmund Herd), arrives in a limousine to take her away.
She was mentioned again in January 2024, when Victoria went to stay with her for a few weeks to celebrate her 90th birthday (despite the actress' death four years prior to this, Betty remains alive but off-screen).
[3] The character's backstory states that she was a Tiller Girl and was in a relationship with Seth Armstrong (Stan Richards) during the war, but chose marriage with scrap dealer Wally Eagleton instead.
[6] The character made her first appearance in the episode originally broadcast on 12 April 1994,[3] and her first scene was in The Woolpack pub where she ordered a sherry and asked about Seth.
[4] Betty and Seth planned to marry in December 1994 but changed their minds after deciding they were "too old to be exchanging vows" and instead, they held a 1940s themed party for the village.
On her final day, she visits Seth's grave and speaks with Laurel Dingle (Charlotte Bellamy), who is struggling with alcoholism.
Before she leaves, her friends express their concern that her new boyfriend is a conman, but Betty "silences everyone with an extravagant exit that the locals won't forget in a hurry!
[6] Series producer Kate Oates opined that Tilbrook had "created a British television icon: someone who has lit up our screens and touched our hearts".
[13] A fan of Betty's pairing with Seth, Parfitt felt the relationship finished with "a poignant end" following Richards' death.
[4] Laura-Jane Tyler from Inside Soap praised the character during her final scenes, saying "She may be a touch frail these days, but Betty Eagleton proved she was still a force to be reckoned with in Emmerdale this week – funny, feisty and smart as a whip.
"[14] Daniel Kilkelly from Digital Spy included Betty's departure in his Picture of the day feature on 25 May 2015,[10] and called her exit "heartwarming".