Nona Willis was a flirtatious Londoner who was taken on as a barmaid at the Rovers Return Inn in 1961. On her first night, Nona upset the snug regulars when she admitted she had been an exotic dancer. Nona and Ivan Cheveski were left in charge of the Rovers while landlords Annie and Jack Walker were at Harry and Concepta Hewitt's wedding. After only a month working at the Rovers, Nona quit, finding it difficult to understand the residents' accents.