Deirdre Rachid got herself a job as PA to the Head of the Planning Department at Weatherfield Council and started work in January 2004. At the end of her first day in the job, she went for a drink after work in the Rovers with new colleague Andrea Chaplin, staying a long time, even after Andrea had departed and unaware that Ken had cooked a special meal of lamb chops at home as a treat for her. The meal ended up being cooked to a frazzle.