Lindsey of the Metro thought that Edna is best known for "her sharp lines, her officious hat and her love for her dogs Batley and Tootsie". He liked her friendship with Sandy and described it as "close and endearing". Both Lindsay and the Daily Record Rick Fulton labelled Edna a "battleaxe". Jon Wise of The People dubbed Edna a "village gossip". The Guardian Anthony Hayward described the character as "Emmerdale preacher of morals, the prudish, churchgoing Edna Birch, who always spoke her mind", adding that she is "prim [and] matronly". He believed that the character's hat added to her "hard-faced exterior". Hayward opined that Stelfox had "moulded a much-loved soap character". On Stelfox's portrayal of Edna, Simon Farquhar, writing for The Independent, commented, "Playing that soap evergreen, the moralising busybody, she made the prudish and judgemental spinster Edna Birch one of the best loved characters on the programme in years". References Bibliography External links Character profile at itv.com Character profile at Holy Soap Emmerdale characters Television characters introduced in 2000 Female characters in television Fictional factory workers Fictional receptionists Fictional characters with cancer