Coronation Street and Still Open All Hours star Stephanie Cole dies aged 84 after battle with Alzheimer's

Coronation Street star Stephanie Cole has died at the age of 84 after a battle with Alzheimer's disease.

The actress's passing was announced by her agent in a statement on Friday.

The statement read: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Stephanie Cole, OBE.

'She passed away this morning at the age of 84. Stephanie had been living with Alzheimer's disease for some years.

'Stephanie was an extraordinary talent whose long and distinguished career included many iconic performances in theatre and television.

'She brought joy to millions through her many much-loved roles in sitcom and drama.

'She will also be remembered for her tireless work supporting mental health charities.

'During this incredibly difficult time, the family kindly requests privacy.'

Following news of Stephanie's death, some fans took to social media to pay tribute, writing on X: 'So sad about Stephanie Cole. Was so great in Man Down and Corrie. RIP;

'Oh how sad to hear Stephanie Cole has died. She was absolutely brilliant and never off TV in the 80s and 90s. Bit of a national treasure. One of the best British actresses of the time;

'Terrible news this afternoon STEPHANIE COLE has sadly passed away… Open all hours And Roy's mum Sylvia in #Corrie. Loved her in Corrie. RIP;

'Rest in peace Stephanie Cole'. 

Michelle Dyson CB, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Society, said: 'We are deeply saddened by the news that Stephanie Cole has died with dementia. 

'Stephanie brought joy to millions through a remarkable career spanning decades, and our thoughts are with her family, friends and all those who loved her.

'It is heartbreaking that her later years were impacted by dementia, the UK's biggest killer. 

'Dementia devastates lives, but a problem of this scale won't go away on its own. We need everyone talking about it and working together to create a future where dementia no longer devastates lives.

'Anyone affected by dementia can contact Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456 or visit alzheimers.org.uk for expert advice and support.'

Stephanie began her acting career on stage at the age of just 17 when she played the role of 90-year-old Madame Arcati in Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit.

She's best known for her turn in Open All Hours and in its sequel Still Open All Hours as the character Mrs Delphine Featherstone.

Known behind her back as 'The Black Widow' due to her long black coat and black hat, Mrs Delphine Featherstone openly admires Arkwright's penny-pinching nature.

She appeared in ten episodes in the original series between 1982 and 1985. Known for her quick wit and pitiful view of men, the character's most famous quotes include: 'Men. They need a firm hand, everywhere but where they'd like it.'

Between 2013 and 2019, Stephanie appeared in all 41 episodes of the sequel as the shop's regular customer and continues her sparring with Granville.

Stephanie's acting career blossomed outside of Open All Hours, she starred in Tenko, A Bit Of A Do, Keeping Mum and Man Down to name but a few.

She won Best TV Actress in the 1992 British Comedy Awards for her role in Waiting For God and won Best Comedy Performance at the 2012 British Soap Awards for her role in Coronation Street.

In Corrie she played Roy Copper's cantankerous mother Sylvia from 2011 to 2013, and left viewers in hysterics with her savage put-downs.

Sylvia left the Street in 2013 as her son Roy battled with his wife Hayley's terminal cancer diagnosis, and in 2019 it was revealed she'd died off-screen. 

Stephanie, who was made an OBE in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours, notably played the part of Joan Norton in popular ITV series Doc Martin alongside Martin Clunes between 2004 and 2009.

Since the sequel, Still Open All Hours, she has starred in the BBC sitcom Scarborough as Marion.

She also took to the stage in 2021 in A Cold Supper Behind Harrods, when three former wartime special agents are reunited, their reminiscences reveal tales of deceit and murder, alongside David Jason.

In 1973, Stephanie married flight director Henry Marshall, who she has a daughter with.

They divorced in 1988 and in 1998 she married fellow actor Peter Birrell after meeting him again, thirty years after they first appeared together in a production of Richard II at the Bristol Old Vic.

One of her last roles was in 2021 in BBC sitcom The Cleaner, and she also starred in two series of the BBC period drama Gentleman Jack, which concluded in 2022.

Stephanie didn't shy away from sharing her thoughts on how she'd been treated as an older woman in the industry, and previously blasted the BBC for still telling her how to act despite her experience.

'Unfortunately, at the BBC, we do have people who are rather old fashioned in their ways,' she told The Daily Telegraph in 2019.

'They don't listen to me - I'm neither here nor there. But David [Jason], at the end of each series, has a bit of a tussle [with executives and producers] and then he gets the next step.

'He knows better than any of them what works.

'That's the thing that really f***s me off - as far as the acting and timing is concerned, we know how to do it - we've spent 60 f****** years doing it!

'We do not have to have some t*** going, "Could you leave a little pause after that joke because people will be laughing at home?"'

For confidential advice, call Alzheimer's Society's Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456 

Alzheimer's Society's symptoms checker can help spot the signs of dementia 

READ MORE: How to spot if someone you love has warning signs of dementia