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Anne Kirkbride Dead: 'Coronation Street' Actress Who Played Deirdre Barlow For Over 40 Years Dies, Aged 60

'Corrie' Actress Anne Kirkbride Dies, Aged 60
Daniel Welsh
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Anne Kirkbride, the actress who has played Deirdre Barlow in ‘Coronation Street’ for over 40 years, has died at the age of 60, it has been confirmed.

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Her husband, David Beckett, broke the sad news on Monday night that Anne had died in a Manchester hospital, following a short spell of illness.

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Anne Kirkbride

The ITV soap’s cast and crew have paid their respects to Anne, including ‘Corrie’ creator Tony Warren, who said: “Anne was very easy to love. Her talent over the years made a massive contribution to ‘Coronation Street’.”

William Roache, who plays her onscreen husband, Ken Barlow, in ‘Corrie’, has also given a moving tribute, saying: “I feel Anne’s loss so personally, having worked with her for over 40 years. She was such a loving and vibrant person. You always knew she was there because her laugh was never far away.

“She was an impeccable performer with superb comic timing and an immense gift for really heightened drama.

“Coronation Street has lost one of its iconic characters and Anne will be greatly missed.”

During her forty years playing one of the most beloved ‘Corrie’ characters ever, Anne was a part of some of the soap’s biggest storylines, including a love triangle with Mike Baldwin, and the highly-memorable “Free The Weatherfield One” campaign that came after her character was unjustly thrown behind bars in the mid 1990s.

It wasn’t all about the drama though, with Anne being as warmly-received by ‘Coronation Street’ fans for her sense of humour and hilarious one-liners as her dramatic acting.

Back in September, it was reported that Anne would be taking some time out from 'Corrie' but was expected to return to the soap.

'Coronation Street' executive producer Kieran Roberts said: "We feel blessed and honoured to have known her."

He added: "There are no words to describe the sense of grief we feel at Anne's passing. We know only too acutely how much Anne meant to the millions of people who watched her create the legendary character of Deirdre Barlow.

"She will be greatly missed by the Coronation Street team who share happy memories of working with her. Our thoughts are with David and their family."

Anne Kirkbride Through The Years
Anne Kirkbride(01 of15)
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File photo dated 13/06/83 of Coronation Street actress Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre Barlow, has died after a short illness, her husband David Beckett said tonight. (credit:PA/PA Wire)
Television - ITV Series - Coronation Street - Manchester(02 of15)
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Coronation Street stars during a Christmas Party sequence at the Rovers Return. Left to right, Julie Goodyear as Bet Lynch; Doris Speed as Annie Walker; Jack Howarth as Albert Tatlock; Betty Driver as Betty Turpin (behind); Barbara Knox as Rita Littlewood; Anne Kirkbride as Deidre Hunt (behind), as Jean Alexander as Hilda Ogden; unidentified; Stephen Hancock as Ernest Bishop; as Geoffrey Hughes as Eddie Yeats (at the back); Violet Carson as Ena Sharples; Eileen Derbyshire as Emily Bishop; Margo Bryant as Minnie Caldwell; unidentified; Thelma Barlow as Mavis Riley; Bernard Youens as Stan Ogden; Neville Buswell as Ray Langdon; unidentified. (credit:PA/PA Archive)
Television - Queen visit to Coronation Street - Granada Studios(03 of15)
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit the newly built location of Granada Television's "Coronation Street" in Manchester. Some of the cast from left to right: Jack Howarth, William Roache, Anne Kirkbride, Eileen Derbyshire and Thelma Barlow (credit:PA/PA Archive)
Television - Granada TV - Coronation Street 25th Anniversary - Dorchester Hotel(04 of15)
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Members of the cast of ITV's soap opera Coronation Street, crowded around a cake replica of the street at the celebration to mark its 25th anniversary at the Dorchester Hotel. Front row, left to right, Julie Goodyear, Eileen Derbyshire, series creater Tony Warren, William Roache, Jean Alexander and Betty Driver. Back row, left to right, Nigel Pivaro, Johnny Briggs, Michael Le Vell, Bill Tarmey, Thelma Barlow, Anne Kirkbride, Bryan Mosley, Lynn Perry, Kevin Kennedy, Bill Waddington, Helen Worth and Liz Dawn. (credit:PA/PA Archive)
kirkbride anne 02-(05 of15)
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Anne Kirkbride, attends the Coronation Street, Christmas Party, held at the Lowry hotel in Manchester. (credit:Eamon Clarke /EMPICS Entertainment)
Anne Kirkbride death(06 of15)
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File photo dated 23/05/83 of Coronation Street actors William Roache (left), who played Ken Barlow and Johnny Briggs who played Mike Baldwin with Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre Barlow, as she has died after a short illness, her husband David Beckett said. (credit:PA/PA Wire)
Actors Anne Kirkbride And Bill Roache Come Face To Face With Ken And Deidre(07 of15)
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BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 25: Coronation Street actress Anne Kilbride comes face to face with a wax work model of her street character Deirdre Barlow on July 25, 2011 in Blackpool, England. Two wax work figures of Coronation Street's Deirdre and Ken Barlow are the latest celebrity fascimiles to be unveiled at Madame Tussauds Blackpool (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
Actors Anne Kirkbride And Bill Roache Come Face To Face With Ken And Deidre(08 of15)
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BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 25: Coronation Street actress Anne Kilbride comes face to face with a wax work model of her street character husband Ken Barlow on July 25, 2011 in Blackpool, England. Two wax work figures of Coronation Street's Deirdre and Ken Barlow are the latest celebrity fascimiles to be unveiled at Madame Tussauds Blackpool (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
Actors Anne Kirkbride And Bill Roache Come Face To Face With Ken And Deidre(09 of15)
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BLACKPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 25: Coronation Street actress Anne Kilbride comes face to face with a wax work model of her street character Deirdre Barlow on July 25, 2011 in Blackpool, England. Two wax work figures of Coronation Street's Deirdre and Ken Barlow are the latest celebrity fascimiles to be unveiled at Madame Tussauds Blackpool (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) (credit:Christopher Furlong via Getty Images)
The Duchess Of Cornwall - Coronation Street Visit(10 of15)
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall (2L) meets actors Anne Kirkbride, who plays the role of Deirdre Barlow (C) and Ryan Thomas, who plays the role of Jason Grimshaw (R) during a tour to the Rovers Return Pub on the set of British television soap opera 'Coronation Street' on February 4, 2010 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Andrew Yates-WPA Pool/Getty Images) (credit:WPA Pool via Getty Images)
Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall (2nd L)(11 of15)
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Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall (2nd L) meets actors Beverly Callard, who plays landlady Liz McDonald (L), Anne Kirkbride, who plays the role of Deirdre Barlow (2nd R) and Ryan Thomas, who plays the role of Jason Grimshaw (R) during a visit to the Rovers Return Pub on the set of British television soap opera 'Coronation Street', in Manchester, north-west England, on February 4, 2010. AFP PHOTO/ANDREW YATES/WPA POOL (Photo credit should read ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ANDREW YATES via Getty Images)
Central Station Paint Coronation Street-Part 1 - Manchester(12 of15)
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The Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester's northern quarter had it's opening night party for the exhibition "Central Station Paint Coronation Street-Part 1". Coronation Street's Anne Kirkbride. (credit:Eamonn and James Clarke/Eamonn and James Clarke)
Coronation Street Filming - Manchester(13 of15)
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Anne Kirkbride seen on the set of Coronation Street, Cheshire (credit:Eamonn and James Clarke/Eamonn and James Clarke)
Anne Kirkbride(14 of15)
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File photo dated 29/01/14 of Coronation Street actress Anne Kirkbride, who played Deirdre Barlow, has died after a short illness, her husband David Beckett said tonight. (credit:Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Coronation Street filming - Manchester(15 of15)
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Anne Kirkbride who plays Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street is seen filming the funeral scene of Blanche Hunt who was played by Maggie Jones who recently passed away in real life, Manchester (credit:Eamonn and James Clarke/Eamonn and James Clarke)

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