Anne Kirkbride Dead: Deirdre Barlow Actress's 'Coronation Street' Husband Bill Roache Pays Emotional Tribute

'Laughter Was Always Near... She Was A Wonderful Person'
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Bill Roache has paid an emotional tribute to his ‘Coronation Street’ wife Anne Kirkbride, following her death on Monday, at the age of 60.

The pair’s ‘Corrie’ characters, Ken and Deirdre Barlow, had the nation gripped for decades with their tumultuous relationship, with Bill admitting the sad news of her death is still sinking in.

Speaking on Tuesday’s ‘This Morning’, Bill revealed: “It’s been a dreadful shock… There’s a great sense of personal loss. We’ve also lost an iconic Coronation Street character, so it’s a double loss for us.”

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Bill and Anne, in character as Ken and Deirdre

The cast and crew of ‘Corrie’ were all sent home from the set today, as a mark of respect for their late co-star, who Bill described as being “like a member of the family”.

He went on to say: “We all wanted to come in and work today - that was the feeling we all had in our hearts - but when we got here, we couldn’t do it.

“When I walked on to the set, you could just feel Annie’s presence. She was always a joyful loving presence and we just couldn’t work, so today is a day of tributes to a really, really beautiful person - a wonderful colleague and a great actress.

“You always knew when you were in her presence - laughter was always near. Even when we had scenes of shouting and crying, we would always have a laugh afterwards. She was full of fun, a wonderful person… we all loved her and will really, really miss her.”

Past and present stars of the ITV soap have also been paying their respects to Anne - who first arrived on the cobbles over 40 years ago - on TwItter, including her ‘Corrie’ daughter Kate Ford, who wrote that she was “heartbroken at the loss of my friend and beautiful on screen mummy”.

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)