I have no words so I'm going to let the ITV press release speak for itself.
"It is with great sadness that David Beckett has confirmed tonight that his beloved wife and Coronation Street actress Anne Kirkbride has passed away peacefully in a Manchester hospital after a short illness."
"There are no words to describe the sense of grief we feel at Anne's passing," said Executive Producer Kieran Roberts. "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. We feel blessed and honoured to have known her. Our thoughts are with David and their family."
Coronation Street’s creator Tony Warren captured the feelings of all who knew Anne: “Anne was very easy to love. Her talent over the years made a massive contribution to Coronation Street.”
William Roache who played Anne’s onscreen husband Ken Barlow said: “I feel Anne’s loss so personally having worked closely 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 comedy timing and an immense gift for really heightened drama. We had some rows over the years as Ken and Deirdre and it was wonderful to play those scenes opposite her. Coronation Street has lost one of its iconic characters and Anne will be greatly missed.”
Anne Kirkbride was 60. We send our deepest condolences to her family.
Anne Kirkbride's obituary is online here.
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52 comments:
I was thinking about posting something on the blog to announce the sad news. :(
Very sad and thinking about Anne's family.
Deirdre was a true Corrie icon and it is a real shame that we won't see her morph into Blanche.
RIP Anne.
So sad. Please pass my sympathies to her family and cast.
God Bless you, Anne. I do hope you know how very much you are loved. There is now a hole in my heart. Much love and sympathy to David. So devastated...Eden X
She brought joy to Corrie fans for many, many years. Very, very sad to hear this news.
Oh that's so sad! I'm very sorry to hear this. My thoughts are with her family and friends right now.
How very sad, condolences to family and cast, will be sadly missed.
Such sad news.
I started writing a blog based around Deirdre today, which I will post when then dust settles.
Rest in peace Annie, and rest in peace Deirdre.
So very sad. Loved the character and admired the actress who played her, always felt she was genuine and warm, a lovely lady. RIP Annie, thanks for some great memories.
I started watching Corrie in 1977 so I enjoyed almost 40 years of her brilliant portrayal of Deirdre. A fantastic character who is irreplaceable.
How sad and such a shock.
I hope Deidre gets written out with dignity.
Agreeing with AmandaB.
Her passing will leave a big hole in the cast.
Deirdre was a true Coronation Street icon and was part of many of my most treasured memories of the programme, both comic and dramatic.
R.I.P. Anne Kirkbride
There are no words to describe the shock of this devastating news. Deidre is a true cornerstone of the street, a legendary character which they just don't create anymore. As an actress Anne dedicated 44 years to the character and despite challenges in her own personal life stayed the distance treating us fans to iconic performances. The 1983 love triangle and Deidres 1998 imprisonment obviously stand out in the minds of many but for me her truly best performances were the ones where she worked in the corner shop, propped up the bar chatting to Liz or shared dialogue with her Mother- just normal scenes which made her the backdrop to so many millions everyday life. Characters come and go and many nowadays are ten a penny but the characters the likes of Deidre portrayed by an actress of Annes caliber are few and far between. A sad sad day. My thoughts go to Annes family and her co stars. We will miss Deidre but they have lost Anne. Rest in Peace- Micky
It's just so terribly sad and I can't quite believe she's gone
So sorry to hear this news. How awful, a wonderful actress and characterl.
Shocked to see this
Absolutely heartbroken. The woman was a legend.
I would like to say to allof you at coronation street Iam so sorry to hear the sad news of anne kirkbride I know how it feels to lose someone you love because I lost a friend only last week my heart goes out to david beckett who appeared in corrie years ago this is in memory of Anne Kirkbride who will be greatly missed if bill roache wants anyone to talk to iam always for him Anne was soso brave and was such a talented actress I will miss her just as I will miss my friend
So sad to hear this news and quite choked up. Condolences to her family.
Very very sad news. I've been watching Anne for decades, and I feel I've lost a girlfriend.
~JB in Canada
Agreed with hoping Ms. Deirdre is given a write out deserving of Anne Kirkbride's talent. What a tragedy that some of her greatest moments were so very recent. Godspeed.
Really sad news. We've all grown up with Deirdre and I've always enjoyed her on the Street. A shocking time for her family and colleagues. Total shock. RIP.
I'm so very sad. Will miss Deirdre so much. I feel like a friend has died.
Devastating news, I've been watching her on screen for over 20 years and now she's gone my heart goes out to her friends and family.
Terrible news. Such a shock and so desperately sad. Thoughts and condolences to her family. R.I.P. Anne.
I loved every scene she was in. She was integral to the Street. Her comedy, especially of late was fantastic. RIP Anne.
My sincerest condolences to Anne's family and friends. This sad news is indeed shocking. I have been watching Deirdre for over forty years - she is gone too soon and will be missed.
Anon (from Canada)
Just heard the sad news and came here to be among Street friends and add my condolences to Annes's family and Corrie colleagues. She, and her stalwart character of Deidre, will be terribly missed.
My sincerest condolences to Anne's family and friends and all the Corrie cast and crew.
Deirdre and Anne are icons, touchstones of a time! Irreplaceable.
I hope Deirdre is written out as having died. Any other reason for her non-return would seem disrespectful to the wonderful Mrs. Kirkbride.
I feel that I have lost a very close friend. Deirdre was a real person in my mind; proof of what a superb actress Anne was.
Condolences to all.
Wow, that is such heartbreaking news. She was a wonderful actress and Deirdre will always be remembered as a great character. Anne played her so well. I'm shocked.
Anne's Canadian fans will miss her very much...gosh...this is so very very sad......
What terrible news for Anne's family and friends, and not least of all her colleagues at Coronation Street. I'm sure that Anne will be immensely missed in person, and as will the character of Deirdre. I hope that the writers and producers will choose to write Deirdre's character in time with respect to her loved ones and those who worked closely with her.
So tragic. Very sad loss. Really going to miss her.
She is and always will be a Corrie icon. RIP Anne.
Sad day for all Corrie fans. What a woman!!
What terrible news. What a loss. It says much for Ms Kirkbride that it was reported that the producer of Coronation St told her that there was a role for her for as long as she wanted it.
I loved the character of Deirdre Barlow (aka Sexy Specs). Anne Kirkbride will be sorely missed.
Absolutely gutted. I had feared that her absence was health-related. It was so sudden and obviously unplanned given the storylines her character would/should have been embroiled in.
Although we have lost an incredibly iconic character in Deirdre, my thoughts are of course with Anne Kirkbride's family. And fair dues to ITV for its discretion in not discussing the real reason for her break. As a result, Annie and her family's privacy has been respected over these past, difficult weeks and she was spared the ordeal of a media circus.
I feel so sad, Anne will be so missed. I feel as though a friend has died when such long standing character as Deidre won't be part of the show anymore. Condolences to the family.
Even when she had nothing to do, Deirdre was so watchable and that was down to Anne's acting. Deirdre will be so missed on the street and by her fans who think of this cast as friends and neighbors. My sincere condolences to Anne's family and friends; thank you for sharing her with us for so many years.
Such sad and shocking news! She was really a young person at only 60, wrenching pain for all who knew Anne. I am saddened and will miss Deirdre very much, was anticipating her return in a couple of months. Sincere condolences, love, and courage to Anne's family and friends.
At first I thought this must be some sort of cruel joke, then I had the awful sinking feeling that perhaps Anne was suffering from acute cancer.
What a tragic and sudden loss; the only bright light is that she went peacefully and will live on in so many memories.
Such sad news, and such a shock to wake up to. Rest in peace.
According to the daily mirror and daily mail it is believed she had breast cancer which was too far gone and had spread to her brain. it says she spent her last days in a hospice. very sad way to go for anyone, and 60 is way too young to die. so sad for her husband and family. she was a legend.
Shocked to have heard this on the news this morning. Anne was a Coronation Street stalwart and not old at all by today's standards. Condolences to her family. I also hope they write her out with dignity. Bless you Anne RIP.
Just stunned at this news. So sad for Dave, William and the cast and crew.
I will miss the character of Deidre very much, but not as much as the family of Anne Kirkbride will miss her., and my heart goes out to them. One of my 'old' memories of Corrie is a scenes where Deidre is dithering between her huge glasses or whether to wear contact lenses. It was one of those 'little' scenes that were pure Corrie Gold. Thank you Anne, for brightening my life over these past years.
http://youtu.be/ogwoVI8TAj4
Thank you Anne Kirkbride for all the many many years of giving us Deirdre; such an iconic character, and one that we all felt we knew as well as a friend; you'll be missed.
Condolences to Anne's family, and to her family of fellow actors on 'the street'
I met Anne a couple of times and she was always so funny, caring and warm. A lovely lady gone too soon.
The writing crew have a serious responsibility ahead of them. Looking forward to Dierdre having a very important send off on the show.
Will miss her character.
Corrie will never be the same.All my sympathy to the family, cast and crew. Now I'm going to bake a marrow.
Terrible shock to see that upon opening the site and something you never want to see. Sympathies to all Anne's family, friends and those who loved her. Won't quite be the same without Diedre.
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