Tributes and tears for Corrie legend Anne

Anne Kirkbride on a visit to the Oldham Chronicle two years ago

Tributes have flooded in for Coronation Street star and Oldham-born actress Anne Kirkbride following her death after a short illness.

Anne (60) who starred as Deirdre Barlow for 44 years, died in a Manchester hospital after a short illness.

She discovered a love of acting in the town, starting by performing with the Delph Junior Players and Oldham Youth Theatre (now Oldham Theatre Workshop) before being hired as an assistant stage manager at Oldham Rep.

But she got her big break in television at the age of 17 when she won the role of Deirdre.

William Roache, who played her 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.

“She was an impeccable performer with superb comic timing and an immense gift for 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. Anne will be greatly missed.”

A statement on the ITV website last night said her husband David Beckett and the programme’s cast and crew were “heartbroken and deeply saddened”.

Executive producer Kieran Roberts said: “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. We feel blessed and honoured to have known her. Our thoughts are with David and their family.”

Coronation Street’s creator Tony Warren said: “Anne was very easy to love. Her talent over the years made a massive contribution to Coronation Street.”

Kirkbride, whose late father Jack was the Oldham Chronicle cartoonist for years, had fought throat cancer in the past. She had been off-screen for three months from September on an extended break from the soap. The statement didn’t disclose the cause of her death. Kirkbride is survived by her husband David, her brother John, and his family.

Other Coronation Street stars who have paid tribute to Kirkbride, whose character was known for her large spectacles, include fellow Corrie veteran Beverley Callard, Michelle Keegan and Ian Puleston-Davies, who plays Owen Armstrong.