Stephanie Cole, Coronation Street and Open All Hours Actor, Dies Aged 84

The acclaimed actress Stephanie Cole has died at the age of 84. Her agent, John Grant, confirmed in a statement on behalf of her family that she passed away on Friday morning, September 18, 2026, after living with Alzheimer’s disease for some years according to Female First.

Television and Stage Icon Stephanie Cole Dies at 84

The statement from her agent 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.

Memorable Television Roles Across Decades

Born Patricia Stephanie Cole in Solihull, Warwickshire, on October 5, 1941, the actress trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from 1958 to 1960 and later worked in repertory theatres across the UK. She rose to prominence in the 1980s playing Dr Beatrice “Bea” Mason in the BBC drama Tenko. During the same decade, she became widely recognized as Mrs Delphine Featherstone—often known as the “Black Widow”—in the BBC sitcom Open All Hours, a character she later reprised in the reboot Still Open All Hours.

Her television career spanned numerous other hit programmes, including A Bit of a Do, The Cleaner, Gentleman Jack, and Talking Heads: Soldiering On. She won the British Comedy Award for best actress for her role as pensioner Diana Trent in the 1990s BBC sitcom Waiting for God, which focused on the residents of a retirement home. Later in her career, she appeared as Joan Norton, the aunt of Dr Martin Ellingham, in the ITV comedy-drama Doc Martin.

Coronation Street and Major Awards

Millions of viewers also knew her for playing Sylvia Goodwin, the mother of Roy Cropper, on Coronation Street between 2011 and 2013. Her performance on the ITV soap earned her the British Soap Award for best comedy performance.

In addition to her television work, Cole maintained an extensive career in the theatre. She made her stage debut at age 17 playing Madame Arcati in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit, a role she reprised in 2004 when the play was revived at the West End’s Savoy Theatre. Her other stage credits included productions of King Lear, A Passionate Woman, and Noises Off.

Honours and Personal Life

In 2005, she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the late Queen Elizabeth’s Birthday Honours List for services to drama, the elderly, and mental health charities. She also served as an ambassador for the medical charity Overseas Plastic Surgery Appeal and was recognized for her tireless support of mental health causes. Locally, she was voted Solihull’s favourite Silhillian in 2006 in a competition run by Solihull Council.

Stephanie Cole, Coronation Street and Open All Hours Actor, Dies Aged 84 — Photo: Female First

Cole married fight director Henry Marshall in 1973, with whom she had a daughter named Emma that year. The couple divorced in 1988, and she later married actor Peter Birrell in 1998, who passed away in 2004.