Barbara Young, Coronation Street Star, Has Died Aged 92

Barbara played Doreen Fenwick in the ITV soap, as well as appearing in Family Affairs and Last Of The Summer Wine.
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Barbara Young in 1997
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Coronation Street actor Barbara Young has died at the age of 92.

Barbara was best known to Corrie fans for playing Doreen Fenwick in the long-running ITV soap in the mid-2000s, previously playing a number of other minor characters in the show over the decades.

More recently, she also appeared in the final three seasons of Last Of The Summer Wine as Stella.

In an Instagram post shared over the weekend, Barbara’s daughter Liza confirmed the news of her mother’s death.

Just to let people know, my beautiful, brilliant, opinionated, loud, warm-hearted, talented and singular mother died on Thursday night at 10.30pm,” Liza wrote.

“My sister Cory and I were by her hospital bed for 30 hours straight and in the end, as is so often the case, she slipped away in our absence with a beautiful nurse called Mercy (you couldn’t write it) caring for her.

“The care she received in those last days at Addenbrookes was remarkable – considered, careful and empathetic – and to a person, they all said how much they had loved my mum, how she had made them laugh and how she had always been interested in them.”

Liza continued: “She was 43 years without my father, 30 years without a cigarette and 20 years without a drink but never without a humbug and I like to think that now, she is sitting with my father having a large dry martini and a cigarette as she can genuinely do what the fuck she wants now.

“I am my father’s daughter and those who know me well will know that I am never at a loss for words, but today, I have no words to describe how much I will miss her. You did well mum. Safe travels.”

As well as Coronation Street and Last Of The Summer Wine, Barbara also played the gossiping neighbour Sadie Lloyd in the Channel 5 soap Family Affairs.

Her final on-screen credit was in the 2018 film The Keeper, based on the life of footballer Bert Trautmann.