Lynne Perrie (born Jean Dudley; 7 April 1931 – 24 March 2006) was an English actress, singer and television personality, best known as Mrs Casper in
Ken Loach
Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a retiredhttps://variety.com/2024/film/global/ken-loach-retirement-the-old-oak-jonathan-glazer-oscars-speech-1235956589/ English filmmaker. His socially critical directing style and socialist views ar ...
's 1969 film ''
Kes'', Mrs Petty in the television series ''
Queenie's Castle'', and as
Ivy Tilsley in ''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
''.
Early life
Perrie was the second of four children; a brother, Victor, died before she was born. Her younger brother was actor
Duggie Brown.
Perrie attended
Rotherham Girls High School after passing her
11-plus. After leaving school, she trained as a dispenser at
Boots
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearl ...
. She later abandoned her studies to concentrate on her singing career. By the age of 14, she had started singing in working men's clubs under the stage name of 'Dizzy' with a local dance band for six shillings (6/-) (30p) on a Saturday night.
Singing career
In 1956, Perrie entered showbusiness professionally as a singer and comedian, after performing at the Rotherham Trade Centre and receiving a further 27 bookings. She decided to give up her factory work and go into cabaret full-time.
Throughout the 1960s Perrie was often billed and referred to as "Little Miss Dynamite", due to her vibrant personality and performance. In her capacity as a singer, she appeared throughout the
British Isles
The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
working in variety, clubs, and concerts, including eight at London's
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272.
Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
. In 1964, she supported
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
for fifteen concerts, during a six-week tour at coastal resorts on Sundays. Other stars she shared the same bill as included the
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...
,
Sacha Distel
Alexandre "Sacha" Distel (29 January 1933 – 22 July 2004) was a French musician and singer who had hits with a cover version of "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" in 1970, which reached No 10 in the UK Charts, " Scoubidou", and " The Good Lif ...
,
Rod Stewart
Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British singer and songwriter. Known for his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the List of best-selling music artists, best-selling music artists of all time, having sold ...
and the Faces,
Engelbert Humperdinck and
Shirley Bassey
Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the James Bond music, theme songs to three James Bond films - the only artist to officially perform more than o ...
.
As her popularity in England grew, Perrie began performing in other countries. She toured
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
seven times and also visited
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, Paris,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. In her book, ''Secrets of the Street'', Perrie recalled how she had made headlines during her first tour of South Africa. She wrote, "
performed ina concert down the impressive Cango Caves. A recording of the concert was released over there. I made history as the first female to perform so far underground."
From 1963 to 1968, Perrie made several television appearances as a guest artiste, notably on the popular ITV ''
Stars and Garters
''Stars and Garters'' is a British television variety show produced by Associated-Rediffusion from 1963 until 1966, set in a fictional public house. Hosted by comedian Ray Martine, regulars included singers Kathy Kirby, Vince Hill, Tommy Bruc ...
'' variety show, with
Kathy Kirby
Kathy Kirby (born Catherine Ethel O'Rourke; 20 October 1938 – 20 May 2011) was an English singer. She is best known for her cover version of Doris Day's " Secret Love" and for representing the United Kingdom in the 1965 Eurovision Song C ...
, and ''
The Good Old Days'', the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's long-running light entertainment programme.
Despite later concentrating primarily on acting, Perrie still continued to perform her variety act in the clubs when she joined ''Coronation Street'' full-time. In her book, she revealed that she sang on the first night of
Peter Stringfellow
Peter James Stringfellow (17 October 1940 – 7 June 2018) was an English businessman who owned several nightclubs.
Early life
Stringfellow was born in the City General Hospital, Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire, on 17 October 1940, to Elsi ...
's Hippodrome 'Gay Evening' in London, adding: "I always had a loyal gay following – and the lesbians loved me too!"
By this time, she was also often asked to work as a compere.
Terry Dobson, a member of the pop band
Black Lace, recalled a time in 1977 in his book: "Lynne Perrie was in and out of her dressing room, a change of costume between every act, not that much time, two songs, some six or so minutes and she was on the stage again, bring off the act, then introducing the next ... brilliant, and very professional; you could tell she had been doing this sort of thing for years."
As well as on the stage, Perrie also continued to sing occasionally on television, notably on a UK charity
telethon
A telethon (a portmanteau of "television" and "marathon") is a televised fundraising event that lasts many hours or days, the purpose of which is to raise money for a charitable, political or other cause.
Most telethons feature heavy solicitatio ...
in 1990, in which she performed an original song called "Ships that Pass in the Night".
Acting career
Early career
Perrie made her acting debut as Mrs. Casper in the 1969 film ''
Kes'', even though she had no formal acting training.
The success of ''Kes'' led to Perrie's television career. She appeared in early episodes of several popular television shows, including children's serials ''
Follyfoot
''Follyfoot'' is a children's television series co-produced by the majority-partner British television company Yorkshire Television (for transmission on ITV) and the independent West German company ''TV München'' (for transmission on the ZD ...
'' and ''
The Intruder'', long-running courtroom drama series ''
Crown Court
The Crown Court is the criminal trial court, court of first instance in England and Wales responsible for hearing all indictable offences, some Hybrid offence, either way offences and appeals of the decisions of magistrates' courts. It is ...
'', and sitcom ''
The Cuckoo Waltz''.
Perrie's first regular television role was in the popular Yorkshire TV comedy series ''
Queenie's Castle'', written by
Keith Waterhouse
Keith Spencer Waterhouse Order of British Empire, CBE (6 February 1929 – 4 September 2009) was a British novelist and newspaper columnist and the writer of many television series. He was also a noted arbiter of newspaper style and journalisti ...
and
Willis Hall. The sitcom starred
Diana Dors
Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer.
Dors came to public notice as a Bombshell (slang), blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Mamie Van ...
, with Perrie in second female lead playing her arch-enemy Mrs Petty, the busy-bodying residents' association secretary with conservative values. ''Queenie's Castle'' was first broadcast on bonfire night in 1970 and ran for three series over two years, with the final episode being broadcast in September 1972. Eighteen episodes were made, with Perrie appearing in nine of them.
''Coronation Street''
Perrie's role in ''Kes'' ultimately led to her getting the part of
Ivy Tilsley in the
soap opera
A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...
''
Coronation Street
''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
'' in 1971. The show's casting director Paul Bernard had seen her in the film, and cast her without audition. She first appeared as a minor character, but the producers were sufficiently impressed with her performance to offer her a more substantial role. She became a recurring character from 1972, and was later promoted to the main cast in 1979 when the character moved into Coronation Street with her family – husband
Bert (
Peter Dudley) and son
Brian
Brian (sometimes spelled Bryan (given name), Bryan in English) is a male given name of Irish language, Irish and Breton language, Breton origin, as well as a surname of Occitan language, Occitan origin. It is common in the English-speaking world. ...
(
Christopher Quinten). The character became infamous for her interfering and acid tongue, earning her the
tabloid nickname "Poison Ivy".
Ivy's notable storylines included the deaths of both Bert and Brian, conflicts with daughter-in-law
Gail
Gail may refer to:
People
* Gail (given name), list of notable people with the given name
Surname
* Jean-Baptiste Gail (1755–1829), French Hellenist scholar
* Max Gail (born 1943), American actor
* Sophie Gail (1775–1819), French singer ...
(
Helen Worth
Helen Worth (born Cathryn Helen Wigglesworth; 7 January 1951) is a British actress. She is best known for portraying the role of Gail Platt in the ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'' for 50 years from 1974 to 2024. In 2014, she received the ...
) and her new husband
Martin Platt
Martin Platt is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', portrayed by Sean Wilson. His major storylines were a relationship with Gail Tilsley ( Helen Worth) following the death of her husband Brian ( Chri ...
(
Sean Wilson), and the breakdown of her second marriage to
Don Brennan (
Geoffrey Hinsliff).
On 5 February 1994, without consulting her ''Coronation Street'' bosses, Perrie had cosmetic surgery that involved having tissue from her backside injected into her mouth, to supposedly gain fuller lips. The results were unflattering, and Perrie was sacked from the show by producer Carolyn Reynolds after twenty-three years as Ivy. Perrie denied that she had been fired for having cosmetic surgery, claiming that she felt that her character had simply run its course and leaving was her decision. Her final episode aired in March 1994, and the character was killed off off-screen in August the following year.
Perrie's new image was widely ridiculed by the media, something she would later regret. In 2003, by which time she had retired, she was interviewed on ITV's ''Facelifts From Hell'' programme in which she said: "Everyone was laughing and calling me fishface. I couldn't go anywhere without the cameras following me. I don't think plastic surgery is an answer to it all, you've got to be happy with yourself."
In early 1996, Ivy Brennan was brought back to ''Coronation Street'' as a ghost. Several residents (mainly influenced by Ivy's best friend
Vera Duckworth
Vera Duckworth is a fictional character from the Television in the United Kingdom, British ITV (TV network), ITV soap opera ''Coronation Street'', played by Liz Dawn. Vera is known for her long-standing marriage to Jack Duckworth (Bill Tarmey); ...
(
Elizabeth Dawn
Sylvia Ann Ibbetson (''née'' Butterfield; 8 November 1939 – 25 September 2017), known professionally as Elizabeth Dawn or Liz Dawn, was a British actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera ''Cor ...
) claimed to have seen the spirit of Ivy around various areas of the street. The storyline culminated with Ivy's widower, Don, getting a friend dressed as a priest to perform an "
exorcism
Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be do ...
". In 2006, another storyline with Ivy was created, in which
David Platt (
Jack P. Shepherd) discovered Ivy's diary and during Christmas dinner read aloud sections that criticised and belittled his parents.
Other works
She also appeared in two television plays written by
Colin Welland
Colin Welland (born Colin Edward Williams; 4 July 1934 – 2 November 2015) was an English actor and screenwriter. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as Mr Farthing in '' Kes'' (1969) and the Academy A ...
, who had appeared with her in ''Kes''. The first, 1970's ''
Slattery's Mounted Foot'', saw her playing a pub regular. In 1974 she starred as the pivotal role of a militant union leader in the BBC ''
Play For Today
''Play for Today'' is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage ...
'' factory drama ''
Leeds United
Leeds United Football Club is a professional football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The team compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league system.
Leeds United have won the League Championship th ...
''. Upon Perrie's death, director
Roy Battersby
Roy John Battersby (20 April 1936 – 10 January 2024) was a British television director, known for his work in drama productions such as '' Between The Lines'', ''Inspector Morse'', '' Cracker'' and '' A Touch of Frost.'' Early in his career, h ...
praised her work and wrote in an obituary letter to ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' newspaper: "The bravura of the performance by Lynne Perrie was, and remains, glorious".
In 1976, she played Cora in ''Riding South'' in the
BBC2
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matter, incorporating genres such as comedy, drama and ...
''Centre Play Showcase'' series, and appeared alongside
Phil Daniels
Philip William Daniels (born 25 October 1958) is an English actor, musician and singer, most noted for film and television roles playing Londoners, such as the lead role of Jimmy Cooper in ''Quadrophenia'', Richards in '' Scum'', Stewart in '' T ...
,
Warren Clarke
Warren Clarke (born Alan James Clarke; 26 April 1947 – 12 November 2014) was an English actor. He appeared in many films after a significant role as Dim in Stanley Kubrick's '' A Clockwork Orange''. His television appearances included '' D ...
,
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick (19 September 1946 – 7 September 2002) was an English film and television actor. He played the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series '' Boon'' and Harry Slater in BBC's ''EastEnders''. He was nominated fo ...
and
Kenneth Haigh
Kenneth William Michael Haigh (25 March 1931 – 4 February 2018) was an English actor. He first came to public recognition for playing the role of Jimmy Porter in the play '' Look Back in Anger'' in 1956 opposite Mary Ure in London's West End ...
in ''ITV Sunday Night Drama'' in 1977.
Perrie turned down the role of Mrs Shenton in
John Schlesinger
John Richard Schlesinger ( ; 16 February 1926 – 25 July 2003) was an English film and stage director, and actor. He emerged in the early 1960s as a leading light of the British New Wave, before embarking on a successful career in Hollywood ...
's wartime romance ''
Yanks
''Yanks'' is a 1979 drama film directed by John Schlesinger, and produced by Joseph Janni and Lester Persky, and is written by Colin Welland and Walter Bernstein. It stars Richard Gere, Lisa Eichhorn, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane, Chick ...
'' in 1978, after she was given the option of a regular contract with ''Coronation Street''. However, she still appeared in the film, as a speaking face in the crowd. She was credited simply as 'Woman at Railway Station'.
In 1991, Perrie appeared in a celebrity edition of ''
Family Fortunes
''Family Fortunes'' is a British television game show based on the American game show ''Family Feud''. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 6 December 2002. A celebrity version, '' All Star Family Fortunes'', followed from 2006 to ...
'', in a team with
Gorden Kaye
Gordon Irving Kaye (7 April 194123 January 2017), known professionally as Gorden Kaye, was an English actor. He was best known for playing womanising café owner René Artois in the television comedy series Allo 'Allo!''.
Early life
Kaye wa ...
,
Buster Merryfield
Harry "Buster" Merryfield (27 November 1920England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007 – 23 June 1999) was an English actor best known for starring as Uncle Albert in the BBC comedy ''Only Fools and Horses''.
Early life
Merr ...
,
June Whitfield
Dame June Rosemary Whitfield (11 November 1925 – 29 December 2018) was an English radio, television and film actress.
Whitfield's big break was a lead in the radio comedy '' Take It from Here'', which aired on the BBC Light Programme ...
and
Paul Shane
Paul Shane (19 June 1940 – 16 May 2013) was a British actor and comedian. He was known for his television work, in particular for playing Ted Bovis in the 1980s BBC sitcom ''Hi-de-Hi!''.
Early life
Shane was born on 19 June 1940 as George ...
.
Later career
Following her dismissal from ''Coronation Street'', Perrie had a cameo in
Mike Reid's cult adult pantomime video ''
Pussy in Boots'' as Poison Ivy, and presented the programme ''Clairvoyants'' for ITV's ''
The Tuesday Special'' slot.
In 1994, Perrie released her controversial autobiography ''Secrets of The Street''. The book became a bestseller, and was met with mostly positive reviews from the tabloid press. The book contained behind the scenes information about ''Coronation Street'', and admissions of feuds with several of her co-stars during her time on the show. Granada TV attempted to ban its publication, and Perrie had to attend court over the attempted injunction.
After the publication of her book, she continued to appear as a guest on a variety of chat shows, including
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
's ''
The Word'', where (amongst other acts) she performed her own rendition of
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), known professionally as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits "I Will Survive" (1978), "I Have a Right, Let Me Know (I Have a Right)" (1979), "I Am What I Am (Broadway mus ...
's "
I Will Survive
"I Will Survive" is a song recorded by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978 by Polydor Records as the second single from her sixth album, ''Love Tracks (Gloria Gaynor album), Love Tracks'' (1978). It was written by Freddie Pe ...
". The performance was voted by the public as number 62 on Channel 4's list of ''100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell'', and was repeated on Channel 4's 2001 series ''The Best of the Word''. Perrie ended the year by performing alongside
John Inman
Frederick John Inman (28 June 1935 – 8 March 2007) was an English actor and singer best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in ''Are You Being Served?'', a British sitcom between 1972 and 1985, and the spin-off series ''Grace and Favour.'' He ...
in a lavish production of ''Mother Goose'' at
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt, Rivers Goyt and River Tame, Greater Manchester, Tame merge to create the River Mersey he ...
.
In 1995, she starred in the VHS ''
Lynne Perrie's Alternative Workout'', a parody of an exercise programme, in which she appeared in a series of short comedy sketches, which generally consisted of her helping toned, athletic young men out of their workout clothing. The video was a commercial failure, and deleted just two years after its release.
Perrie continued to cause controversy, particularly when she appeared on the adult channel
Television X. On one of the shows, she was seen pulling down a young stripper's thong, proceeding to lick his revealed penis. In a 2004 TV interview, she addressed her appearance by stating "I never knew that the channel that I went on was called the X Fantasy Channel," and how she was encouraged by the people involved on the show to do what she did. Presenter
James Whale
James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fra ...
said: "The producers of the show shouldn't really have put an elderly woman into that situation."
By 1996, Perrie had returned to the stage with a new cabaret act, and found regular work as an after-dinner speaker, which she did alongside television chat show appearances. There were various reports at the time that Perrie was set to make a television comeback as an actress, in a six-part drama to be filmed in Spain. The idea of the series was later dropped. She did visit Spain towards the end of the year to perform the
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...
' hit "
My Way
"My Way" is Paul Anka's English-language lyrical adaptation of the French song " Comme d'habitude", released by Frank Sinatra in 1969. The original song was written by Jacques Revaux, Gilles Thibaut, and Claude François, and was first recor ...
" at a televised concert. In October of the same year, Perrie was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary entitled ''
The Ghost of Ivy Tilsley'', part of a series of programmes exploring the dark side of fame. In the film, Perrie was seen looking through newspaper cuttings and packing mementos of her career into cardboard boxes as she prepared to leave her mock Tudor house in
Salford
Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
. She had decided to return to
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
to live with her husband and care for her son with
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of '' Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the im ...
. Perrie claimed that after leaving ''Coronation Street'' she had realised that fame was not important, stating: "I didn't really want the fame to start off with. But gradually as you get it, it's like taking drugs. The more you get, the more you want". After the programme was broadcast, Perrie appeared on the 'Ladies Night' special of BBC2's celebrity quiz show ''
Shooting Stars'', which was notable for her being drunk live on air. On Christmas Day 1996, she starred in an advert for
Pepsi
Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
, which was part of a series of six humorous commercials in the style of ''
The Word'', which had been axed the year before. She was seen walking down the aisle to marry a monkey at the altar.
In 1997, Perrie was reunited with her screen son
Christopher Quinten when both actors appeared in an episode of
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
sitcom ''
Harry Hill's Fruit Corner''. At the same time, her health was poor and was deteriorating further, leaving her unable to perform. She made her last television regular appearance on the ITV daytime chat show ''Afternoon Live''
before retiring.
Perrie claimed towards the end of her life that her health was improving. She told various journalists at the time that she was planning on making a comeback. However, in keeping with what friends described as her manic depressive character, such a comeback never materialised.
Towards the end of her life, Perrie took up work as a celebrity bingo caller in
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...
. She also made the occasional television appearance, the last of which were two entries in
Channel 5's 'Greatest' countdown series (both in 2004), ''Greatest TV Soap Moments'', presented by her friend Mike Reid, and ''Greatest Embarrassing TV Moments.''
Perrie's life and work were acknowledged at the
British Academy Television Awards
The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955.
Background
The first-ever Awards, given in ...
in 2006.
Personal life
Perrie married carpenter Derrick Barksby (1 December 1929 – 17 January 2015) on 14 October 1950 and gave birth to her son Stephen John Barksby on 14 May 1951. Her terminally ill son came to prominence in the 2000s campaigning for
assisted suicide
Assisted suicide, sometimes restricted to the context of physician-assisted suicide (PAS), is the process by which a person, with the help of others, takes actions to end their life.
Once it is determined that the person's situation qualifie ...
. Stephen died on 1 April 2016, aged 64. In her biography, Perrie admitted that she had had several affairs in the course of her marriage. Unbeknownst to the public, for most of her working life she and Barksby had lived separately. Barksby chose to live alone in their Yorkshire home whilst Perrie took up residence in Salford to film ''Coronation Street''. After a few public separations, Perrie insisted in 1996 that she and Barksby were back together for good.
Perrie suffered intermittent health problems, including a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...
and a cancer scare. After learning that her son had been diagnosed with
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
in 1994, Perrie started to suffer from depression. She said: "Any mother will understand the pain but for me it was much worse. He was my only child and we went through this under the spotlight of publicity."
During her retirement in 2000, the ''
Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'' newspaper spoke to Perrie, and in an interview she revealed that she was still suffering from
bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder (BD), previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of Depression (mood), depression and periods of abnormally elevated Mood (psychology), mood that each last from days to weeks, and in ...
, as well as memory loss, and had recently spent ten weeks in a psychiatric hospital.
At various stages of her life, Perrie was addicted to
tranquillisers, and suffered serious side-effects from slimming pills. She admitted to once being addicted to gambling, and confessed that she had "blown" more than £250,000 over the years on
one-armed bandits. Abuse of alcohol was another problem, and her heavy drinking eventually earned her the nickname "Champagne Perrie". She said: "Although I polished off pints of the sauce ... I was not an alcoholic; I just had no inhibitions."
Perrie died in
Maltby, South Yorkshire
Maltby is a former mining town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. It was Historic counties of England, historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire. It is located eas ...
aged 74, on 24 March 2006, four months after suffering a stroke.
Selected credits
Acting
Self
References
External links
Lynne Perrie Fan Website*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perrie, Lynne
1931 births
2006 deaths
People with bipolar disorder
English soap opera actresses
English film actresses
English television actresses
Actors from Rotherham
Actresses from South Yorkshire
20th-century English singers
20th-century English women singers