Stephanie Cole dies aged 84

tvSep 18, 202652907

Actress Stephanie Cole has died aged 84, her family confirmed through agent John Grant, saying she had been living with Alzheimer’s for several years. Solihull-born Cole trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and made her stage debut at 17 as Madame Arcati in Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit. She was best known on television for playing Dr Beatrice Mason in the 1980s BBC wartime drama Tenko and for comic turns in Open All Hours and Waiting for God, the latter winning her best TV comedy actress. Cole voiced Carolyn Knapp-Shappey in the Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure opposite Benedict Cumberbatch and appeared in Coronation Street as Sylvia Goodwin, a role that won her a British Soap Award in 2012. Her later screen work included Doc Martin, a 2010s return in Still Open All Hours, and a 2021 appearance opposite Greg Davies in The Cleaner. The family statement also noted her long career in theatre and her tireless work supporting mental health charities.

Matt Green

@mattgreencomedy.com

Also sad to hear that Stephanie Cole has died. A true legend of British comedy acting. I was lucky enough to work with her on an episode of Cabin Pressure (with Alison Steadman as well!) and she was a total pro and delightful backstage. RIP.

17721d ago

James3

Ah, were you Amsterdam ATC from the Gdansk episode? How glorious to have been involved with a group of people firing on all four cylinders.

UTFT!3

Reunited with Herc at last

Matt Cooper2

You were the annoying nephew?!?! I never realised that. Kudos! I'd have left you behind too.

Chris Sampson2

Very sad news, she was terrific. All of us in the family love Cabin Pressure and Waiting for God etc.

Usman-Smith2

RIP and very sad. Another strong character from that landscape that is TVs backdrop. An actress of extraordinary breadth, another name from the role call of those who defined the last 50 years.

Jon Hewlett2

Oh I loved Cabin Pressure RIP Stephanie

Paul Putner

@realpaulputner.bsky.social

Stephanie Cole R.I.P. I feel lucky to have worked with this brilliant woman on R4 'Cabin Pressure' some years back. She was a right laugh, and told me all the goss on how she got shafted on a certain show where she was unceremoniously booted off by some precious producers. Shhh!🤫

7521d ago

The Dobson Family and Colin the Dalek

@dobbersw.bsky.social

Oh, no! Stephanie Cole was superb in everything she was in, but her performance in Cabin Pressure was just sublime. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

5521d ago

Jeremy Bartlett7

Cabin Pressure was her finest hour, I think. She was also gloriously grumpy in "Waiting for God", with Graham Crowden.

aabdab.bsky.social7

Cabin Pressure is probably what I would answer questions on on Mastermind! I would love to be Carolyn when I grow up! So sad to lose Carolyn and Herc in quick succession.

FluffyOllie1

I totally agree, especially in 'Waiting for God'. Perhaps my favourite in 'Cabin Pressure'. I'm glad that she became Carolyn Knapp-Shappey-Shipwright in the end. I imagine that #JohnFinnemore is especially upset today with Hercules and now Carolyn passing. RIP Stephanie Cole and Anthony Head x

Adrian1

A wonderful and talented lady. Sad news.

Angela Barnes

@angelabarnes.bsky.social

I wanted so badly to work with Stephanie Cole. She was just wonderful. Brilliant in so many things but I love her best as Carolyn Knapp-Shappey in Cabin Pressure RIP www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

6821d ago

David Baxter4

She was imperious as Carolyn, 100% agree.

Martin James Flanagan1

Immense! And in a show with such great living, breathing characters

Main Tenant1

Oh no, I’d forgotten that was her. Any excuse for a relisten, superb show.

Talking Pictures TV

@talkingpicturestv.bsky.social

We are very sad to hear that the wonderful Stephanie Cole OBE has left us. From Z-Cars to That Summer!, we have been delighted to share some of her work, just part of a remarkable career spanning over 50 years of British television.

4421d ago

Liz Anderson

@lizanderson.bsky.social

‘Tenko and Coronation Street actress Stephanie Cole dies aged 84.’ I grew up watching her in the excellent Tenko and she was bluddy brilliant as the bossy Carolyn in Radio 4s Cabin Pressure www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

3421d ago

Isabel Rogers1

Very sad.She has joined Herc 💕

CEO Johnny Cans

@oldmatecans.bsky.social

RIP Stephanie Cole. She was 48 (!) when she played Diana Trent in Waiting for God. A series where both Cole and her co star Graham Crowden were clearly having a lot of fun being troublesome retirees.

Stephanie Cole and Graham Crowden in Waiting for God.

2721d ago

Gemma Arrowsmith

@mmaarrow.bsky.social

- so a lot of the time you’re a bit of a third wheel & people don’t know what to say to you. It can be a bit awkward. During a break Stephanie Cole made an absolute beeline for me & said “I just want to say, I think you’re doing a marvellous job and I really enjoyed reading that scene with you.”

4221d ago

David Benedict

@eggsbened.bsky.social

Alan Bennett wrote his Talking Heads monologues for only the most gifted, which is why Stephanie Cole did one. Happily, via mutual friends, I once found myself spending Boxing Day with her in her house in Frome. She was a complete hoot. Happily, we can forever listen to her in Cabin Pressure. RIP

2721d ago

Plashing Vole

@plashingvole.bsky.social

What a good actor Stephanie Cole was. Odd to think that she was 48 when she started playing Diana Trent in Waiting for God - an old lady living in a retirement home. www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

2821d ago

Bethan M Jenkins3

Some of us have been playing mid-50s since we were eighteen... It's the lot of the mezzo.

Nic Wilson2

Goodness me - really. That's younger than me! She was fab-u-lous.

Dr Ieithydd (Carys)1

Yikes. That's the age I'll be next birthday

Clare Moriarty1

As I recall, most of the Golden Girls were basically in their late 20s

Jonathan Coe

@jonathancoe.bsky.social

One of the reasons I've largely given up on music/spoken word combinations is that actors often don't like them - they feel the music interferes with or inhibits their performance. But some years ago at Bath Festival Stephanie Cole brilliantly read extracts from my novel The Rain Before It Falls ...

2521d ago

RedScharlach

@redscharlach.bsky.social

If you want to imbibe something with Stephanie Cole in (and have already listened to Cabin Pressure 432 times), try her episode of The Cleaner, which is a two-hander with her and Greg Davies as a crime-scene clean-up guy. You don't have to have seen any other episodes: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

2221d ago

British Comedy Guide

@britishcomedy.bsky.social

The great comic actress Stephanie Cole has died. She is beloved for her roles in Open All Hours, Doc Martin, Waiting For God, Cabin Pressure, and much else. www.comedy.co.uk/people/news/...

1521d ago

Jason

@nickmotown.bsky.social

Obviously too many brilliant, laudable performances to mention, but her turn as Nesta in Man Down was just about as funny as it gets. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

1621d ago