Emmerdale and Coronation Street actress Meg Johnson dies

Actress Meg Johnson, who appeared successful 3 of the UK's astir fashionable soap operas, has died astatine the property of 86.

A soap stalwart, Johnson was Coronation Street's Eunice Gee and Brookside's Brigid McKenna, earlier joining Emmerdale arsenic Pearl Ladderbanks successful 2003.

In a statement, her family, endowment bureau Jorg Betts Associates and ITV said she had been "kind and wonderful" and ever had "a twinkle successful her eye".

They said she had dementia successful caller years, but "battled on" regardless.

They said it was with "great sadness" that they had to denote she died "peacefully" connected Saturday evening, "surrounded by her family"

"Meg was a benignant and fantastic lady, afloat of warmth and ever with a twinkle successful her eye," they said.

They said she had had "an outstanding career" and had "battled connected personally and professionally regardless" aft her dementia diagnosis.

"She volition beryllium greatly missed by everyone who knew her," they added.

A big of soap stars took to societal media to wage tribute to Johnson, including her Emmerdale co-star Danny Miller, who said helium was "truly devastated".

"Pearl was a just mode to picture our beauteous Meg," helium said.

He said she was the creator of the operation "pig's bum" which she would accidental whenever she forgot her lines and had been "a loved psyche passim the building".

Former formed subordinate Gemma Oaten said the "late and great" Johnson had been a "beautiful pistillate wrong and out, who was ever truthful benignant to me".

Born successful Manchester successful 1936, Johnson had a fig of TV roles earlier making her Coronation Street debut successful 1976 arsenic Brenda Holden.

She went connected to jon the soap's formed arsenic Eunice Gee successful 1981, a relation she returned to respective times for the adjacent 2 decades.

She was besides portion of the formed of Victoria Wood: As Seen On TV successful the mid-1980s, alongside the precocious comedian, Dame Julie Walters and Celia Imrie, and successful 1997, she took to the signifier successful the archetypal formed of the London revival of Chicago, playing situation warder Matron Mama Morton for much than a year.

In 2000, she was formed arsenic Brigid McKenna successful Channel 4's Brookside, playing the relation until the soap's cancellation successful 2003, erstwhile she moved connected to Emmerdale, wherever she portrayed the overmuch loved quality Pearl Ladderbanks for 17 years.

Johnson was joined to ITV Granada continuity announcer Charles Foster, who was wide reported to person died earlier successful 2023.