Actress Stephanie Cole, Known for Tenko and Coronation Street, Dies at 84

Stephanie Cole, the actress from Solihull, passed away at the age of 84, as confirmed by her agent, John Grant, on 18 September 2026. She suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Cole trained at the Bristol Old Vic and made her acting debut at 17 in Blithe Spirit. Her significant role was as Dr. Beatrice Mason in the BBC series Tenko, and she also portrayed Mrs. Delphine Featherstone in Open All Hours. She received the best TV comedy actress award for Waiting For God and regarded her performance in Soldiering On as a highlight. From 2011, she played Sylvia Goodwin in Coronation Street, earning a comedy award in 2012. Other notable works include Doc Martin, Cabin Pressure, and The Cleaner. In 2005, she was honored with an OBE and is survived by her daughter, Emma Battcock.