Coronation Street Star Anne Kirkbride Passed Away At 60: Co-stars Unaware Of Her Illness

Coronation street matriarch, Anne Kirkbride, who played the role of Deirdre Barlow, passed away on Monday at the age of 60. The sad news, according to CNN, is first announced on ITV, the network that broadcasts the show for years now.

"It is with great sadness that David Beckett (Anne's real husband) has confirmed tonight that his beloved wife and Coronation Street actress Anne Kirkbride has passed away peacefully in a Manchester hospital after a short illness," goes the first lines of the article.

The news is followed by messages of sincerest condolences from the Kirkbride's Coronation Street family including filmmakers--Executive Producer Kieran Roberts, ITV Director of Television Peter Fincham and Coronation Street's creator Tony Warren.

William Roache, who acted as Ken Barlow and Anne's husband in the show, is also one of the first who released his statement of condolences.

"I feel Anne's loss so personally having worked closely with her for over 40 years. She was such a loving and vibrant person. You always knew she was there because her laugh was never far away," Roache said.

Meanwhile, a source from the Daily Mail said that Kirkbride has kept her illness away from public eye even from her Coronation Street family.

William Roache, on the other hand, was lucky to have spent a few hours before Kirkbride passed away. Their last encounter on the show's set was three months ago when Anne is made to take a break in this entire time due to demands from the show's story line.

"A lot of the cast only knew she was seriously ill on Monday - and just a few hours later she was dead. There were tears at the meeting - most of the cast never got the chance to say goodbye, which was very upsetting," the source said.

Coronation Street is said to be 'world's longest running opera', according to CNN. Anne Kirkbride first appeared on the show as a teenager who played a minor role in the show.

Later on, she gained more exposure and played bigger roles. In the show, she married twice. The first one is short-lived and the second one is with Ken Barlow played by William Roache.