CORONATION Street creator Tony Warren MBE has died at the age of 79.
Street bosses confirmed that the man who created the UK’s longest-running soap
had passed away peacefully last night surrounded by his friends following a
short illness.
The Corrie cast and production team were said to be heartbroken this morning
after the news was announced on set.
Street stalwart William Roache, who has played Ken Barlow since the very first
episode in 1960, hailed Warren as “the father of Coronation Street”
as he paid tribute.
He said: “When I first met Tony I couldn’t quite believe he’d created and
written Coronation Street because he was no more than a young boy. It was
his boyish energy even recently when I saw him again that I’ll remember. I
loved Tony’s energy.
“He was the father of Coronation Street and he gave us all so much. He
will be so desperately missed because of who he was and what he did. We owe
him so much.”
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Helen Worth, who plays Corrie’s Gail McIntyre and worked with Tony for 42
years, said: “Tony was a genius of our time, the dearest funniest and
most inspirational man of his generation. He brought real life into our
homes for us all to relate to and enjoy. He will of course live on forever
through Coronation Street.”
An ITV statement read: “All who worked with Tony throughout his
illustrious career had the utmost respect for his achievements and he
remained a consultant on the Manchester based soap until the day he died.
“He was considered one of the television industry’s greatest minds as he
devised the idea for the Weatherfield soap at the age of 24 at the very
beginning of his acclaimed writing career.”
John Whiston, creative director of soaps for ITV Studios also paid moving
tribute to Tony, saying: “Amid the many and much deserved tributes to Tony
Warren, surely there can be no greater tribute than that the show he created
56 years ago is still the number one show on British TV.
“Tony infused Coronation Street with his own spirit, one that was at the
same time dramatic and credible, exciting and grounded, funny and humane. It
is Tony’s spirit that has kept the show fresh and relevant all these years
and will do for years to come. All who are lucky enough to work on the show
owe Tony a huge amount of gratitude. As do all the millions who tune into
Coronation Street week after week.”
Loose Women panellist Sherrie Hewson and guest Gaynor Faye, who both worked
with Tony during their time on Corrie, also paid tribute on today’s episode.
Sherrie, who played Maureen Webster, said: “He looked after me. He was like a
mentor to me. He used to take me out, show me Manchester.
“I cannot tell you how wonderful he was. But more importantly he was always in
the studio, always aware of the storylines, always part of it. I think he
was always around. He will be sadly missed.”
Emmerdale star Gaynor, who played Judy Mallett, added: “He was such a lovely
guy. So hands on.”
Coronation Street’s executive producer Kieran Roberts, who spent nearly 15
years working alongside Tony, called him “a pioneer, a revolutionary
and a true genius”.
He added: “He will rightly be remembered around the world as the creator
of Coronation Street but those of us lucky enough to have worked on his
wonderful show and to have known him will also remember the man: the
razor-sharp intelligence; the brilliant, often mischievous sense of humour,
the courage and conviction, the passion for people, the immense generosity
of spirit and capacity for love.
“We all deeply mourn his passing but celebrate his work and his life,
both of which have made the world an infinitely richer place.”