Anne Kirkbride, actress who played Deirdre Barlow in Coronation Street, has passed away at the age of 60, it has been reported.
Kirkbride's husband, David Beckett, confirmed that she died peacefully in a Manchester hospital following a short illness, the Independent reported.
A statement on the ITV website said Beckett and the programme's cast and crew are "heartbroken and deeply saddened."
Kirkbride is survived by her husband Beckett, her brother John and his family.
The English actress first appeared in the long-running ITV soap in 1972, and played her much-loved character for 43 years.