The actor who played Jack Duckworth in ‘Coronation Street’ has died.
Bill Tarmey was aged 71 and joined the soap in 1979.
Originally a nightclub singer and entertainer he became an extra in the long-running soap eventually being offered the role of pigeon-fancying Jack Duckworth for 30 years.
He was the 2nd-longest serving male actor in the show.
Health problems
He eventually left in 2010 because of health problems and passed away this morning in Tenerife.
The cast and crew are said to be devastated while his family described him as a wonderful husband, father and brother.
In May 2012 he spoke to about his decision to leave the programme to care for his son Carl who was battling a life-threatening brain tumour.
He said “If this hadn’t happened they would’ve had to drag me out of there screaming. It was a wonderful bloody job, especially for an old coffin-dodger”.
Watch his final scenes from Coronation Street:
