Coronation Street star Cheryl Murray has died aged 71, after playing Gail Platt’s best friend Suzie Birchall in the soap.
The actress first appeared on Corrie in 1977, when her character struck up a friendship with Helen Worth’s Gail and most of their stories revolved around their antics together.
She was later axed in 1979, but returned for a brief spell at Weatherfield in 1983 before saying goodbye to the cobbles for good.
Cheryl tragically passed away in September last year and the cause of her death is not publicly known.
In addition to her role in Corrie, she also appeared in the 80s sitcom Hi-de-Hi! as Joan Wainwright, as well as an episode of Sorry! with Ronnie Corbett.
Coronation Street star Cheryl Murray has died aged 71, after playing Gail Platt’s best friend Suzie Birchall on the cobbles.
The actress first appeared on Corrie in 1977, with her character befriending Helen Worth’s Gail and most of their stories revolving around their antics together (pictured together in 1977).
It was later removed in 1979, but briefly returned to Weatherfield in 1983 before saying goodbye to the cobbles for good (pictured in 1983).
She also appeared in the music video for Morrissey’s hit song, Everyday is Like Sunday, playing the eldest daughter of Billie Whitelaw and sister of Smiths fan Lucette Henderson.
Sadly, during her time on Coronation Street, Cheryl was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and had her first attack.
Chronic nervous illness forced her to take early retirement from acting in 1998, after a brief spell in Emmerdale.
Her last on-screen appearance was in the ITV documentary, Gail and Me: 40 Years of Gail on Coronation Street, alongside Helen Worth.
In a statement, ITV said: “We are saddened to hear of the recent death of Cheryl Murray, our thoughts are with her family and friends.”
“Her vibrant portrayal of Gail’s best friend and Elsie Tanner’s tenant, Suzie Birchall, lived on in the memories of Coronation Street fans long after Suzie left the cobbles for the bright lights of London.”
Following the news of his death, fans flooded social media with tributes to the late star and praise for his talent.
Cheryl tragically passed away in September last year and the cause of her death is not publicly known.
Sadly, during her time on Coronation Street, Cheryl was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and had her first attack (pictured in 1977).
Chronic nervous illness forced her to take early retirement from acting in 1998, after a brief spell in Emmerdale (pictured in 1995).
Her last on-screen appearance was in the ITV documentary, Gail and Me: 40 Years of Gail on Coronation Street, alongside Helen Worth.
‘We have just learned that Cheryl Murray, also known as Suzie Birchall, passed away in September last year. Suzie was a real highlight of Corrie in the late 1970s and would definitely have become one of the greats if she had been on the show longer. RIP Cheryl’.
“I’m sorry to hear that Cheryl Murray has passed away, and it’s a shame we didn’t find out until over a year later. I haven’t been a big fan of Corrie for a long time, but when I was she was one of the main reasons. BREAKDOWN .’
“Goodbye Cheryl Murray, extremely sad news. Apparently she was suffering from MS for many years and is now pain free.”
They wrote: ‘Thinking of Cheryl Murray and her family. It takes someone truly special to leave as tremendous a mark on the program as she did in just two years.’
Following the news of his death, fans flooded social media with tributes to the late star and praise for his talent.
