Coronation Street’s Barbara Young dies as daughter pays tribute

Barbara Young died at age 92 on Thursday while surrounded by her family in the hospital, her daughter has announced.

The actress, who played Doreen Fenwick in Coronation Street, was at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge when she died.

The sad news of her passing was confirmed by her heartbroken daughter, singer Liza Pulman, who shared a heartfelt statement on social media.

In view of her 1,533 followers, Liza uploaded earlier today a series of throwback pictures of her late mother smiling broadly.

Along with the carousel of snaps, Pulman shared a lengthy message paying tribute to the late TV star and thanking the hospital staff that cared for her during her last hours.

She wrote: “Just to let people know, my beautiful, brilliant, opinionated, loud, warm-hearted, talented and singular mother died on Thursday night at 10.30pm.

“My sister Cory and I were by her hospital bed for 30 hours straight and in the end, as is so often the case, she slipped away in our absence with a beautiful nurse called Mercy (you couldn’t write it) caring for her.

“The care she received in those last days at Addenbrookes was remarkable – considered, careful and empathetic – and to a person, they all said how much they had loved my mum, how she had made them laugh and how she had always been interested in them.”

Looking back on her mum’s relationship with her father, screenwriter Jack Pulman, Liza continued: “She was 43 years without my father, 30 years without a cigarette and 20 years without a drink but never without a humbug and I like to think that now, she is sitting with my father having a large dry – martini and a cigarette as she can genuinely do what the f*** she wants now.

“I am my father’s daughter and those who know me well will know that I am never at a loss for words, but today, I have no words to describe how much I will miss her.”

Pulman concluded the heart-wrenching statement: “You did well mum. Safe travels.”

Barbara was known for her role as the future Emperor Nero’s mother, Agrippina, in the landmark 1976 BBC serial drama I, Claudius.

She appeared in Coronation Street in the early 1960s, 1980s and 1990s before returning in February 2007 as an old friend of Rita Sullivan called Doreen Fenwick until December that year.

Barbara also played Mags in Hollyoaks from April 10-13, 2012 after appearing as a guest in the long-running BBC comedy series Last of the Summer Wine in 2008.