Lynne Perrie
Encyclopedia
Lynne Perrie was an English
actress. She was born Jean Dudley in Rotherham
, Yorkshire
, and was the sister of comedian Duggie Brown
. She was best known for her roles as Mrs. Casper in Ken Loach
's 1969 film Kes
, and as Ivy Tilsley in Coronation Street
from 1971-1994.
Kes
. This led to her getting the role of Ivy Tilsley (later Brennan) in the soap opera
, Coronation Street
. She first appeared in 1971 as a minor character, but the producers were sufficiently impressed with her performance to offer her a more substantial role from the mid 1970s when the character was joined by her family and moved in to a house on Coronation Street. In 1994, without consulting her bosses on the programme, Perrie had cosmetic surgery to make her lips look fuller, but the results were unflattering, and Perrie was sacked though she denied this, saying her character had simply run its course. Her character died off-screen the following year.
Lynne started her career as a cabaret singer on the Yorkshire club circuit. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s she performed in France, Germany, South Africa and the United States, on the same bill as The Rolling Stones and for 15 concerts, the Beatles who called her “girly”. She sang and told jokes all over the country and was known as "Little Miss Dynamite." Her singing voice can been heard on The Coronation Street Album released in 1985, Lynne contributed a cover of "You Needed Me".
Following the success of film Kes, Lynne became an in-demand character actress in the 1970s, she had a regular television role as Mrs. Petty in the popular Yorkshire TV comedy series Queenie's Castle
which starred Diana Dors
. She also had the lead role of a shop steward in Colin Welland's gritty BBC film Leeds United. Other TV credits included "The Cuckoo Waltz
" and "Follyfoot
".
Following her dismissal from Coronation Street in 1994, Lynne appeared as a guest on numerous chat shows, including an appearance on Channel 4's
The Word
in 1994 where (amongst other acts) she performed her own embarrassing rendition of Gloria Gaynor's
"I Will Survive
" — this performance was number 62 on Channel 4's list of 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell.
Her former Coronation Street bosses tried unsuccessfully to ban her autobiography from being published in 1994 in which she chronicled her affairs and detailed the ups and downs of her colourful life. In 1994 she had a cameo in Mike Reid's adult pantomime video "Pussy In Boots
" video as Poison Ivy.
In 1995 she released "Lynne Perrie's Alternative Workout", a spoof exercise video pitched at the adult market. In the low budget comedy video, Lynne appeared in a series of sketches and helped toned young men out of their workout clothing. She also caused scandal when she appeared on the adult channel Television X
and carried out a sex act with a male stripper on one of the channel's live TV shows. In 1996 she told The Daily Mirror newspaper that "the offers are just rolling in." She had found herself in demand for personal appearances and as an after-dinner speaker. She appeared on a variety of programmes as herself including chat shows on "The Family Channel
", BBC's "Late And Loud" and game shows such as "Cryer's Crackers" (presented by Barry Cryer and with Duggie Brown, Lynne's brother as one of the team captains) and "Shooting Stars
". The latter being notable for the fact that she appeared drunk live on the air. She also was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary entitled "The Ghost Of Ivy Tilsley", part of a series of programmes exploring the dark side of fame.
Perrie's radio work including giving interviews on radio chat shows after she left Coronation Street and in 1997 (her last acting job) appeared as a guest character in Harry Hill's Fruit Corner. In the episode that Lynne appeared in, she was reunited with Chris Quentin (who played Lynne's soap character Ivy's son) who also took part in the show.
Perrie later concentrated on looking after her family and going back on the cabaret circuit. In 2000 it was reported that her health was poor and the following year, she suffered a stroke.
In 2003 she claimed that she was in good health that she was planning on making a comeback but in keeping what friends describe as her "manic depressive character" it never happened.
She spent her final years living quietly with her husband in Yorkshire. Her few television appearances before she died included being interviewed about her infamous plastic surgery on ITV's documentary series "Facelifts From Hell".
. In her biography, she later admitted that she had had several affairs in the course of her marriage. She also suffered intermittent health problems, including a heart attack and a cancer scare.
Perrie died in Rotherham
following a stroke, aged 74, on 24 March 2006. Of her former Coronation Street
colleagues, only Helen Worth
and Christopher Quinten
attended her funeral at Rotherham Crematorium. Her life and work were acknowledged at the British Academy Television Awards in 2006.
Following Lynne’s death, Johnny Briggs
, who as factory boss Mike Baldwin clashed with Ivy in Coronation Street on screen, said: "She was my daughter's godmother and one of the most generous people I ever met. She would give a tramp £10 rather than walk past in the street." Liz Dawn who played Vera Duckworth
said: "I am terribly saddened to hear the news. She was always full of life and great fun to work with." William Roache
, who plays Ken Barlow, said: "You always knew when Lynne was in the room as the sound of her laughter was never far away."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress. She was born Jean Dudley in Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, and was the sister of comedian Duggie Brown
Duggie Brown
Duggie Brown is an English comedian and actor. He is the brother of the late Coronation Street actress Lynne Perrie ....
. She was best known for her roles as Mrs. Casper in Ken Loach
Ken Loach
Kenneth "Ken" Loach is a Palme D'Or winning English film and television director.He is known for his naturalistic, social realist directing style and for his socialist beliefs, which are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as homelessness , labour rights and child abuse at the...
's 1969 film Kes
Kes
Kes may refer to:* Keş, Azerbaijan* Kes , a musical ensemble from Trinidad* Kes , 1969 film directed by Ken Loach* Kes , a rabbi in the Beta Israel community* Kes , a fictional character in Star Trek: Voyager...
, and as Ivy Tilsley in Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
from 1971-1994.
Career
After Rotherham Grammar School for Girls, she trained at local repertory theatres. Her first major screen role was that of Mrs Casper in the 1969 film1969 in film
The year 1969 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Last year for prize giving at the Venice Film Festival until it is revived in 1980...
Kes
Kes (film)
Kes is a 1969 British film from director Ken Loach and producer Tony Garnett. The film is based on the novel A Kestrel for a Knave, written by the Barnsley-born author Barry Hines in 1968...
. This led to her getting the role of Ivy Tilsley (later Brennan) in the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. She first appeared in 1971 as a minor character, but the producers were sufficiently impressed with her performance to offer her a more substantial role from the mid 1970s when the character was joined by her family and moved in to a house on Coronation Street. In 1994, without consulting her bosses on the programme, Perrie had cosmetic surgery to make her lips look fuller, but the results were unflattering, and Perrie was sacked though she denied this, saying her character had simply run its course. Her character died off-screen the following year.
Lynne started her career as a cabaret singer on the Yorkshire club circuit. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s she performed in France, Germany, South Africa and the United States, on the same bill as The Rolling Stones and for 15 concerts, the Beatles who called her “girly”. She sang and told jokes all over the country and was known as "Little Miss Dynamite." Her singing voice can been heard on The Coronation Street Album released in 1985, Lynne contributed a cover of "You Needed Me".
Following the success of film Kes, Lynne became an in-demand character actress in the 1970s, she had a regular television role as Mrs. Petty in the popular Yorkshire TV comedy series Queenie's Castle
Queenie's Castle
Queenie's Castle is a British sitcom set in early 1970s Leeds, West Yorkshire that aired on ITV from 1970 to 1972. The series featured popular British actress Diana Dors.- Plot :...
which starred Diana Dors
Diana Dors
Diana Dors was an English actress, born Diana Mary Fluck in Swindon, Wiltshire. Considered the English equivalent of the blonde bombshells of Hollywood, Dors described herself as: "The only sex symbol Britain has produced since Lady Godiva."-Early life:Diana Mary Fluck was born in Swindon,...
. She also had the lead role of a shop steward in Colin Welland's gritty BBC film Leeds United. Other TV credits included "The Cuckoo Waltz
The Cuckoo Waltz
The Cuckoo Waltz was a British television sitcom made by Granada Television for the ITV network between 1975 and 1977 and in 1980.The series which was set in 1970s and Manchester, written by Geoffrey Lancashire, produced and directed by Bill Gilmour, dealt with the comic complications that ensue...
" and "Follyfoot
Follyfoot
Follyfoot was a children's television series co-produced by the majority-partner British television company Yorkshire Television and the independent West German company TV Munich...
".
Following her dismissal from Coronation Street in 1994, Lynne appeared as a guest on numerous chat shows, including an appearance on Channel 4's
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
The Word
The Word (TV series)
The Word was a 1990s Channel 4 television programme in the United Kingdom.-Format:Its presenters included Mancunian radio presenter Terry Christian, comedian Mark Lamarr, Dani Behr, Katie Puckrik, Jasmine Dotiwala, Alan Connor, Amanda de Cadenet and "Huffty"...
in 1994 where (amongst other acts) she performed her own embarrassing rendition of Gloria Gaynor's
Gloria Gaynor
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer, best known for the disco era hits; "I Will Survive" , "Never Can Say Goodbye" , "Let Me Know " and "I Am What I Am" .-Early career:Gaynor was a singer with the Soul...
"I Will Survive
I Will Survive
"I Will Survive" is a song first performed by American singer Gloria Gaynor, released in October 1978. It was written by Freddie Perren and Dino Fekaris...
" — this performance was number 62 on Channel 4's list of 100 Greatest TV Moments from Hell.
Her former Coronation Street bosses tried unsuccessfully to ban her autobiography from being published in 1994 in which she chronicled her affairs and detailed the ups and downs of her colourful life. In 1994 she had a cameo in Mike Reid's adult pantomime video "Pussy In Boots
Pussy in Boots
Pussy in Boots is a cult 1994 VHS adult pantomime starring the late stand-up comedian and EastEnders actor Mike Reid, with co-stars Barbara Windsor and John Altman, as well as Coronation Street actress Lynne Perrie. It was filmed in front of a live theatre audience in East London and is based on...
" video as Poison Ivy.
In 1995 she released "Lynne Perrie's Alternative Workout", a spoof exercise video pitched at the adult market. In the low budget comedy video, Lynne appeared in a series of sketches and helped toned young men out of their workout clothing. She also caused scandal when she appeared on the adult channel Television X
Television X
Television X is the name of a series of adult television channels in the UK, produced by Portland TV, a subsidiary of Northern & Shell owned by Richard Desmond, the proprietor of the Daily Express...
and carried out a sex act with a male stripper on one of the channel's live TV shows. In 1996 she told The Daily Mirror newspaper that "the offers are just rolling in." She had found herself in demand for personal appearances and as an after-dinner speaker. She appeared on a variety of programmes as herself including chat shows on "The Family Channel
The Family Channel
The Family Channel may refer to:* Television networks preceding ABC Family, an American cable television network that ran from 1988 to 1998 by Christian Broadcasting Network...
", BBC's "Late And Loud" and game shows such as "Cryer's Crackers" (presented by Barry Cryer and with Duggie Brown, Lynne's brother as one of the team captains) and "Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars
Shooting Stars is a British television comedy panel game broadcast on BBC Two as a pilot in 1993, then as 3 full series from 1995 to 1997, then on BBC Choice from January to December 2002 with 2 series before returning to BBC Two for another 3 series from 2008 until its axing in 2011...
". The latter being notable for the fact that she appeared drunk live on the air. She also was the subject of a Channel 4 documentary entitled "The Ghost Of Ivy Tilsley", part of a series of programmes exploring the dark side of fame.
Perrie's radio work including giving interviews on radio chat shows after she left Coronation Street and in 1997 (her last acting job) appeared as a guest character in Harry Hill's Fruit Corner. In the episode that Lynne appeared in, she was reunited with Chris Quentin (who played Lynne's soap character Ivy's son) who also took part in the show.
Perrie later concentrated on looking after her family and going back on the cabaret circuit. In 2000 it was reported that her health was poor and the following year, she suffered a stroke.
In 2003 she claimed that she was in good health that she was planning on making a comeback but in keeping what friends describe as her "manic depressive character" it never happened.
She spent her final years living quietly with her husband in Yorkshire. Her few television appearances before she died included being interviewed about her infamous plastic surgery on ITV's documentary series "Facelifts From Hell".
Life and family
Perrie married Derrick Barksby in 1950 and gave birth to her only son Stephen in 1951. Her terminally-ill son came to prominence in the 2000s campaigning for assisted suicideAssisted suicide
Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...
. In her biography, she later admitted that she had had several affairs in the course of her marriage. She also suffered intermittent health problems, including a heart attack and a cancer scare.
Perrie died in Rotherham
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
following a stroke, aged 74, on 24 March 2006. Of her former Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
colleagues, only Helen Worth
Helen Worth
Helen Worth is an English actress, best known for her portrayal of the Coronation Street character Gail McIntyre- Early life :...
and Christopher Quinten
Christopher Quinten
Christopher Quinten is a British actor, best known for his role as Brian Tilsley on Coronation Street, which he played from 1978 to 1989.-Career:...
attended her funeral at Rotherham Crematorium. Her life and work were acknowledged at the British Academy Television Awards in 2006.
Following Lynne’s death, Johnny Briggs
Johnny Briggs (actor)
Johnny Briggs, MBE is an English actor. He is best known for his role as Mike Baldwin in the soap opera Coronation Street, in which he appeared from 1976 to 2006...
, who as factory boss Mike Baldwin clashed with Ivy in Coronation Street on screen, said: "She was my daughter's godmother and one of the most generous people I ever met. She would give a tramp £10 rather than walk past in the street." Liz Dawn who played Vera Duckworth
Vera Duckworth
Veronica "Vera" Duckworth , played by Elizabeth Dawn, is a fictional character on the British soap opera Coronation Street, first appearing in August 1974 and last appearing in episode 6,734 on 18 January 2008, where the character peacefully died in her sleep at the age of 70 from heart failure...
said: "I am terribly saddened to hear the news. She was always full of life and great fun to work with." William Roache
William Roache
William Patrick Harry Roache MBE is a British actor, best known for his role as Ken Barlow in the soap opera Coronation Street...
, who plays Ken Barlow, said: "You always knew when Lynne was in the room as the sound of her laughter was never far away."