Coronation Street and Carry On star Kenneth Cope dies aged 93 as family pay tribute to his six-decade career

Actor Kenneth Cope, known for appearing in Coronation Street and several Carry On films, has died at the age of 93.

His former agent, Sandra Chalmers, confirmed he died surrounded by his family on Wednesday in his hometown of Southport in Sefton, Liverpool, the area where he was born in 1931.

A statement from Cope’s family said they were ‘deeply saddened’ by the news. 

It read: ‘It is with great sadness the family wish to announce the passing of Kenneth Cope 14/04/1931 – 11/09/2024.

‘Ken passed away yesterday peacefully in his sleep with his wife and family by his side.’

The actor had a career spanning six decades and saw him star alongside acting greats like Barbara Windsor (pictured together in 1972’s Carry on Matron)

‘Ken passed away yesterday peacefully in his sleep with his wife and family by his side’. his family revealed in a statement (pictured with wife Renny Lister in 2001) 

The statement continued: ‘An incredible icon of British TV and film known famously for his role as Marty Hopkirk in Randall and Hopkirk, Jed Stone in Coronation Street as well as part of the Carry On team. 

‘His career spans six decades and contributed to some of the most iconic moments in British culture. Ken was a proud native Liverpudlian and a loyal supporter of Everton Football Club.

‘He began his career in theatre quickly picking up many film and TV roles. He was a natural comedy actor and was a main contributor to the comedy series That Was The Week That Was and swiftly became a regular figure across the acting industry.

‘We are deeply saddened by his passing and ask that his family are given privacy at this time. He is survived by his loving wife Renny Lister and his children Nick, Mark and Martha.’

Fellow actor and Coronation Street star Robin Askwith also paid tribute.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, he shared: ‘So sorry to hear about Kenneth Cope passing away at 93 One of the first actors I ever worked with… Individual ,encouraging and generous…. RIP.’

Other X users shared: ‘I’m very sad to hear that Kenneth Cope has died. He was wonderful as Jed Stone in the very early days of Coronation Street, and worked beautifully with Margot Bryant. That relationship between Jed and Minnie Caldwell was just brilliant’; 

‘Very sad to hear of the passing of #KennethCope Absolutely loved #RandallAndHopkirk as a kid then had the thrill of working with Kenneth on #Minder A pinch myself moment. Iconic TV legend…What a career he had. Sending condolences and love to his family & loved ones.’; 

‘Awww, Kenneth Cope’s gone. I adore him as Marty Hopkirk. Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is my comfort-viewing of choice. It worked its magic when I broke my shoulder and during the weirdness of the first lockdown. Due a re-watch, I think.’ 

Cope is survived by his loving wife Renny Lister and his children Nick, Mark and Martha (pictured with one of his sons in 1969) 

The statement continued: ‘His career spans six decades and contributed to some of the most iconic moments in British culture’ (pictured in Carry On Matron)

Fellow actor and Coronation Street star Robin Askwith also paid tribute to the ‘individual, encouraging and generous’ star 

Fans also expressed their sadness at his passing as they shared memories of his roles 

Cope made his name as ghost detective Marty Hopkirk in the ITV supernatural detective series, Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased).

It saw him solve crimes from beyond the grave while being visible only to his partner Jeff Randall, after being murdered during an investigation in the series’ first episode.

Cult classic series Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased) was known as My Partner The Ghost in the US, and was later remade with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in 2000, and lasted two series.

Speaking to the PA news agency in 1994, Cope said he had ‘happy times’ making the programme.

Cope said: ‘I used to think people liked it because they were happy times when we made it. The sun was always shining.

‘As a kid you wanted to be Superman, you wanted to be able to do things, to find the magic stone and rub it and a genie would appear.

‘Randall and Hopkirk was quite escapist. There was a nice guy there who could do magical things.’

Cope starred in two Carry On films, Carry On At Your Convenience in 1971 (right, with co-stars Richard O’Callaghan and Jacki Piper) and Carry On Matron the following year

Cope is pictured in 1972’s Carry On Matron with co-star Valerie Leon, left 

Born in Liverpool in 1931, he also starred in Coronation Street, appearing in the soap as Jed Stone in more than 100 episodes from 1961 to 1963, before briefly returning in 2008 and 2009.

Cope went on to star in two Carry On films, Carry On At Your Convenience in 1971 and and Carry On Matron the following year, and he also appeared in 1963’s Carry On Jack in an uncredited role.

The actor featured in 1963 Hammer horror film The Damned and appeared in TV comedy drama Minder, an episode of espionage series The Avengers and the Warriors’ Gate episode of Doctor Who in 1981.

The actor married actress Renny Lister, whom he worked with on Coronation Street, in 1961, the couple had two sons Nick and Mark, who formed a rock band called The Candyskins together. They also had a daughter, Martha, who is an actress best known for her roles in Doctors and EastEnders.

Cope spent the last years of his life living in Southport, where he was a columnist for the Southport Visitor magazine.

In 2000, Cope had resigned himself to an early death after being diagnosed with an incurable form of the disease in 2000.

But in 2003, a specialist hospital doctor who examined Cope found that he had been misdiagnosed and wrote a letter to his surgery to inform them.

Cope as Ray Hilton in Brookside in 2000 alongside (L-R) Jean Heywood as Kitty Hilton, Marji Campi as Jessie Hilton and Jennifer Ellison as Emily Shadwick

Cope starred in Coronation Street, appearing in the soap as Jed Stone in more than 100 episodes from 1961 to 1963, before briefly returning in 2008 and 2009 (pictured with Samia Longchambon and Gray O’Brien in 2009) 

Incredibly, the surgery didn’t pass on the good news – and Cope wasn’t given the all-clear for a further three years.

It was only when he demanded copies of his own medical files and examined them in detail that he discovered the letter giving him the all-clear in 2003.

He said: ‘I spent six years of my life wrongly believing I had cancer, literally under a false death sentence because of a wrong diagnosis.

‘Then I found that my GP had been told years earlier that I’d never had cancer – but he didn’t bother, or forgot, to tell me.’