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Stephanie Cole, the distinguished actress renowned for her work in series such as Tenko, Open All Hours, and Doc Martin, has passed away at the age of 84. Her passing was confirmed in a statement by her agent John Grant, issued on behalf of her family, revealing that she had been living with Alzheimer’s disease for several years. The statement highlighted Cole’s extraordinary talent and the joy she brought to millions through her memorable performances in both theatre and television. It also noted her dedicated efforts in supporting mental health charities throughout her life.
Born in Solihull, Cole trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School before embarking on a prolific career that spanned across television, radio, and film. One of her most acclaimed roles was Dr Beatrice Mason in the 1980s BBC drama Tenko, which depicted the harrowing experiences of British women imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp during World War II. During this period, she also became well known for portraying Mrs Delphine Featherstone, affectionately dubbed “The Black Widow,” in the sitcom Open All Hours. Among her accolades, Cole won the best TV comedy actress award for her role as the witty photojournalist Diana Trent in Waiting For God. She also considered her performance as Muriel in Alan Bennett’s monologue Soldiering On one of her proudest achievements, alongside notable stage work including a West End production of A Passionate Woman.
In addition to these roles, Cole gained recognition for playing the aunt of Martin Clunes’s character in the ITV drama Doc Martin. Her diverse body of work included appearances in Keeping Mum and the BBC Radio 4 sitcom Cabin Pressure, where she portrayed Carolyn Knapp-Shappey, sharing the stage with Benedict Cumberbatch. Reflecting on this character in a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Cole remarked, “One of the joys of my character was how strong and feisty she is: she had the upper hand over the men, for the most part… Carolyn told it like it was and took no [rubbish]. We’ve all met women like her. She was very easy to put on, and I confess perhaps there’s a little of her bossiness in me.” Cole also appeared as Sylvia Goodwin, Roy Cropper’s mother, in Coronation Street for two years starting in 2011, a role that earned her a comedy award at the British Soap Awards in 2012. She revisited her role in the revival of Still Open All Hours in the 2010s alongside David Jason and featured opposite Suranne Jones in Gentleman Jack. In 2018, she made a guest appearance in a live Halloween episode of Inside No. 9 titled Dead Line.
Cole’s stage performances were equally impressive, with credits including Driving Miss Daisy, Talking Heads, Noises Off, A Passionate Woman, and King Lear. Her final major television role was in the BBC comedy series The Cleaner in 2021. On a personal front, Cole was married twice: first to playwright and theatrical fight director Henry Marshall until their divorce in 1998, and later to fellow actor Peter Birrel, who passed away in 2004. She leaves behind her daughter, Emma Battcock. In recognition of her contributions to drama, the elderly, and mental health charity work, Cole was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2005
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