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 his roles in Coronation Street and several Carry On films, has died at the age of 93.

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

In a statement, Cope’s family said they were “deeply saddened” by the news.

It read: ‘It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Kenneth Cope from 14/04/1931 – 11/09/2024.

‘Ken passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, surrounded by his wife and family.’

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

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

‘He began his career in theatre and quickly landed many film and television roles. He was a natural comedic actor and was a major contributor to the comedy series That Was The Week That Was and quickly became a fixture in the acting industry.

“We are deeply saddened by his passing and ask that his family be given privacy at this time. He leaves behind his loving wife Renny Lister and his children Nick, Mark and Martha.”

Actor and Coronation Street star Robin Askwith also paid tribute.

He shared the following on X, formerly Twitter: “So sorry to hear of Kenneth Cope’s passing at the age of 93. One of the first actors I ever worked with… Individual, encouraging and generous… RIP.”

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

‘Very saddened to hear of the passing of #KennethCope I loved #RandallAndHopkirk as a child and then had the thrill of working with Kenneth on #Minder Just a pinch myself moment. Iconic TV legend… What a career he had. My condolences and love to his family and loved ones.’;

‘Awww, Kenneth Cope is gone. I adore him as Marty Hopkirk. Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) is my favourite viewing experience. It worked magic when I broke my shoulder and during the weirdness of the first lockdown. I think I’ll watch it again.’

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

In it, he solved crimes beyond the grave, while only visible to his partner Jeff Randall, after he was murdered during an investigation in the series’ first episode.

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

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

Cope said: ‘I always thought people liked it because it was a happy time when we were making it. The sun was always shining.

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

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

Born in Liverpool in 1931, he also appeared in Coronation Street. From 1961 to 1963, he played the role of Jed Stone in over 100 episodes, before returning briefly in 2008 and 2009.

Cope subsequently appeared in two Carry On films, Carry On At Your Convenience in 1971 and Carry On Matron the following year. He also appeared in 1963’s Carry On Jack, but in an uncredited role.

The actor starred in the 1963 Hammer horror film The Damned and appeared in the television comedy Minder, an episode of the spy series The Avengers and the 1981 Warriors’ Gate episode of Doctor Who.

The actor married actress Renny Lister, with whom he worked on Coronation Street, in 1961. The couple had two sons, Nick and Mark, who formed a rock band together called The Candyskins. 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 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 cancer that year.

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

Incredibly, the surgery did not produce good news. It would be another three years before Cope got the news that all was well.

It was only when he requested copies of his own medical records and studied them closely in 2003 that he discovered the letter that gave him the all-clear.

He said: ‘I spent six years of my life wrongly believing I had cancer, literally under an unjust death sentence because of a misdiagnosis.

‘Then I discovered that my GP had told me years earlier that I had never had cancer. But he had either not bothered to tell me or had forgotten.’