TRIBUTES TO A CORRIE LEGEND
Every day a masterclass
“She was always first to make a new arrival feel welcome. She was an all-round lovely lady and such a talent. I’ll never forget my scenes with her and what she taught me.” Sally added: “We both loved Jean. Hilda will always be my favourite Corrie character.”
Paying tribute outside ITV’s Manchester studios where Corrie is filmed were fans Alan Pollard, 72, and wife Mary, 70, who had travelled there from Essex.
The retired couple said they still refer to one another as Oggie and Chuck – inspired by the characters of Hilda and screen husband Stan, played by the late Bernard Youens.
Jean’s star admirers included Sir Laurence Olivier, while Sir Michael Parkinson and the late Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman helped to form the British League for Hilda Ogden.
Sonia said her aunt loved the status Hilda brought her. “People stopped her to say hello and how much they missed her,” she said.
“She was always very good to her fans, saying, ‘They put me where I am’.” Jean, who never wed and had no children,c children, had a minor stroke in 2014 and was in a nursing home.
Sonia said: “II saw he herer last week when we went to see her in hosp hospital pital and she was talking to me and Billill quite happily – but she was generally weak and und under der the weather.”
Nearly 30 million llion vie viewers ewers watched Jean’s farewell Corrie episode e in 1987. She went on to enjoy great successuccess inn other shows, including BBC’s Last Of The e Summer Wine.
In 2005 Hilda a Ogden n topped a Radio Times poll to find findf TV’s greatest ever character haracterr – sparking calls for a statue atue to be beb erected in her honour.
Jean said then: n: “I couldn’tcou uldn’t see me on a pedestalal cast in n bronze.
“Knowing my l uck,u uck, the Southport seagulls ulls wouldwoul ld find me and do their worst,orst, as theyt they have done before – usually whenw when I’ve just washed my hair.” FORMER Corrie star Nigel Pivaro has said working with Jean was like getting acting masterclasses – and made him raise his game. The 56-year-old, who played Terry Duckworth, said: “Jean took no prisoners. You either wanted to learn and work or she had little time for you. “Every time she walked on set, she gave a masterclass in TV studio acting. By process of watching Jean I learned more about TV studio technique than you could at drama school. It was interesting to see other actors raise their game when they were in a scene with Jean.” Nigel added: “Despite her obvious status, she was not a tyrant. She was polite and generous to newcomers.”