Stephanie Cole

Stephanie Cole, OBE (born 5 October 1941) is an English stage, television, radio and film actress, best known for high-profile television roles in shows such as Tenko (1981–85), Open All Hours (1982–85), A Bit of a Do (1989), Waiting for God (1990–94), Keeping Mum (1997–98), Doc Martin (2004–09), Still Open All Hours (2013–present) and as Sylvia Goodwin in ITV soap opera Coronation Street (2011–13).

She won Best TV Actress at the 1992 British Comedy Awards for her role in Waiting For God and won Best Comedy Performance at the 2012 British Soap Awards for her role in Coronation Street. She was made an OBE in the 2005 Queens Birthday Honours.

Early life

Born Patricia Stephanie Cole in Solihull, Warwickshire, Cole trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School from 1958 to 1960 and went on to consolidate her acting skills in repertory theatres around the United Kingdom. She made her stage debut at the age of seventeen playing the eccentric, elderly medium Madame Arcati in Noël Coward's Blithe Spirit. At the age of 63 she returned to the same role when the play was revived at the West End's Savoy Theatre in 2004.