Coronation Street actor Eileen Mayers dies aged 94

Actor Eileen Mayers, known for playing Sheila Birtles on Coronation Street, died aged 94, according to a notice published in Equity magazine. The notice said Mayers, née Mayers, died on June 27, 2026. Her death was reported through the magazine; the notice is the stated basis for the date and age. Mayers played Sheila, a worker at the fictional Ellistons Raincoat Factory, beginning in 1961. Her character left Weatherfield in 1963 and returned to the ITV soap in 1966, 1969 and 1974. Her final appearance was in 1974. Sheila is remembered for a planned storyline that would have ended with her death by suicide after an overdose. The storyline was changed before broadcast. In the version shown on television, Sheila took pills and the scene faded to black, leaving her fate unshown; she later left Weatherfield alive. The storyline followed Sheila’s relationship with Neil Crossley, who rejected her. The reports say the planned ending was abandoned after details leaked and viewers objected. One account attributes the leak to reporter Ken Irwin, who said complaints prompted a rewrite within 24 hours. That account was not independently corroborated in the reporting. The scenes as...