Pauline Collins dies aged 85 in Highgate care home

Actress Pauline Collins, best known for her title role in Shirley Valentine, has died peacefully at the age of 85 in her care home in Highgate, north London, her family announced. Collins had been living with Parkinsons disease for several years and was surrounded by loved ones at the time of her death, the family statement said.

In a tribute, her family said, "Pauline was so many things to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen." They highlighted the range of her work, adding that she will always be remembered as "the iconic, strongwilled, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine." The statement thanked carers who looked after her "with dignity, compassion, and most of all love" and asked for privacy while the family grieves.

Collins rose to prominence on British television in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Born in Exmouth in 1940 and raised in Wallasey, she trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama after a brief period working as a teacher. Early television credits included an appearance in the first series of The Liver Birds, followed by the regular role of Sarah Moffat in the period drama Upstairs,...