Kenneth Cope dead: Coronation Street & Carry On star dies at 93, 'surrounded by his family'

His former agent, Sandra Chalmers, of the Artists Partnership confirmed he died surrounded by his family on Wednesday (September 11).

Cope made his name as ghost detective Marty Hopkirk in the ITV supernatural detective series, Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased). It saw him solve crimes from beyond the grave while being visible only to his partner Jeff Randall, after being murdered during an investigation in the series’ first episode.

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

In a 1994 interview with PA news agency, actor Cope reflected on his time working on Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), saying he had "happy times" making the show. Cope said: "I used to think people liked it because they were happy times when we made it. The sun was always shining. As a kid, you wanted to be Superman... Randall and Hopkirk was quite escapist. There was a nice guy there who could do magical things."

Born in Liverpool in 1931, Cope had a long and varied career. He appeared in Coronation Street as Jed Stone in more than 100 episodes from 1961 to 1963, returning briefly in 2008 and 2009. He also starred in two Carry On films: Carry On at Your Convenience (1971) and Carry On Matron (1972), and had an uncredited role in Carry On Jack (1963).

Cope’s other notable work included a role in the 1963 Hammer horror film The Damned, appearances in TV series such as Minder, The Avengers, and the 1981 Doctor Who episode Warriors' Gate.

In 1961, Cope married actress Renny Lister, his Coronation Street co-star. They had three children: two sons, Nick and Mark, who formed the rock band The Candyskins, and a daughter, Martha, who became an actress known for her roles in Doctors and EastEnders.

In his later years, Cope lived in Southport, where he contributed as a columnist for the Southport Visitor magazine.

A spokesperson for the ITV series said: “Kenneth’s portrayal of Jed Stone, also known as Sonny Jim, on Coronation Street between 1961 and 1966 made him a firm favourite with the soap’s fans.

“He was a talented actor and writer and we were delighted when he agreed to reprise the role 42 years later in 2008. We are sorry to hear of his passing and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Cope appeared in more than 100 episodes from 1961 to 1963, before briefly returning in 2008 and 2009.