Jean Dudley, known professionally as Lynne Perrie (7 April 1931 - 24 March 2006), was an English actress, singer, comedienne, presenter and author. Born in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, she was the older sister of comedian and actor Duggie Brown. She was best known for her roles as Mrs Casper in Ken Loach's 1969 film Kes, Mrs. Petty in the television series Queenie's Castle, and as Ivy Tilsley in Coronation Street from 1971 until 1994.In March 1994, Perrie was reportedly fired from Coronation Street due to having cosmetic lip enhancements which dramatically changed her appearance. The significant publicity she subsequently received made her a subject of ridicule, and her career and reputation suffered as a result. For the next three years she became a media personality, and made high profile appearances on entertainment shows like The Word and Shooting Stars, which were notable for the fact that she appeared to be drunk live on the air. Her lifestyle and eccentric behavior became almost as well known as her long career in show business, and in 1996 she was the subject of a Channel 4 film The Ghost Of Ivy Tilsley.
Kes undoubtedly made me because I never had to do another audition after that. I got roles in a string of TV plays including Crown Court, Slattery's Mounted Foot, Queenie's Castle, Follyfoot, The Intruder and Leeds United, where I starred as a shop steward. It even helped me land the part of Ivy in Coronation Street.
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One son, Stephen.
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Best known as Ivy Brennan (nee Tilsley), a role she played continuously in Coronation Street (1960) for fifteen years from 1979.
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At the height of her fame, she suffered a heart attack. Ironically, while undergoing subsequent surgery for a replacement heart valve, actor Peter Dudley, who played her on-screen husband, was admitted to the same hospital and pronounced dead following a stroke.
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In 1994, Perrie was written out of the top-rated soap under something of a cloud. She maintained that few plot lines and infrequent appearances had eroded the essence of her character and she had therefore elected to leave the series voluntarily. The UK press, however, speculated that she had been dismissed from the programme due to the effects of cosmetic surgery to her face.
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Yorkshire born entertainer who began as a cabaret singer in the tough working-men's clubs of northern England before landing a string of minor roles in established television serials and eventually achieving stardom with a lead in the acclaimed film, Kes (1969).
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Following her departure, Perrie released her biography entitled 'Secrets of the Street', a book which contained candid admission of a string of affairs while married, an alcohol addiction, and the revelation that her son was suffering from the Aids virus. She also appeared in a soft-porn video and became the darling of the chat show circuit before fading into obscurity.
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In 2001, Lynne was re-admitted to hospital, once again in serious ill-health, reportedly with heart problems.
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