Coronation Street star dead: Tributes pour in for Barbara Ferris following death aged 85

Yahoo

3 days ago

Barbara Ferris, the actress best known for her portrayal of barmaid Nona Willis in Coronation Street, has died at the age of 85.
Ferris, who made a brief but memorable appearance in the iconic soap, departed the show after just 10 episodes, admitting she found the Lancastrian accent too difficult to follow.
Beyond Coronation Street, Ferris appeared in various other roles, including Catch Us If You Can and Children Of The Damned. Her final film role came in 1990 when she starred in The Krays, directed by Peter Medak.
Ferris was also part of an accomplished family. Her younger sister, Pam, pursued acting, appearing in The Darling Buds of May and Call The Midwife, while another sibling, Liz, made her mark as a champion springboard diver, winning a bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics.
Following the news of her passing, tributes have poured in.
One fan wrote: 'Absolutely gutted to hear about Barbara Ferris. She had such a quiet grace on screen — Catch Us If You Can was a core memory from my childhood. Rest easy, Dinah.'
'RIP to Barbara Ferris – unforgettable in The Krays. That voice, that presence. We were lucky to have her, even if briefly,' another penned.
A colleague fondly remembered 'Barbara was one of the kindest, most generous actors I ever worked with. Her laughter lit up every set we shared. It was an honour just to be around her.'
Ferris is survived by her husband, film producer John Quested, and their children, Nicholas, Christopher, and Catherine. She passed away on May 23, 2025, though the cause of death has not been confirmed.
Ferris's younger sister, Pam, previously shared how her sister 'changed her life' in a 2014 interview.
In conversation with the Daily Mail, Pam revealed that Barbara's move to New Zealand was a pivotal moment in her own life, leading to her passion for acting.
Then aged 23 she returned to London.
She reflected: ''It was a huge decision and a very painful one for all of us. Luckily the move to London worked out well for me. I got an agent and enough work to afford somewhere to live. Long before series like The Darling Buds Of May and the Matilda and Harry Potter films I was cast in wonderful TV dramas like The Rag Trade.
'My parents have passed away now but Barbara still lives in New Zealand, and these days we fly to see each other as often as possible.
'The older we get, the closer we become. And if it hadn't been for her phone call that afternoon, my life could have turned out quite differently.'