Maggie Fox, star of Shameless and Coronation Street, has died after a tragic accident, it has been announced. The actress, who was perhaps best-known for her role as Ruth Audsley in the hit soap, was part of a comedy partnership with Sue Ryding, who announced her sad death on Facebook on Tuesday.
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"It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Maggie Fox, my comedy partner of 40 years and co-Artistic Director of LipService," Sue wrote in the statement.
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"Maggie passed away yesterday with her family around her. As you can imagine I am completely heartbroken. We are still all in a state of shock as this was very sudden following an accident."
Explaining more about their background, Sue added: "I met Maggie when we were Drama students at Bristol University in the 1970's. We were in a very serious production of Ibsen's The Lady For the Sea but for some reason the audience was on the floor laughing. A tragedy for Ibsen (he was good at those) but the launch of an epic comedy partnership.
"Our theatre company LipService was officially launched in 1985 and we have written 22 original comedies, touring all over the world, managing to have children in between!" The details of the accident have not been revealed.
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The actress as Ruth in Coronation Street
Maggie appeared in iconic soap Corrie a number of times throughout her acting career. In 1990, she had a minor role playing a nurse. Two years later, she landed the part of Charmian Grey and, in 2001, she returned to play Ruth Audsley.
The actress' other credits include Channel 4 cult-comedy Shameless, Reckless, and she was famed for her comedy writing.
Many have been reacting to the news on social media. One person wrote: "Very sad news re the death of Maggie Fox from Lip Service. They were a glorious double act and such good fun to watch. Many thanks for the laughs."
The actress was also known for her comedy acting
Another tweeted: "Really sorry to hear about the death of Lipservice's Maggie Fox. I know how well loved she is in Manchester in particular. She will be sorely missed."
Meanwhile, The Lowry official account said: "Everyone at The Lowry sends love and best wishes to Lip Service following the death of Maggie Fox. Regular visitors to The Lowry and hugely popular with our audiences."
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