Coronation Street pays on-screen tribute to Kay Patrick after sad death news

Coronation Street has shared a touching tribute to Kay Patrick, following her sad death earlier this month. Patrick, who served as a director on the soap, died at the age of 84, on 2 June.

Patrick, whose birth name was Pat ricia Jackson, joined Corrie back in 1994 and directed more than 250 episodes.

Tonight’s episode features a special dedication to the long-serving director with an on-screen tribute, which appears before the end credits.

Reflecting on the 21 years she worked on the show, Patrick previously said: “I was lucky to be there at such extraordinary times.” (via The Guardian).

One of her most remembered episodes was the tragic death of beloved character Hayley Cropper (Julie Hesmondhalgh) in 2014.

After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Hayley made the heartbreaking decision to take her own life, rather than suffer with the incurable illness.

“The almost holy atmosphere she created in the studio during those last scenes… She instinctively knew that it was a one-take moment, and so just blocked it and shot it with such understated love and sensitivity,” recalled Hesmondhalgh.

“It’s entirely down to Kay that those scenes were as raw and memorable as they were.”

As well as directing, Patrick was also a trained actor, having attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in London. She took on her first professional job in 1958, playing the titular role in Gigi.

She later appeared in Doctor Who in the ’60s, starring opposite First Doctor William Hartnell. She went on to work on a number of soaps and dramas, including EastEnders, Brookside, Emmerdale and Holby City across her impressive career.

She also worked in radio for around 20 years, including BBC Radio, and pushed new writing, and also was involved in the world of theatre too. Patrick was predeceased by her siblings and is survived by her niece and nephew.