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Sheila Mercier dead: Emmerdale star who played Annie Sugden dies aged 100


Sheila Mercier died peacefully in her sleep, according to her former co-star Frederick Pyne, reports the Metro. The actress was best known for playing Annie Sugden in Emmerdale, and was introduced when the show first launched in 1972.

Frederick, who played Matt Skilbeck in the ITV soap from 1972 until 1989, alongside Sheila, wrote on social media: “Sad to tell all you Emmerdale fans that Sheila Mercier, Annie Sugden, died peacefully in her sleep…

“She would have been 101 years old on New Years Day. She was a great character and wonderful to work with.”

After leaving the Dales in the mid 1990s, Sheila made a guest return in 2009 at the funeral of her on-screen son, Jack Sugden, played by Clive Hornby, who died the year previous from cancer.

Sheila was born in Hull, Yorkshire, in 1919 and went on to have a long career on stage before hitting the small screen.

She was talent spotted whilst touring a Shakespeare company

Sheila’s husband, Peter Mercier, died in 1993 and they had one child together, a son Nigel, who died in 2017.

Emmerdale fans have paid tribute to the soap legend on Twitter, with one person writing: “Farewell to #Emmerdale legend Sheila Mercier, known to millions as Annie Sugden, who has left us at the grand old age of 100.”

Another said: “Sheila Mercier, who played Annie Sugden in Emmerdale has died. I’m so thankful to her for playing Annie the way she did. I watch a lot of Classic Emmerdale, and she’s one of my favourites. A real Emmerdale legend, and the original Sugden xxx.”

A third commented: “Annie Sugden was a really good lady in Emmerdale. I can still remember her voice.. God Bless RIP. X.”



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