Carry On and Coronation Street star Kenneth Cope dies aged 93

Kenneth Cope, the Carry On and Coronation Street actor, has died at the age of 93, his former agent has said.

He made his name as ghost detective Marty Hopkirk in the ITV supernatural detective series Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased).

It saw him solve crimes from beyond the grave, while visible only to his partner Jeff Randall, after being murdered during an investigation in the first episode.

Sandra Chalmers, of The Artists Partnership, confirmed that Mr Cope had died surrounded by his family on Wednesday. She shared a statement from the family, which read: “Ken passed away yesterday, peacefully in his sleep, with his wife and family by his side.”

The family described him as “an incredible icon of British TV and film”, with a career spanning six decades that “contributed to some of the most iconic moments in British culture”, and hailed him as “a natural comedy actor”.

Their statement added: “He began his career in theatre, quickly picking up many film and TV roles. He was a natural comedy actor and was a main contributor to the comedy series That Was The Week That Was and swiftly became a regular figure across the acting industry.

“We are deeply saddened by his passing, and ask that his family are given privacy at this time.”

Kenneth Cope playing Marty Hopkirk in Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) – ITV/Shutterstock

Cult classic series Randall And Hopkirk (Deceased), which was known as My Partner the Ghost in the US, was later remade with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in 2000, lasting two series.

Speaking to the PA news agency in 1994, Cope said he had “happy times” making the programme, adding: “I used to think people liked it because they were happy times when we made it. The sun was always shining.

“As a kid you wanted to be Superman, you wanted to be able to do things, to find the magic stone and rub it and a genie would appear. Randall and Hopkirk was quite escapist. There was a nice guy there who could do magical things.”

Kenneth Cope and his wife Renny Lister in 2014 – Dave Thompson/PA

Born in Liverpool in 1931, Mr Cope – a fan of Everton FC – also starred in Coronation Street, appearing in the soap as Jed Stone in more than 100 episodes from 1961 to 1963, briefly returning in 2008 and 2009.

He was in two Carry On films, Carry On At Your Convenience (1971) and Carry On Matron (1972), and also appeared in 1963’s Carry On Jack in an uncredited role.

The actor featured in 1963 Hammer horror film The Damned and appeared in TV comedy drama Minder, an episode of espionage series The Avengers and the Warriors’ Gate episode of Doctor Who in 1981.

Kenneth Cope and Renny Lister with their daughter Martha in 1970 – Freddie Reed/Mirrorpix

He married actress Renny Lister, with whom he worked on Coronation Street, in 1961. The couple had two sons, Nick and Mark, who formed a rock band called The Candyskins together.

They also had a daughter, Martha, who is an actress best known for roles in Doctors and EastEnders. Ms Lister and his children survive him.

Mr Cope spent the last years of his life living in Southport, where he was a columnist for the Southport Visitor magazine.

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