Anne Kirkbride will be honoured at the National Television Awards tonight (21.01.15).
The ‘Coronation Street’ actress, loved for playing Deirdre Barlow in the ITV soap, sadly passed away following a short illness on Monday (19.01.15) and will be honoured at the annual ceremony at The O2 arena in London this evening.
Anne’s on-screen husband William Roache (Ken Barlow) is expected to lead a tribute to the beloved star and reminisce on his memories of her, while other long-term co-stars including Barbara Knox (Rita Tanner) will also be in attendance.
The audience will be encouraged to show their appreciation for Anne’s contribution to the soap by applauding at the event, which will be broadcast on ITV at 7.30pm, The Sun newspaper reports.
Anne – who was just 60 years old – is believed to have rejected chemotherapy after being diagnosed with breast cancer, causing the disease to spread to her brain.
However, the late actress’ family have yet to comment on her cause of death, with a statement simply sharing that her husband David Beckett has been left "heartbroken" by the loss.
Anne Kirkbride to be honoured at National Television Awards
