Elizabeth Kelly

Elizabeth Hutton Kelly was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, on 29 May 1921, the daughter of Albert Edward Kelly (1889–1967), a shop keeper, and his wife, Elizabeth (née Tulip; 1890–1987), a housewife.^[1][2]

Kelly began her acting career in the late 1960s.^[3][4] She played Edie Burgess in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street in 1971 and went on to portray various roles in several televised drama series including The Bill, Boon, Spender, and Where the Heart Is, as well as the television film Cider with Rosie among others.^[5]

In 1993, Kelly joined the cast of the BBC soap opera EastEnders as Nellie Ellis, the interfering relative of Pauline Fowler, portraying the role until 1998, before returning briefly in 2000 for the funeral of Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin).^[6] After leaving EastEnders, Kelly appeared in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale as Edith Weatherall in 2002, as well as appearing in episodes of The Inspector Lynley Mysteries, Steel River Blues and Heartbeat. Her final acting role was in The Royal in 2007.^[7]

In June 1943, she married businessman Peter Trower.^[1] He predeceased her on 30 January 1968, his 55th birthday.^[8] Together they had two children, a son and a daughter. Kelly had several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.^[9]

Kelly celebrated her 100th birthday in May 2021, and died of old age on 31 December 2025 at a care home in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, aged 104.^[10][11][12] Her death was announced to the public on 4 February 2026. Her funeral service took place at St Peter's Church, Scarborough on 17 February, followed by a private burial.^[13][14]