'I love you': Coronation Street's Samia Longchambon and Alan Halsall deliver heartbreaking eulogy to Liz Dawn
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Samia Longchambon and Alan Halsall delivered a moving eulogy to their late Coronation Street costar Liz Dawn when she was laid to rest at Manchester's Salford Cathedral on Friday.
The actors, who play former Corrie couple Maria Connor and Tyrone Dobbs, were especially close to Liz, with her character Vera Duckworth having been something of a surrogate mum to Tyrone.
And Samia thanked the iconic actress for making a huge "difference" to their lives.
"Liz was always a force to be reckoned with and someone we all looked up to and admired," Samia said.
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"Liz was undoubtedly a wonderful, kind, funny and considerate person and someone whose generosity knew no bounds,"she continued.
"Liz was an incredibly special lady and her legacy will go on. She touched our lives and made a difference and for that reason we are truly grateful for her."
Alan added: "Liz could talk to anyone and always treated everyone the same, which was absolutely part of her charm one of the reasons we loved her all the more.
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(Image: ITV)
"Liz was a true inspiration and always so generous with her time, but she never expected anything in return.
"She also had no idea how much she was loved or how funny she was and she'd have been totally overwhelmed by the outpouring of love these last couple of weeks.
"This really wouldn't be a tribute to Liz without ending it the way she ended all of her conversations with me and Samia and that is simply... I love you."
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Samia arrived with her husband Sylvian Longchambon, while Alan held hands with his wife, former Coronation Street actress Lucy-Jo Hudson.
Arriving by coach from the nearby Corrie studios, actress Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Bradley) broke down as she arrived at the service for Liz, who played the feisty Vera Duckworth for 34 years, while Anthony Cotton (Sean Tully) and Shobna Gulati (Sunita Alahan) could be seen battling to keep their emotions in check.
Her heartbroken husband of 22 years, Donald Ibbetson , sobbed openly as the hearse carrying the icon's coffin pulled up, while Liz's former costar Helen Worth (Gail Platt) comforted a nearby mourner.
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(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
Meanwhile, Nigel Pivaro, who played her no-good on-screen son Terry would have made Vera proud by being one of the first to arrive.
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Jennie McAlpine and Andy Whyment, aka street siblings Fiz and Kirk, were also joined by Connor McIntyre, who currently portrays baddie Pat Phelan.
So treasured was Liz that cast members who left the cobbles years ago turned out to say goodbye, with Bruce Jones (Les Battersby) and Ken Morley (Reg Holdsworth) pictured looking sombre ahead of the service.
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The actress died peacefully at home after a long battle with lung disease emphysema on Monday, September 25. She was 77.
In a statement announcing her death, her family said: "We are devastated and heartbroken at the passing of our much-loved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great grandmother, the incredible Liz Dawn.
"Liz died peacefully last night at home with her loving family around her.
"She has been the love, light and inspiration in our lives and we are bereft at her passing.”
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The Leeds-born actress, who was a Woolworth's shop girl before finding fame, was forced to quit the street in 2008 after receiving the terminal diagnosis.
However, she made one last appearance in 2010 when she returned for her on-screen husband Jack Duckworth’s (Bill Tarmey) final scenes.
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(Image: PA)
In June Liz - whose real name was Sylvia Ann Ibbetson - underwent surgery for a heart condition, which forced her to miss the wedding of her grandson Thomas Borso, in Italy.
She had hoped the procedure would result in a vast improvement to her health.
“I’ve got no energy but once the operation is done I will be looking forward to being as back to my normal self and getting my energy back," she said at the time.
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Sadly, in recent times she had been confined to a wheelchair, and was admitted to hospital with breathing problems two weeks before her death.
Liz is survived by four children.
The funeral started at 2pm with a requiem mass and holy communion service followed by a private family committal.