Brookside star Marian Diamond dies, aged 89 – Miriam Margolyes shares emotional tribute
The actress played Mrs Shackleton in the classic soap opera in the 1990s.
Brookside star Marian Diamond has died at the age of 89.
The actress, who was also known for her distinctive voice roles in many BBC radio and TV productions, passed away on Monday 5th January at University College Hospital.
The news of her passing was confirmed by her close friend and fellow actress Miriam Margolyes, who paid tribute in a post shared on social media.
“Alas, on my mind is the sudden death last Monday, of my dear friend, Marian Diamond, at UCH in London, aged 89," Margolyes wrote on Facebook.
“We first met in Edinburgh, I think in 1968 at the Traverse Theatre, and I loved her from then on."
Diamond was well known for her distinctive voice and narrated episodes of BBC children's TV series Jackanory. She also voiced Galadriel in the 1981 BBC radio adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
On TV, she served as one of the original hosts of classic children's series Play School, and acted in a host of dramas including The Avengers, Sherlock Holmes and The Idiot, before later appearing in the likes of The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Doctors and The Armando Iannucci Shows.
She also played Mrs Shackleton in Brookside for a number of episodes in the 1990s.
Margolyes described Diamond as “one of the angels in our business, endlessly generous, interested in others and thrilled by their success. She was beautiful, gentle, full of fun, wise and perceptive.”
She added: “I feel utterly bereft: a unique spirit has been taken very suddenly away from us. Her late sister, the casting director, Gillian Diamond and her close friend, the actor Hugh Dickson, both died in 2018.
“Gillian's sons survive her. I hope they will share with her friends the funeral details. She deserves a full house. Marian, you're held in my heart forever.”
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Paul R Jackson – author of Here's A House - A Celebration of Play School – also paid tribute to Diamond following the sad news of her passing, and wrote on social media: "Sad to report that a dear friend Marian Diamond, died on the 5th Jan, aged 89.
"An actress on TV for 5 decades and one of the original Play School presenters in 1964. She was a great supporter of my archiving of the programme over 35 years & a kind soul who will be missed."
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
