'Coronation Street' actor Dilys Watling dies at the age of 78

Coronation Street actor Dilys Watling, who played Merle Baker in the ITV soap, has died at the age of 78.

Her family said she passed away peacefully after a long struggle with illness.

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Watling portrayed Baker for several months in 1966 and was also well-known for her work on The Two Ronnies and The Benny Hill Show.

Her brother Giles Watling — who is the Conservative MP for Clacton — said in a statement that she was "a much-loved sister" to himself and her late sister Deborah, who appeared in Doctor Who.

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“She led the way and was a real trailblazer for the rest of us,” he said.

Giles added: "She was eccentric in many ways, but was always incredibly generous, warm and loving.

“In her last few days, she recounted stories of her life that we thought she had long-since forgotten. After a long illness, she passed away peacefully.”

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Watling's career began in the 1960s on the stage, most notably when she took on her only Broadway role as the title character in the musical Georgy.

Her performance earned her a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical, losing out to Lauren Bacall's work in Applause.

She went on to star in numerous British TV shows, as well as films including crime thriller Calculated Risk and alongside Christopher Lee in the horror movie Theatre of Death.

As well as her acting work on stage and screen, she also released several singles, including Don’t Say You Love Me.

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Her final TV appearance was in a 1994 episode of the crime comedy series Minder.

Watling was married twice — first to Bruce Anderson and then later to Line of Duty and Game of Thrones actor Owen Teale, with whom she had a son.

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