Coronation Street actor Johnny Briggs dead at 85

Former Coronation Street actor Johnny Briggs (Fiona Hanson/PA)

Brendan Kelly Palenque

Actor Johnny Briggs, who played Mike Baldwin on Coronation Street, died on Sunday after a long illness, his family said.

The actor played the role for 30 years from 1976 to 2006, appearing once more in 2012 in the Text Santa special as a ghost. He appeared in 2,349 episodes in total.

In a statement his family said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our father, Johnny Briggs.

“He passed away peacefully this morning after a long illness, with family by his side. He was 85.”

“We politely ask for privacy at this time, so that we can quietly grieve as a family and remember the wonderful times we had with him. Thank you.”

Briggs was a father to six children and married twice - first to Caroline Sinclair from 1961 to 1975, and then later Christine Allsop from 1977 to 2006.

When he decided to leave Coronation Street in 2006, he cited the hectic filming schedule as the main reason for his departure from Coronation Street.

His final scenes depicted his character (who had been ill with Alzheimer's disease for several months) collapsing and dying in the arms of Ken Barlow in the street after suffering a heart attack.