Lynne Verrall, the British actress who played the character of Geraldine Spellman in Coronation Street, died after a long battle with MND. She was 76 years old. Tributes to the five-decade-long career of this stalwart actress of stage and screen came in from fans, cast members and well-wishers all over the world.Lynne Verrall passed away on November 8, 2025, in Paris, France, where she had lived for nearly ten years. According to friends, she had gotten a diagnosis of her motor neurone disease two years prior, which she managed to handle with "wit and courage" before her untimely passing.Her agent, Samantha Boyd, had released a statement to The Stage:“Lynne was always ready to try any role, to grow and learn and develop. She embraced life to the full.” A fundraiser campaign dedicated to fighting ARSLA was set up in her memory. It reads:"Our dear friend Lynne faced MND with her trademark wit and courage — and even in the toughest moments, she never lost her spark (or her sense of humour). In true Lynne fashion, she even left a gift in her will to ARSLA, the MND association here in Paris, to help others facing this awful illness."It continued:"If you’d like to honour her memory — and give this disease the middle finger (ARSLA’s brilliant campaign slogan!) — you might consider a small donation to support their work. I can just imagine Lynne laughing at that and saying, “That’s the spirit — don’t make a fuss, but thank you, darling.”Lynne Verrall's early life and trainingVerrall was born in a big family in Wellington, Shropshire, in March 1949, and was passionate about performing at a young age. She laid the groundwork for a lengthy, diverse, and well-respected acting career while training at the Birmingham School of Acting, which is now the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.She understudied Celia in As You Like It while touring with the New Shakespeare Company after graduation, giving her the chance to practice on stages across the United Kingdom.More about her careerLynne Verrall was a founding member of Pentabus which was a touring company that was based in the Midlands which was founded in 1974 by Sue Dunderdale. She took part in three national tours there, including a Charlie Chaplin show in which she performed several parts. Lynne Verrall appeared in a number of British television series during the 1970s and 1980s, including Hard Cases and Bill Brand.In the 1990s, she became well known at Theatr Clwyd, with appearances in such productions as Entertaining Mr Sloane and Dora Equus, which Dominic Cooke directed. She appeared in Alan Ayckbourn's House & Garden at Royal & Derngate, Northampton and in Joe Penhall's Pale Horse at the Royal Court in London, in the latter of which Ian Rickson directed her.Some of her most notable theater performances include playing the role of Anna in Carrie Carknell's 2012 revival of A Doll's House at the Young Vic. This later streamed globally and became one of her standout performances of her decades-long career.However, her role as Geraldine Spellman in Coronation Street from 2017 to 2018 made her most famous to contemporary viewers. She played the role of Summer Spellman's strict and powerful grandmother, who tried to take custody of her granddaughter from Billy Mayhew after her son, Drew, passed away. Despite only making a few appearances on the show, Verrall delivered a long-lasting effect on the viewers. In 2012, Lynne Verrall had moved to Paris, where she carried on with her career. She acted in French short films where she was usually cast as a refined, witty Englishwoman. In 2023, French filmmaker Cédric Klapisch cast her as Kelly Reilly's mother in the Amazon series Greek Salad. She got diagnosed with MND right after completing the shoots for the series. Lynne Verrall's death is a big shock to the British acting scene, and her works will be remembered forever. Her friend Dunderdale, speaking about Lynne Verrall said: “She faced it with incredible courage. She was extraordinary. She remained in Paris because she’d been happy there. She created this wonderful persona of an eccentric, charming Englishwoman. She was a fantastic actor but never got the recognition she deserved.”Stay tuned to Soap Central for more information.