Who was Barbara Ferris? Tributes pour in as Coronation Street star dies  at 85

British actress Barbara Ferris, best known for playing a barmaid in Coronation Street in 1961, died at 85 on May 23, 2025. A cause of her death has not been confirmed yet. Her younger sister, Pam Ferris, was also a popular actress, best known for her roles in Call the Midwife, Matilda, and Harry Potter.

Ferris is credited for playing Nona Willis in Rovers Return, but had to leave the show after 10 episodes since she struggled to understand the Lancastrian accent. Her most recent and last film was Peter Medak's The Krays in 1990. Ferris fit the style of the 60s with her blonde beehive hairstyle.

Post her last stint, Ferris retired from acting to focus on raising her children and accompanying her husband on international work trips.

The couple travelled through their homes across Ireland, Zurich, and London.

More about Barbara Ferris' career

Barbara Ferris was born in London to Dorothy and Roy Ferris. She attended the Italia Conti Stage school, where she took on pantomimes and commercials to support her family. Her sister, Liz Ferris, gained recognition as a springboard diving champion and won a bronze medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics.

In 1960, Ferris married film producer John Quested, and the two spent just one night on their honeymoon in the Dorchester hotel since Barbara was scheduled to make her professional stage debut with Littlewood in Stephen Lewis' Sparrers Can't Sing.

In a 2014 interview with The Mail, Pam Ferris detailed how her sister "changed her life" as she opened up about their childhood,

"My older sister Barbara had emigrated to New Zealand with her husband and their tiny baby. I remained in Bridgend, Wales with my parents, where my father worked for the police force."

Pam went on to add that it was difficult for the two sisters to get in touch at the time, and letters and phone calls were their only form of communication. After an emotional phone call with Barbara, Pam and the family decided that they'd move to New Zealand, so that their parents could be close to Barbara and their grandchildren.

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Pam followed her sister's footsteps after identifying that she "enjoyed drama" and went on to train at a theatre company in Auckland. She was cast as Britannia at 21 in The Entertainer, which kick-started her acting career.

Barbara Ferris is survived by her husband and their three children, Nicholas, Christopher, and Catherine.

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