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Coronation Street legend Philip Lowrie dies as tributes paid to star who appeared in first episode

The actor was just 24 when he appeared in the first ever show staying with the soap for eight years then returning decades later

Actor Philip Lowrie and actress Pat Phoenix as Elsie and Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street
Actor Philip Lowrie and actress Pat Phoenix as Elsie and Dennis Tanner in Coronation Street(Image: Getty)

Coronation Street legend Philip Lowrie who appeared in the first episode of the soap has died. Tributes have been paid to the actor who was 88.

The star played the role of Dennis Tanner, son of Elsie Tanner and husband Arnold, from the first episode in 1960 for eight years before leaving in 1968. Aged 24, and playing a charming rebel, he was one of the initial heartthrobs of the soap.


He went on to have a varied career ranging from voice overs for Channel 4 quiz Fifteen to One through to parts in dramas including Crown Court. He also had roles in The Cuckoo Waltz, The Liver Birds and Doctors.


In September 2011, the star was presented with a certificate by the Guinness World Records for being the person with the longest gap between television appearances as the same character in the same show, having returned to Coronation Street as Dennis Tanner earlier that year when his previous on-screen appearance as Dennis Tanner had been in June 1968.

Pat Phoenix as Elsie Tanner and actor Philip Lowrie as her onscreen son Dennis Tanner in a scene from Coronation Street in 1967
Pat Phoenix as Elsie Tanner and actor Philip Lowrie as her onscreen son Dennis Tanner in a scene from Coronation Street in 1967(Image: Getty)
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Announcing the sad news of his death on ITV News his publicist Mario Renzullo said: "My client and very dear friend, Philip Lowrie, the beloved actor renowned for his role as Dennis Tanner on Coronation Street, passed away yesterday at 88.

"His death marks the end of an era for the world’s longest-running soap, where he became a cornerstone of its storytelling."

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