- 'Heartbroken cast and crew of Corrie pay tribute to much-loved actress
- Anne Kirkbride was in soap for 43 years and appeared in 1,439 episodes
- After her death thousands of fans give tributes and lay flowers and cards
- Bosses today cancelled filming of Coronation Street as mark of respect
- Bill Roache said: 'We all wanted to carry on filming for Annie's sake but when it came to it we couldn't do it'
- Miss Kirkbride died in hospital and is survived by her husband David
- Actress believed to have suffered breast cancer which spread to her brain
- Liz Dawn – who played Vera Duckworth for 34 years - says 'the heart of the show has been ripped out'
- Coronation Street's writers are planning a grand farewell for Deirdre Barlow
Death: Coronation Street's Anne Kirkbride (pictured last year) was known for playing Deirdre Barlow and has died at the age of 60
Coronation Street filming was cancelled today as fans and stars mourn the death of 'national icon' Anne Kirkbride who died aged 60.
Her death, announced yesterday, has led to an outpouring of grief from thousands who have 'grown up' with her character Deirdre Barlow and 'can't imagine' the soap without her.
The actress was one of the nation's best-loved and longest-serving television stars, starting on the Street 43 years ago.
She died in a Manchester hospital and is believed to have suffered breast cancer which spread to her brain.
Her husband David was too upset to speak at their home in the city today.
ITV has cancelled filming as a mark of respect, sending the soap's stars and production team home because they are 'too upset'.
Her tearful on-screen husband Bill Roache, who worked with her for 40 years as Ken Barlow, said today: 'We all wanted to carry on filming today for Annie's sake but when it came to it we couldn't do it'.
The star revealed he went to say goodbye when it was clear she was dying.
He said: 'Saying goodbye is something I wanted to do. It was beautiful. It's the thought she's not around any more.
'The void just walking on set today was heart-rending, because you feel her presence and we will always feel her presence. But I know she has gone to a very good and very happy place and for that we can be happy, but we miss her dreadfully.'
Flowers and cards have been left outside ITV's studios at Salford Quays today.
One note said: 'RIP Derdrie, You will be sadly missed. You have been a big part of our lives. Good night and God bless. Mr and Mrs Johnson'.
A second sympathy card read: 'in deepest sympathy RIP Deirdre, our thoughts and prayers are with all the cast at this difficult time. The Baker family, Salford.'
A tweet by British Super Middleweight boxing champion Paul Smith Jr has gone viral after it captured the mood among fans.
He wrote: 'A national icon, a face (and voice) soap watchers grew up with. God bless her x'.
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Emotional: A tearful Bill Roache, pictured today, revealed that the Coronation Street cast tried to film scenes this morning but had to call it off because they were too upset
Heartbroken: Upset cast members including Helen Worth were sent home today as filming of the soap was cancelled
Difficult: Les Dennis and others had tried to film scenes but found it impossible to concentrate
In mourning: Samia Ghadie drove home to grieve today as stars admitted they were struggling to cope with her death
Kym Marsh looked particularly upset as she drove away after filming was cancelled this morning
Bill Roache gave a number of interviews today where he became tearful about the death about his friend and on-screen partner
Tribute: Amy Malloy from Manchester lays flowers outside the Salford studios where Corrie is filmed
Moving: Shortly after her death flowers and cards began to pile up outside ITV's studios in Manchester where Coronation Street is filmed
Liz McDonald: Corrie veteran Beverley Callard tweeted a tribute to her 'beautiful darling friend Anne'
Michael Rodwell: Les Dennis, who joined the soap last year, said she was 'one of the true icons of Corrie'
Upset: This tweet by boxing champion Paul Smith Jnr has gone viral after it summed up the mood among fans
The show's executive producer, Kieran Roberts, said it was 'almost unheard of' to take a filming break but explained it was the 'right thing to do', to allow her friends to grieve and remember.
He said: 'We came in this morning and people wanted to get back to work and do it for Annie, but we went round and talked to everybody this morning and it quickly became apparent that it wasn't going to happen and people actually needed time to think about her and grieve and remember her, pay tribute to her so we decided fairly early this morning that we were going to stop filming. I think that's the right thing to do.
'It's almost unheard of, but there was no question in the end that it was the right thing to do.
'And I think it is very important that people can take a little bit of time today and think about Annie and remember her.
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