Friends And Co-Stars Pay Tribute To Caroline Aherne

Tributes have poured in for Caroline Aherne, who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 52, after a long battle with cancer. A TV fixture throughout the nineties, Aherne will be best remembered for her Mrs Merton character and sitcom ‘The Royle Family’, which she starred in and co-wrote with Craig Cash.

Speaking to The Mirror, Ricky Tomlinson who played her father Jim on ‘The Royle Family’ said: “She was absolutely wonderful and amazing to work for. Kind, funny, witty. A true professional and one of the most generous people I ever worked with.”

More: Comedian And Actress Caroline Aherne Dies Age 52

Ralf Little, who played her bother Antony tweeted: “Sorry for silence – I just … don’t know what to say. What a sad, sad day. We’ve lost another one of our best. A character. A legend. A boss. A sister, real and (for me) fake. A boss. A writer. An actor. A genius. A friend. Big, big heart. Goodbye.”

In an interview with The Guardian, fellow Manchester comedian Steve Coogan said: "I loved her. She used to make me cry with laughter. This is the first time she’s made me cry without laughing. She was naturally funny, and cross-generational. Her comedy wasn’t intellectual but it was clever, and intuitive.”

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'Little Britain’ star David Walliams tweeted: “Absolutely devastating news about Caroline Aherne. A true comedy genius, her work was equally funny & touching.” Comedian Miranda Hart also paid tribute writing: “Yet another inspirational female comedian lost. Thank you for everything Caroline Aherne. RIP.”