A Coronation Street actress has passed away following a remarkable acting career spanning several decades, prompting fans to pay tribute to her memorable time on the iconic ITV soap.
Coronation Street actress Eileen Mayers has sadly passed away. She portrayed factory worker Sheila Birtles during the 1960s. According to the Coronation Street Wiki, her character was written out towards the end of 1961 because of the Equity actors’ strike, but she returned to the show in 1962.
The account adds that producers initially planned to kill Sheila off in 1963. However, the storyline was leaked to newspapers and sparked a backlash, leading the team to abandon the plan and spare her character. Sheila eventually left the series alive in September 1963. A newspaper report stated that Mayers was 25 years old at the time.
Mayers returned to the soap three years later, appearing from May to December 1966. This marked her final stint as a regular cast member. She later made guest appearances in four episodes between June and November 1969, before returning for a final run of four episodes from September to October 1974.
News of her passing was announced on 11 July 2026 in the Births, Deaths and Marriages section of The Times. The notice stated: “Eileen (née Mayers) died on 27th June 2026 aged 94. She took her final curtain call after an acting career which began aged 15 at the Oldham Repertory Theatre.”
It continued: “Sheila Birtles in Coronation Street between 1960-63, she is now ‘resting’ for ever. God bless.”
Meanwhile, one fan shared their reaction on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing: “Ah, I’ve just read in the latest edition of Equity magazine that the actress Eileen Mayers has recently died. She played Sheila Birtles in the early episodes of Coronation Street. Sad news.”
Another saddened fan paid a brief tribute, commenting: “Bless her.”
Eileen Mayers’ IMDb profile states that she portrayed Sheila Crossley, formerly known as Sheila Birtles, in Coronation Street between 1961 and 1974. She first appeared in the programme in Episode 8, having previously played Linda Cheveski during one of the show’s rehearsal runs.
Born in Oldham, Mayers performed in amateur theatre in Ashton-under-Lyne and was also a member of the Oldham Repertory Company before joining Coronation Street.
Her other acting credits included I’m Not Bothered and Keep It in the Family.
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