Paula Tilbrook: Emmerdale actress dies at 89

[Michael Rhodes]

Emmerdale actress Paula Tilbrook, who played Betty Eagleton in the soap for 21 years, has died at the age of 89.

Tilbrook joined the ITV soap as the gossip Betty in 1994 and left in 2015, returning for a brief cameo in the Christmas episode that year.

"The family of Paula Tilbrook are sad to confirm the peaceful passing of their beloved Paula," a statement said.

The show's producers described her as "a great talent and a wonderful friend".

Tilbrook died in December 2019, but the news was only made public on The Stage website on Wednesday.

The family statement said: "She died of natural causes a few months ago at home with her loved ones beside her."

[Michael Rhodes]

_.Paula Tilbrook, the actress, who has died aged 89, was known to fans of the ITV Yorkshire-based soap Emmerdale as the village gossip and busybody Betty Eagleton, a role she played for 21 years....

She also worked with Ken Dodd, played Andy Capp’s wife and appeared in Coronation Street, Brookside and Last of the Summer Wine