Coronation Street star Bernard Kay has died at the age of 86 at his home in north London.
The actor, who also appeared in Jonathan Creek, Doctor Who, Z-Cars, Casualty and Emmerdale, was found dead on Monday 29 December. The exact cause of his death is still unknown.
His friend, the actor and comedian Toby Hadoke, confirmed the sad news on Twitter, telling Bernard's fans that he was one of TV's finest ever character actors.
He went on: "[Bernard] was one of those superb understated but versatile actors that we don't seem to have any more.
"He never gave a bad performance. He was greatly admired by his peers. His sense of humour was combative but there wasn't any meanness in him."
Bernard played two characters during his Corrie career, first as Jim Foster and later as Clive Phillips. He was also brought back on the BBC's Doctor Who four separate times to play various roles.
The actor was married to the ex-wife of Michael Caine, Patricia Haines, from 1963 all the way until her death in 1977.