Original Coronation Street star Philip Lowrie dies aged 88
Philip Lowrie - who was best known for his portrayal of teenage tearaway Dennis Tanner on the ITV1 soap opera 'Coronation Street' - has died at the age of 88.
Philip Lowrie has died at the age of 88.
The actor was best known for his portrayal of teenage tearaway Dennis Tanner on the ITV1 soap opera 'Coronation Street' and appeared in its very first episode on 9 December 1960 alongside other original characters such as Ken Barlow (William Roache) and Ena Sharples (Violet Carson), but passed away on Friday (25.04.25), his publicist announced.
A statement read: "My client and very dear friend, Philip Lowrie, the beloved actor renowned for his role as Dennis Tanner on 'Coronation Street', passed away yesterday at 88.
"His death marks the end of an era for the world’s longest-running soap, where he became a cornerstone of its storytelling."
As Dennis, Philip was the on-screen son of street siren Elsie Tanner (Pat Phoenix) and had recently returned from prison when the programme began.
His character had a huge interest in show business and frequently brought circus acts home as he himself flitted from job to job, but he later married Jenny Sutton (Mitzi Roger) and they moved to Bristol, which served as his initial exit from the serial in 1968.
Philip returned to the part in 2011 - which, following a 43-year absence, earned him a Guinness World Record for the longest break from a character in a soap - and Dennis was reintroduced as a homeless man who later struck up a relationship with old flame Rita Sullivan (Barbara Knox).
Just under two years after they tied the knot on Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee in June 2012, Dennis ran off with Gloria Price (Sue Johnston) but returned once more a few months later.
He rekindled his relationship with Rita as he helped her cope with the murder of her close friend Tina McIntyre (Michelle Keegan), but they divorced when it became apparent that he was just looking for a place to stay, and he left for good in July 2014.
Shortly after the news broke, ITV bosses paid tribute to Philip as they noted it had been an "honour and a privilege" to welcome him back to the cast in 2011.
In a statement, they said: "Everyone at Coronation Street is saddened to hear of the passing of Philip Lowrie.
"As an original member of the cast in 1960, Philip created an iconic character in Dennis Tanner, son of Elsie Tanner, played by Pat Phoenix. When Philip returned to Coronation Street in 2011 it was an honour and a privilege to work with him."
Our heartfelt condolences and sympathy to his loved ones."
In 2020, it was revealed that Dennis had died off-screen following a battle with dementia and Rita received his ashes in the post as part of the soap's 10,000th episode.
Rita had intended to scatter Dennis' ashes in Blackpool but her plans went awry when she set the urn down during a rest stop en route, and it was crushed by a passing ambulance.
Upon the 60th anniversary of 'Coronation Street' in 2020, Philip- who also appeared in dramas such as 'War and Peace' and 'Home Fires' - admitted that he would have been "happy" to carry in in the part but had no say in the matter.
He told Distinct Nostalgia: "The producer Stuart Blackburn came in. He got rid of me, he was the one who got rid of me. I'd have been happy to stay but when it came to the end of my three-year contract, it wasn't renewed. So that was the end of me on 'Coronation Street'.
"I loved Dennis' relationship with Norris, Malcolm [Hebden] is a very good actor, and it was a great pleasure working with him, so working with him and Barbara was a very good time."
