Former Coronation Street actress Mo Moreland dies aged 87 at her nursing home after a long illness
Former Coronation Street actress Mo Moreland has died aged 87 at her nursing home after a long illness.
The actress died in her nursing home in North Shore, on the Flyde coast, on Friday after battling Alzheimer’s disease.
Her friend and Les Dawson’s wife Tracy Dawson paid tribute to Ms Moreland, describing her as ‘like a mum and a sister’.
Ms Moreland was born in Sheffield in 1936 and appeared on Corrie for two episodes in April 1976 as a ‘Fat Lady’ attempting to purchase clothes in Sylvia’s Separates.
But she was best known as the lead dancer in comedy dance troupe The Roly Polys, which was devised by comedian Mr Dawson.
Former Coronation Street actress Mo Moreland has died aged 87 at her nursing home following a long illness
The star (centre) was best known as the lead dancer in comedy dance troupe The Roly Polys which was devised by Les Dawson
Leading the tributes, Ms Dawson told The Gazette: ‘I’m missing her terribly because she supported me so much, I’m heartbroken.
‘The lovely thing was they played the Rolly Poly and Les to her while she passed away.’
She continued: ‘She helped me when Les passed away because I lost my mum when I was young.
‘She took me under her wing and looked after my daughter Charlotte and helped me bring her up.
‘She was wonderful and I’ll miss her deeply.’
Irish comedian Jimmy Cricket, who appeared on long-running BBC show The Good Old Days as well as game show Bullseye, paid tribute on his X page.
Posting a black and white of himself and Mrs Moreland in the boot of a car, he wrote: ‘Hi friends sadden to hear of the passing of a great stage trouper Mo Moreland whom I first met as one half of ‘The Mighty Atom and Roy’.
‘Mo was a great comic/singer/dancer who fronted the amazing ‘THE ROLY POLYS’.’
Syd Little, who was one half of comedy duo Little and Large alongside Eddie Large, told The Gazette that ‘Mo was lovely’.
‘We had some great times on stage with her and the Roly Polys,’ he said.
‘I remember one sketch in which Eddie was ‘Little Mo’ alongside her and the audience loved her. She will be sadly missed.’
The 4ft 11in tall star was married to singer Roy Moreland from 1959 until his death in 2001.
The couple performed together as The Mighty Atom and Roy, but her rise to fame on The Les Dawson Show forced Roy out of work, The Guardian reported in 2000.
The bought and ran a hotel together in Blackpool for five years which they named The Moreland Hotel.
The couple had initially planned to keep the hotel running until their retirement but they soon sold up with Mrs Moreland wanting to continue to tap dance.
‘I’ll only retire when my legs give up,’ she said in 2000, ‘or when my diary tells me it’s time.’
She also appeared in pantomimes and was known for her charity work having sat on the committee of Cheerful Sparrows which helps the socially disadvantaged.
She was also president of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals.
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