![](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/12\/18\/17\/79095027-12877909-Former_Coronation_Street_actress_Mo_Moreland_has_died_aged_87_at-m-22_1702920351974.jpg\")
<\/p>\nFormer Coronation Street\u00a0actress Mo Moreland has died aged 87 at her nursing home after a long illness.<\/p>\n
The actress died in her nursing home in North Shore, on the Flyde coast, on Friday after battling Alzheimer’s disease.<\/p>\n
Her friend and Les Dawson’s wife Tracy Dawson paid tribute to Ms Moreland, describing her as ‘like a mum and a sister’.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
But she was best known as the lead dancer in comedy dance troupe The Roly Polys, which was devised by comedian Mr Dawson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Former Coronation Street actress Mo Moreland has died aged 87 at her nursing home following a long illness\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The star (centre) was best known as the lead dancer in comedy dance troupe The Roly Polys which was devised by Les Dawson\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leading the tributes, Ms Dawson told The Gazette: ‘I’m missing her terribly because she supported me so much, I’m heartbroken.<\/p>\n
‘The lovely thing was they played the Rolly Poly and Les to her while she passed away.’<\/p>\n
She continued: ‘She helped me when Les passed away because I lost my mum when I was young.<\/p>\n
‘She took me under her wing and looked after my daughter Charlotte and helped me bring her up.<\/p>\n
‘She was wonderful and I’ll miss her deeply.’<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘Mo was a great comic\/singer\/dancer who fronted the amazing ‘THE ROLY POLYS’.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
Syd Little, who was one half of comedy duo Little and Large alongside Eddie Large, told The Gazette that ‘Mo was lovely’.<\/p>\n
‘We had some great times on stage with her and the Roly Polys,’ he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘I remember one sketch in which Eddie was ‘Little Mo’ alongside her and the audience loved her. She will be sadly missed.’<\/p>\n
The 4ft 11in tall star was married to singer Roy Moreland from 1959 until his death in 2001.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u00a0reported in 2000.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The bought and ran a hotel together in Blackpool for five years which they named The Moreland Hotel.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘I’ll only retire when my legs give up,’ she said in 2000, ‘or when my diary tells me it’s time.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was also president of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals.\u00a0<\/p>\n