Coronation Street paid tribute to director Kay Patrick, who died at the age of 84, by dedicating Monday's episode to her memory with a silent card at the start of the end credits.
From Actress to Director
Born Patricia Jackson in Hull during the Second World War to parents Alfred and Ethel, she adopted the stage name Kay Patrick when she landed her first professional job. She was the youngest of four children.
Patrick began her screen career as an actress in the 1960s, appearing in two episodes of Doctor Who alongside William Hartnell and other projects, before transitioning to directing and producing.
Major Role on Coronation Street
She became a significant figure behind the scenes on Coronation Street, directing 259 episodes between 1994 and 2015. She also served as associate producer from 1996 to 1997.
One of her most memorable episodes was in 2014, featuring the suicide of character Hayley Cropper amid her cancer battle. Actress Julie Hesmondhalgh recalled that Kay created a 'holy atmosphere' in the studio during the shooting of Hayley's final scenes, according to The Guardian. 'She instinctively knew that it was a one-take moment, and so just blocked it and shot it with such understated love and sensitivity. It's entirely down to Kay that those scenes were as raw and memorable as they were,' Hesmondhalgh said.
Work on Other Soaps
Patrick also directed episodes of fellow ITV soap Emmerdale from 1998 to 1999 and BBC's EastEnders for three episodes in 1986. In 2001, she became series producer for Crossroads, a role she held until 2003, overseeing 416 episodes.
Charitable Work and Writing
In 2016, she released her debut novel, The Trial of Marie Montrecourt. After her sister June was diagnosed with dementia in 2014, Patrick decided to donate all proceeds from the book to Alzheimer's Research UK. 'I began writing it long before we knew about June's dementia,' she wrote in a blog post for the charity. 'But as I finished it, I decided to use any money that I earned from the sale of the novel to support the work of Alzheimer's Research UK. If through what is happening to June we can contribute in even some small part to help advance an understanding of Alzheimer's and other dementias, and hopefully defeat them, then something positive will have been created out of a situation which could otherwise feel so negative.'
