BIG SAD NEWS!!! EastEnders legend Elizabeth Kelly dies after 40-year career aged 104
Elizabeth Kelly, the actress best known for her role as the sharp-tongued Nellie Ellis on EastEnders, has died at the age of 104. She passed away on Christmas Day last year, leaving behind a legacy spanning four decades on British television.
Born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1921, Kelly began her TV career relatively late, landing her first major role at 50 in Coronation Street as the penny-pinching Edie Burgess.
From there, she became a familiar face on British screens, appearing in popular soaps and dramas including Home and Away, Grange Hill, Emmerdale, Heartbeat, The Bill, and, most notably, EastEnders.
From 1993 to 2000, Kelly appeared in 138 episodes of EastEnders, playing Nellie Ellis, the sharp-tongued relative of Pauline Fowler. Nellie became an Albert Square legend, often clashing with Arthur Fowler or moving her belongings into the Fowler household, earning her a place in the hearts of soap fans.
Her final appearance in the BBC soap EastEnders saw her character attend Ethel Skinner’s funeral.
Kelly also appeared in the cult indie film 24 Hour Party People in 2002, alongside Steve Coogan. She retired from acting in 2007, with her final role in The Royal, and spent her later years with her family in North Yorkshire. She is survived by a daughter, a son, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
Elizabeth stepped away from acting in 2007 after her final role in The Royal and is said to have spent her later years surrounded by family in North Yorkshire before moving into care homes.
Her very first role was as an uncredited bus passenger in the 1967 TV Movie Magical Mystery Tour. From there, she went on to have roles in countless TV series, as well as a handful of movies.
Father Eddie Gubbins of St Peter’s Church, who often visited her, told The Sun: ‘She was a very strong lady and had a beautiful voice.’ He added: ‘She had a very peaceful death in the end. She was a beautiful lady and very gracious.’
A funeral service will be held at St Peter’s Church in Scarborough on Tuesday, the 17th of February, followed by a private burial.