Emmerdale star Meg Johnson dies aged 86
Meg Johnson, best known for her role as Pearl Ladderbanks in Emmerdale, has died at the age of 86.
Besides her 17-year stint on the ITV Yorkshire saga, the actress was also known for her roles in Brookside and Coronation Street as Brigid McKenna and Eunice Gee, respectively.
A statement from talent agency Jorg Betts Associates said:
“It is with great sadness that we announce that actress Meg Johnson passed away peacefully yesterday evening surrounded by her family.
“Meg was a kind and wonderful lady, full of warmth and always with a twinkle in her eye.”
The statement added that Johnson had dementia for the last few years, but had “battled on personally and professionally regardless”.
At 25 years old, in 1961, Johnson made her acting debut in Granada’s Family Solicitor, a 24-part drama that attracted acclaim for its portrayal of the legal profession.
Other early work included the sitcom Here’s Harry and the television movie The Referees, both for the BBC. In the 1970s, she starred in the ITV sitcom Yanks Go Home about U.S. Army Air Forcemen stationed in Lancashire in the Second World War.
She was, however, best known for her soap roles, and first appeared on Coronation Street as a tipsy woman in November 1972, before returning in 1976 as Brenda Holden, Rita Littlewood’s club singer friend.
Both roles were short-lived however she was later cast in the more substantial part of Eunice Gee the wife of Rovers potman Fred. She appeared between 1981 and 1982, trying to obtain her own pub with Fred, but their plan was turned down, and Eunice left after they split up.
The character made a surprise comeback in 1999 when she was revealed to be running a local B&B that hosted the Duckworths. After making a failed play for Jack, she relocated to Spain, leaving the Duckworths to cover for her before later selling up and retiring there permanently.
Between 2000-2003, she portrayed the role of deeply religious Brigid McKenna in Channel 4’s Brookside, who appeared to support the storylines of the Murray family, including her 12-year-old step-grandson Antony who was part of a child killing plot after turning on a school bully.
The show was axed in 2003 with Johnson making her debut in Emmerdale as Pearl that same year. She played the character for 17 years until 2020, quietly bowing out due to Covid with Pearl said to have moved to a caravan park.
Pearl was involved in some hard-hitting storylines including an addiction to online gambling, getting scammed by an internet get-rich-quick scheme and being blackmailed by Eric. She is also fondly remembered for her partnership with beloved husband Len, played by Peter Martin.
Between soap roles, during the 1980s, Johnson appeared in several episodes of Victoria Wood’s TV shows Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV and Victoria Wood Presents.
In November 1997, she was in the original cast of the London revival of Chicago playing Matron ‘Mama’ Morton, the prison warder, for more than a year. She can be heard on the London Cast Recording of Chicago, singing “When You’re Good To Mama”, “Me And My Baby” and “Class”.
She also appeared in productions of Gypsy and Follies.
She was married to the ITV continuity announcer Charles Foster who passed away earlier this year.
