Emmerdale and waterloo road actress kay purcell dies aged 58

* THE ACTRESS HAD RECENTLY BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH TERMINAL LIVER CANCER * KAY LAST POSTED ON FACEBOOK ON DECEMBER 5 AND SAID SHE HAD BEEN FEELING UNWELL FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS * SHE HAD BEEN

GIVEN AT THE TIME A TWO-YEAR LIFE EXPECTANCY, BUT VOWED TO FIGHT THE DISEASE * KAY WAS BEST KNOWN FOR HER ROLES IN EMMERDALE AND WATERLOO ROAD * SHE ALSO STARRED IN TRACY BEAKER RETURNS   By

CONNIE RUSK FOR MAILONLINE Published: 10:41 EDT, 24 December 2020 | Updated: 13:33 EDT, 24 December 2020 Emmerdale and Waterloo Road star Kay Purcell has died aged 58, after being diagnosed

with terminal liver cancer earlier this year.  The actress' agency took to Twitter on Thursday to announce the sad news.        David Daly Associates said: 'It is with great

regret that we announce the death of Kay Purcell.  'Kay was a very valued client who had been represented by David Daly Associates for many years.  'We send sympathy and love to

her family and friends.'  Fans of Kay's soon to Twitter to pay tribute to the talented actress.  One wrote: 'Really sad news, Kay was lovely x', while another recalled:

'Awww I will always remember bumping into her at the supermarket after she finished panto and being a young gobsmacked Waterloo road fan meeting Candice Smilie'. 'Oh this is

very sad news. I worked with Kay on a few occasions and she was always excellent and great fun to have in a radio drama studio,' typed another.  'This is sad news. I remember her

as Candice in Waterloo Road she was brilliant condolences to her family,' another fan typed.  Earlier this year, Kay was given the devastating prognosis that she had a life expectancy

of just two years after being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer.  Her last post on her Facebook page, dated on December 5, read: 'My journey has seen me achieve some amazing things,

my proudest achievement has to be my 3 amazing children. Ashley, Shemar and Indika and also my Beautiful grandson Levon. 'I have also been blessed with some of the best family and

friends anyone could ask for, I would like to thank you for all the years of love and support you have given me.  'Over the last couple of months, I have been feeling unwell, I had put

this down to my stomach ulcer.  'This was up until a couple of weeks ago I found myself in agony and could no longer deal with the pain.  'Consequently, I have been diagnosed with

inoperable cancer to the liver. LIVER CANCER: THE SYMPTOMS * Skin or the whites of your eyes turn yellow (jaundice), you may also have itchy skin, darker pee and paler poo than usual * Loss

of appetite or losing weight without trying to * Feeling tired or having no energy * Feeling generally unwell or having symptoms like flu 'But with treatment, I have up to two years

left to enjoy my time with my family and friends. 'So from Now on I’m going to live my life to the fullest, spending everyday living the best of my life I can. I don’t have a Bucket

list but, 'I’M CERTAINLY NOT GIVING UP!!!' Kay said she would turn 60 in 'exactly two years' and wanted 'to fight to see my 60th birthday'. She requested all

her fans to 'try and remain as happy and as positive for me as you can for me.'  The actress finished off the post: 'Big love to you all Kay.'  It comes three years after

the actress battled breast cancer, with Kay bravely posting images, videos and blogs on social media to show her own experience of the disease.  Kay was regular face on TV screens and

appeared as Gina Conway in Tracy Beaker Returns and in the spin-off series The Dumping Ground.    Purcell's first acting role was as a TV reporter in the TV series Cracker in 1995.  She

then later starred in Coronation Street as Rhona Summers for 3 episodes in 1997.  Her breakthrough role was playing Cynthia Daggert in Emmerdale. She starred in 187 episodes from 2001–2002.

  She then went on to play Mrs. Rennison in So Awkward and Candice Smilie in Waterloo Road from 2007–2009. TwitterEmmerdale