Emmerdale actress Kitty McGeever dies aged 48

Emmerdale star Kitty McGeever has died at the age of 48.

The soap has confirmed the actress’s death, noting on Twitter that she passed away last night (16 August) surrounded by loved ones.

“It is with much sadness that we confirm actress Kitty McGeever passed away last night, surrounded by her loving family. Kitty was a great talent and a true inspiration to all who worked with her. The cast and crew are devastated at her passing. Kitty will be missed tremendously and remembered fondly by all of us.”- Emmerdale

McGeever joined the rural saga as Lizzie Lakely in 2009 becoming the first blind person to play a regular character in a British soap. Lizzie is described as a ‘big ball of fun and mischief’ by the ITV soap’s official website, a trait seen in one notable storyline that saw her unmasked as the person behind a ‘psychic hotline’ used by Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) for romantic guidance. The sweet-factory worker was also involved in serious plots such as helping her cousin Lisa Dingle (Jane Cox) after she was raped by Derek Benrose.

The character’s time on the soap concluded in 2013 after McGeever was taken ill. Earlier health problems had occurred after the premature birth of her son Felix who died aged just 15 months in 2003, with McGeever losing her sight to diabetic retinopathy.

The actress’s other credits include London’s Burning and The Unfolding.