SAD NEWS: ITV star found de@d at just 48 – tragic final chapter leaves fans heartbroken
WARNING – DISTRESSING CONTENT The actress had just made her debut on Corrie’s cobbles and stepped into one of Coronation Street’s most iconic roles.
She was tragically found de@d at her London flat by friends at the age of just 48 (Image: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Warner Bros)
In a heartbreaking tragedy, a former Coronation Street star who played one of the show’s most beloved characters was discovered de@d at her Chelsea flat having died by suicide.
The actress was just 48 when she passed away, leaving behind grief-stricken family members and devoted fans.
While most viewers recognise Maggie Jones as Corrie’s legendary Blanche Hunt, better known as Deirdre’s mother, few realise that the original Blanche was portrayed by British actress Patricia Cutts.
Sadly, Patricia featured in just two Coronation Street episodes, with her character making her on-screen debut on August 19, 1974, followed by a further appearance on August 21, 1974. On September 6, 1974, Patricia passed away, leaving behind her instantly-adored character’s role to be taken on by another.
The celebrated ITV soap wasn’t the only platform where Patricia found recognition, having collaborated with Hollywood heavyweights including legendary director Alfred Hitchcock and much-loved heartthrob Cary Grant, reports the Daily Star.
Most may not know she was the original actress who played the iconic role in Corrie (Image: Youtube)
From her widely-reported arrest to rubbing shoulders with the elite of the film and television world, Patricia Cutts experienced it all before meeting her tragic end.
Early life and career
Patricia Cutts, who subsequently adopted the stage name Patricia Wayne, was born in London in 1926 into a wealthy and well-regarded showbusiness family. Her father was the hugely prominent writer-director Graham Cutts, who was among Britain’s foremost filmmakers during the 1920s.
Graham helmed British box office hits such as Cocaine and Paddy the Next Best Thing, and collaborated with towering figures of the film world including Hitchcock, Basil Dean, Gracie Fields, Ivor Novello, and Noël Coward. Patricia’s mother was actress Robin Coles, the second wife of her father Graham.
Patricia studied at St Margaret’s School in Hampstead, England, though she reportedly fled the boarding school at just 14, eventually making her way to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA).
After taking on several supporting roles in British films, Pat ultimately secured parts working alongside Hitchcock. Her father Graham was among Britain’s trailblazing directors of the era, overseeing everything from Sherlock Holmes pictures to Alfred Hitchcock productions such as The Prude’s Fall and The Passionate Adventure.
It may well have been her father’s influence within the film industry that secured Pat some of her earliest opportunities working with Hitchcock. From 1958, she featured in the legendary filmmaker’s Alfred Hitchcock Presents and Perry Mason.
Patricia Cutts’ father was one of Britain’s leading filmmakers in the 1920s (pictured on the right) (Image: Getty Images)
Patricia enjoyed a remarkable run across film and television as she continued to ply her trade on both sides of the Atlantic throughout the 1950s, including a memorable appearance in North by Northwest alongside Cary Grant.
The Tingler, The Lucy Show, Down You Go, and You Bet Your Life were amongst her other notable credits across film and television.
Arrest and personal tragedies
Tragedy befell Pat’s personal life when her mother passed away in 1954, and the actress collapsed while attending the funeral. Contemporary newspaper reports revealed that, in the days preceding her mother’s de@th, Patricia had tirelessly nursed Robin around the clock without rest, ultimately leading to her collapse following the service.
Patricia married three times throughout her 48 years, and had one son, Nicholas Baker-Findlay.
The actress died of barbiturate poisoning (Image: CBS via Getty Images)
In a shocking turn of events, Pat was arrested in November 1958 and taken into custody on suspicion of a felony hit-and-run offence after the actress allegedly fled the scene of a Los Angeles traffic collision.
Officers attended her home and detained Pat two hours after the incident in Hollywood. She was booked under the name Patricia Findlay – her married name from her union with theatrical agent John Alexander Cecil Findlay.
Patricia received treatment at the very same hospital where the accident’s victim was taken, and by January 1959, all charges against Pat had been dropped after witnesses testified they had observed the actress speaking with the driver of the other vehicle following the incident. The driver of the car was reportedly so shaken by the collision that she had no recollection of speaking to or even encountering Pat.
An article in Leicester Mercury reported that Pat testified she had made every reasonable effort to identify herself, even remaining at the scene of the collision for 40 minutes before departing to seek treatment for her head injury. Patricia told the court she had placed her car registration details on the windscreen of the vehicle she had struck prior to leaving, and the case was ultimately dismissed.
Eventually, Pat found her way onto Corrie’s cobbled streets and the rest was history.
Tragic de@th
On September 6, 1974, at the age of just 48, Patricia Cutts was discovered de@d at her flat in Chelsea, London.
An inquest into her passing returned a verdict of suicide. Patricia’s body was found by her friends at her flat in Chelsea’s Elm Park Gardens, just weeks after her Coronation Street debut.
Patricia was survived by her son Nicholas and grandchildren Thalia Baker, Brandon Baker and Eylse Baker.
