Bread and Brookside star Sylvie Gatrill dies as tributes paid to 'brilliant' actress

Tributes have been paid to actress Sylvie Gatrill following her death.

Fans will best recognise the TV star for her portrayal of Mrs Cullen in Bread, along with her role in Brookside as Lesley Donnelly.

In 2017, she appeared in ITV series Little Boy Blue, about the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones.

As well as her own time on screen, Sylvie also ran training and talent agency Allstars Casting, representing actors, extras and models from Liverpool and helping them get roles in leading TV and theatre productions.

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The Liverpool Echo reports Sylvie passed away on Thursday following a cancer battle.

Tony Schumacher, writer of the recent Liverpool-based BBC drama The Responder in which Sylvie appeared, posted on Twitter: "So sorry to hear of the passing of the quite brilliant Sylvie Gatrill.

"Such a talented actress who was so important in helping set the tone of #TheResponder. My thoughts are with her family. #RIP."

Bread co-star Tony Nyland also paid tribute and said: "I've just heard the sad news that the lovely, talented Sylvie Gatrill has died. Sylvie and me had a great time playing Edith and Hesketh Cullen in the BBC series "Bread." Deepest condolences to her family and friends."

Regal Entertainments’ Jane Joseph - who knew Sylvie for 50 years - penned: "This beautiful woman, both inside and out, was a wonderful and sincere friend to me. Always the most quirky of people, Sylvie was unique in every way, dressing in a style she made her own.

"We loved her for her thick mane of strawberry blonde hair, dressed up in plaits and ponytails in styles that were amazingly self-invented. Sylvie directed in a