Actor Elsie Kelly, best known for her starring role as fan-favourite Noreen in ITV’s holiday comedy Benidorm, has died aged 89.
Kelly’s death was confirmed by her agent Michelle Sykes on Wednesday (22 April), who said: “She passed away peacefully, after a short illness, surrounded by her loving family on 21st April 2026 at the age of 89.”
Benidorm creator Derren Litten honoured Kelly’s legacy, describing her as a “comedic genius”.
“So sad to pass on the news of the passing of Elsie Kelly aka Noreen in Benidorm,” he wrote. “One of the best loved characters in the show and certainly one of the most beloved cast members. Elsie’s acting abilities and comic genius were so natural they were almost taken for granted.
“Thanks for your talent but most of all your friendship Elsie. I am very sad today but also happy to think of such a wonderful life well lived.”
Kelly’s fellow Benidorm star Crissy Rock joined in the tributes, saying that she was “so sad” to hear of the actor’s death.
“We shared so many wonderful memories filming Benidorm, moments I’ll always treasure. She was an absolute joy to work with and brought so much warmth and laughter wherever she went,” Rock wrote.
Born in Liverpool in 1936, Kelly was 69 when she landed her breakout role in Benidorm, playing Johnny Vegas’s on-screen mother. While the original script saw Kelly’s character killed off in the first episode, the connection between her and Vegas was so strong that she ended up becoming a fully-fledged character.
Kelly actually came into the entertainment industry as a musical theatre director, a pursuit she kept going until 2019 after she become the director of the Birkenhead Operatic Society Trust in 1974.
In 1979, then aged 43, Kelly made her TV debut in the ITV soap Crossroads. She played cleaner Mrs Tardebrigge on the series until 1988, when Crossroads was cancelled.
A break in TV roles followed, with Kelly returning to the small screen in 1995 to play the cook in the TV adaptation of Enid Blyton’s book series. More work in children’s TV followed, including roles in The Ghost Hunter and Harry and the Wrinklies.
It was 2006, however, when Kelly got her big break aged 69 playing Noreen in Benidorm. Set in an all-inclusive resort in Spain, the comedy follows a group of mostly British holidaymakers who return to the spot every year.
Kelly played Noreen Maltby, who comes to the resort with her adult son Geoff (Vegas). She appeared on nine of the show’s 10 seasons between 2006 and 2018, and in the show’s final season, also played Noreen’s twin sister Doreen.
Kelly’s time on Benidorm was only meant to be a short one, with the actor revealing in a 2014 interview that Noreen was originally meant to die on a lilo in the first episode.
However, the bond between Kelly and Vegas was so strong that the character was ended up staying. “The writer who had the original idea said ‘No, I’m going to have to change it’ because he felt there was a real relationship starting between them, so I got a reprieve,” she told The Liverpool Echo.
Other viewers may recognise Kelly from anthology comedy-horror series Inside No 9, where she played Claire Skinner’s on-screen mother in the 2015 “Nana’s Party”.
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