Emmerdale's Betty Eagleton actress Paula Tilbrook dead at 89

15 July 2020, 14:28 | Updated: 15 July 2020, 14:56

By Alice Dear

Paula Tilbrook, famous for playing Betty Eagleton for 21 years on Emmerdale, has passed away.

Emmerdale - Goodbye Betty

Paula Tilbrook has died at the age of 89.

The actress was best known for playing the role of Betty Eagleton in Emmerdale.

The soap star passed away in December 2019, but the information has only become public today.

Paula's death was revealed in a theatre industry bible called The Stage, where they revealed the actress had died on December 1 last year.

Paula joined the ITV soap in 1994 and left in 2015 after 21 years as the beloved character.

Paula made a number of cameos as Betty following her departure, but had a great send off when she left Emmerdale five years ago.

Betty's 21-year storyline saw the character move back to Australia with her rich lover, Reuben Archibald, who whisks her away in a limousine in a fairytale ending.

Following her iconic exit from the soap, Inside Soap magazine said of her: “Funny, feisty and smart as a whip. They don’t make ’em like actress Paula Tilbrook any more!”

Prior to landing her role on Emmerdale as the village gossip, Paula starred in Coronation Street for 11 episodes in 1973.