Elizabeth Dawn

Elizabeth 'Liz' Dawn MBE (born Sylvia Butterfield on 8 November 1939) is an English retired actress, best known for her role as Vera Duckworth in the long-running British soap opera, Coronation Street. First starting on the serial in 1974, she had more of a recurring role as a factory worker until her husband, Jack, (played by William Tarmey) first appeared in 1979 and later for a more concrete role in 1983.

Born in Leeds, Dawn started her show business career as a nightclub singer. By the late 1960s Dawn had ventured into acting, often taking small parts in television programmes as well as advertisements. During the 1970s, she appeared in a variety of programmes including All Creatures Great and Small and Colin Welland's play Leeds United.

She was also one of the alien voices in the Cadbury's Smash advertisements in the 1970s.

In January 1990, Dawn was featured on This is Your Life.

Dawn published her autobiography Vera Duckworth – My Story in 1993.

In 2000, Dawn was chosen as the Lady Mayoress of Leeds and was awarded an MBE in October of that year for her services to charity, having helped raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for hospitals in the Manchester and Leeds area.

In mid-2004, Dawn was diagnosed with the incurable lung disease emphysema. On 22 July 2007, Granada Television (makers of Coronation Street) announced that Dawn was to be written out - at her own request - before Christmas, because of further complications with emphysema.

Her final appearance came in the episode screened on 18 January 2008, when Vera Duckworth died in her sleep, thus ending 34 years of the popular, iconic character. Bill Tarmey, who played on screen husband Jack Duckworth, continued to be a part of the cast of Coronation Street. Dawn stated that the hardest thing about leaving Corrie was saying good-bye to Tarmey, with whom she was best friends. On 8 November 2010 she made a brief one-off return to the soap for the final scenes of her on-screen husband, Jack, who died in the same chair as Vera. Dawn appeared as Vera's spirit, who had come to take Jack on his final journey and the pair enjoyed one final dance together.

Dawn won the Special Achievement Award at the 2008 British Soap Awards for her 34-year long portrayal of her iconic character.

Dawn is a supporter and an activist for the British Labour Party and has been seen on campaign trails during elections. Liz is a practising Roman Catholic and was selected to meet Pope John Paul II during his visit to the UK in 1982.

In May 2009, Dawn agreed to become the "Celebrity Ambassador" of the British Lung Foundation - the only UK charity working on behalf of all people affected by lung disease. She is currently working to raise awareness of COPD - an umbrella term for a list of diseases including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, of which Liz is a sufferer herself. In June 2009 she spearheaded the campaign "Breathe Easy Week", where members of the Breathe Easy network (patient groups associated with the British Lung Foundation) raise awareness of the work of the BLF.

On 12 October 2010, Dawn appeared in a wheelchair at the naming ceremony of the new Cunard cruise ship, MS Queen Elizabeth in Southampton. She appeared at the 2011 British Soap Awards giving the Lifetime Achievement Award to former co-star, Bill Tarmey.