Colette O'Neil

Mary Irene Colette Ellis ( McCrossan, 18 November 1935 – 11 July 2021), better known by the stage name Colette O'Neil, was a Scottish actress, noted for her various roles on British television. Life and career O'Neil was a semi-regular cast member of Coronation Street in the mid-1960s as Ruth Winter, and also made frequent guest appearances in series such as Z-Cars, Dixon of Dock Green, Adam Adamant Lives!, No Hiding Place and Softly, Softly. She was also a leading cast member in the drama series The Standard and The Spoils of War. She played the role of Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester, in the BBC television version of The Wars of the Roses. In 1983 she appeared in Doctor Who in the role of Tanha in the serial Snakedance.