What happened to Patricia Brake? Cause of death explored a Manhunt star passes away at 79

Patricia Brake, who starred in the BBC sitcom Porridge and the ITV thriller Manhunt, died at 79. According to her family, she was diagnosed with cancer years ago and had a long battle with cancer.

Brake will be "deeply missed" by her friends, family, coworkers, and fans, according to her agent, Scott Marshall Partners. Brake was diagnosed with an unknown sort of cancer.

Her agent Scott Marshall Partners said:

“It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our client and well-loved stage and TV actress, Patricia Brake, at the age of 79, after a very long battle with cancer.”

Her career lasted six decades, and she appeared in shows such as EastEnders, Emmerdale, and Coronation Street.

In the 1970s, though, she was best recognized for her performance in Porridge.

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How did British star Patricia Brake die?

Patricia Brake was born in Bath in 1942 and enrolled at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School when she was 16 years old. She rose to prominence in repertory theatre and, while still a teenager, joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford.

Brake rose to prominence after portraying Norman Stanley Fletcher's daughter Ingrid Fletcher in the 1970s BBC series Porridge. She later starred alongside Richard Beckinsale and Nicholas Lyndhurst in the film Going Straight, in which she reprised her role.

Brake has collaborated with world-famous comedians Ronnie Corbett and Barker, known as The Two Ronnies, and Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. Other TV appearances include Manhunt, The Glums, and Midsomer Murders on ITV and Doctors, Holby City, and Casualty on the BBC.

She is well known for her role as Viv Baldwin in the ITV serial opera Corrie. She was the mother of Danny Baldwin and moved to Weatherfield when her husband Harry died in 2005. She then admitted to her brother-in-law Mike Baldwin that he, not Harry, was Danny's biological father.

Brake was married twice, first to Robert McBain and the second to Michael Kennedy; she is survived by her children, stepchildren, and grandchildren.

Hannah, Jon, and Angus were Brake's three children. Jon McBain, her son, shared the news of her death on Twitter on Sunday (May 29).

She continued to work until last year when she appeared in the ITV drama Manhunt as a rape victim.

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On social media, tributes to the beloved actress have poured in

As one user put it, I'm very sorry to hear it. Please accept my condolences as a fan of several sitcoms in which she starred.

One user tweeted, "I'm really sad to hear this. Certainly a British treasure."

She performed Hermia alongside Dame Judi Dench and Dame Diana Riggs in Peter Hall's A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Royal Shakespeare Company.