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Philip Stephen Hancock (born 24th November 1925 in Bishop Auckland, County Durham; died 1st November 2015) first appeared on Coronation Street as a Babyshop Assistant in May 1961 and later as Leonard Swindley's election agent Mr Spinks between October and November 1962. He then made his debut as lay-preacher Ernest Bishop, firstly in one episode in September 1967 (the character was credited as "Gordon Bishop"), then he became a regular character from June 1969 to January 1978. His other credits include The Avengers, Crossroads, Agatha Christie's Poirot and Heartbeat.

Some eighteen months after leaving Coronation Street, Hancock appeared on the Thames Television This England documentary Death on the Street which was transmitted on 26th July 1979 and which examined the public's reaction to the death of long-running characters in the programme.

A musician as well as an actor, he handled the arrangements for a Royal Shakespeare Company production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona in the early 1990s.

He was the older brother of actor Christopher Hancock, who also appeared in a minor role on Coronation Street and more recognisably, in the role of Charlie Cotton in EastEnders.

External links[]

The Guardian Obituary

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