Former Coronation Street Actor Dies

Coronation Street and Keeping up Appearances actor Geoffrey Hughes has died aged 68, his agent has said.

The actor, who was known to millions as Coronation Street binman Eddie Yates in the 1970s and 1980s, died "peacefully in his sleep" on Friday night.

It followed a "long courageous battle" with prostate cancer, his family said.

Hughes, who lived on the Isle of Wight, was also known for his roles as Twiggy in TV comedy The Royle Family and Onslow in Keeping Up Appearances.

He had thought he had beaten prostate cancer in 2009, but was told it had returned after collapsing at home in 2010.

July 28 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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Olympics Viewers

The UK's TV audience for the Olympic opening ceremony peaked at 26.9m, the BBC said today.

The average viewing figure for Friday's four-hour show was 22.4m, making it the UK's 13th most watched programme ever.

The programme also had an 82% share - almost twice that of the previous high for an Olympic opening ceremony, in Barcelona in 1992.

Highlights of the ceremony, shown on BBC One and BBC HD, included a meeting between the Queen and James Bond.

It averaged 22.4m viewers and during the peak five minutes, 26.9m saw Mr Bean playing Chariots of Fire.

No fewer than 20m were still watching at half past midnight.

Millions of people worldwide watched the opening ceremony on television along with 80,000 in the Olympic Stadium.

UK viewing figures for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games in 2008 averaged at 5m and peaked at 5.4m.

During the Athens games in 2004, 8.68m UK viewers watched the official opening.

July 28 2012 - waveguide.co.uk

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