Melanieie Watson, who starred in the 1980s television series Diff’rent Strokes, passed away at the age of 57. Kathy, Arnold’s friend, was the actress’s most well-known role on the 1980s TV show.
The actress’ death on Friday, according to reports, occurred in Colorado Springs. After a brief hospital stay where she quickly deteriorated, her brother Robert confirmed that she had passed away just days before her death.
Robert claimed that doctors tried to treat his sister’s bleeding, but she refused. She passed away on December 26 at the age of 57 because they were sadly unable to continue their support for her.
After the end of Diff’rent Strokes, Melanie left her job and married Roger Bernhardt between 1994 and 1996. She co-founded the charity Train Rite, which trains service animals, before passing away.
In Diff’rent Strokes (NBCUniversal via Getty Images), Melanie and Gary Coleman starred together.
At a young age, Melanie was first identified with the illness osteogenesis imperfecta. The bone structure is compromised by osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic condition where collagen, the protein responsible for bone structure, is lacking or of poor quality, making the bones weak and susceptible to fracture.
Fans will recall her famous quote from Arnold, who was a height-traveler. She quipped back, “I’m not handicapped, I’m handicapable,” when he claimed that he had forgotten that she was disabled.
One user wrote, “This is crazy,” in a commotion among the fans who had rushed to tweet tribute to Melanie. Last week, I just saw something about her. RIP”! She continued, “She was wonderful spirit and greatly joy to me as a child!” God’s blessings on her.
A third person responded, “Aw that stinks, I just thought about her recently,” while the fourth added, “Omg I liked her remember her bsck in the day.” So sad r. i. p”. She was a big part of my childhood, a fifth person wrote, “This is so sad.”
Kathy and Arnold had an argument over his attempt to make her walk without crutches during the 1982 television series. A special episode that sparked a national discussion was the result.
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Jack P Shepherd, who plays David Platt in Coronation Street, has been flooded with support by fans after he gave an update on his marriage after tying the knot earlier in the year
Jessica Clarke Digital Reporter
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Friends and fans of the couple flooded the post with sweet messages(Image: Jeff Spicer, Getty Images)
Coronation Street legend Jack P Shepherd, who plays David Platt, has been flooded with support after he gave a marriage update after he tied the knot with his wife Hanni earlier this year
Jack and Hanni officially tied the knot in Manchester after he proposed to Hanni on a dream safari holiday. Many of Jack’s co-stars attended the nuptials, including Alan Halsall, Tina O’Brian and Lucy Fallon. This Christmas marked the couples first as husband and wife and Jack shared a sweet post to mark the occasion.
In one picture shared online Jack and Hanni are seen dressed in festive outfits as they pose in front of a Christmas tree and Hanni showed off her stunning wedding ring in another snap. Hanni captioned the post: “Our first Christmas as Mr &, Mrs Shepherd. We hope you all had a magical one”.
READ MORE: Helen Flanagan calls Christmas without her kids ‘unnatural’ as she slams co-parentingREAD MORE: Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright’s adorable first Christmas with baby Palma
Friends and fans of the couple flooded the post with sweet messages, as one person wrote: “Beautiful photos, beautiful couple”, while another added: “Happy Xmas Mr &, Mrs Shepherd”. A third penned: “You both look lush”.
37-year-old Jack first joined Coronation Street in the year 2000 and quickly shot to fame as his cheeky character David. He was just 12 when he started his career on the soap and over the years has been involved in some of the biggest storylines.
One storyline included pushing his mum down the stairs, and almost to her death, as well as being part of a heartbreaking suicide plot.
While Jack’s life on screen is full of drama, his life off screen couldn’t be further away.
Currently on the soap, Jack’s character David is expecting his first child with his wife Shona, played by Julia Goulding. However they are currently facing a heartbreaking decision as their unborn daughter is facing complications.
They discovered their daughter has a tumour on her neck which requires a high risk surgery. Not only that but even more tense drama is expected for the couple as Corrie crosses over with Emmerdale.
In upcoming episodes, the soaps will collide with a number of Corrie and Emmerdale favourites caught up in a multi-vehicle pile-up on a dark and stormy road. Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Kit Green actor Jacob Roberts has admitted the episode is “chaotic”.
He said he only needed one word to describe the events, and that was “chaos”. He also shared that “something big happens” and that multiple twists will air, moving on from one to the other at a fast pace.
Jacob warned viewers that there would be no time to focus on one part of the episode, or one character or plot, as there was so much to unpack. He said: “I don’t think there’s time to settle on one story.
” It goes from one to the other quite quickly. You might be invested in one thing and then something completely different or chaotic happens. You haven’t got time to invest, it’s one thing after the other. “
Jack P Shepherd, who plays David Platt in Coronation Street, has been flooded with support by fans after he gave an update on his marriage after tying the knot earlier in the year
View 3 Images
Friends and fans of the couple flooded the post with sweet messages(Image: Jeff Spicer, Getty Images)
Coronation Street legend Jack P Shepherd, who plays David Platt, has been flooded with support after he gave a marriage update after he tied the knot with his wife Hanni earlier this year
Jack and Hanni officially tied the knot in Manchester after he proposed to Hanni on a dream safari holiday. Many of Jack’s co-stars attended the nuptials, including Alan Halsall, Tina O’Brian and Lucy Fallon. This Christmas marked the couples first as husband and wife and Jack shared a sweet post to mark the occasion.
In one picture shared online Jack and Hanni are seen dressed in festive outfits as they pose in front of a Christmas tree and Hanni showed off her stunning wedding ring in another snap. Hanni captioned the post: “Our first Christmas as Mr & Mrs Shepherd. We hope you all had a magical one.”
READ MORE: Helen Flanagan calls Christmas without her kids ‘unnatural’ as she slams co-parentingREAD MORE: Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright’s adorable first Christmas with baby Palma
Friends and fans of the couple flooded the post with sweet messages, as one person wrote: “Beautiful photos, beautiful couple”, while another added: “Happy Xmas Mr & Mrs Shepherd”. A third penned: “You both look lush.”
37-year-old Jack first joined Coronation Street in the year 2000 and quickly shot to fame as his cheeky character David. He was just 12 when he started his career on the soap and over the years has been involved in some of the biggest storylines.
One storyline included pushing his mum down the stairs, and almost to her death, as well as being part of a heartbreaking suicide plot.
While Jack’s life on screen is full of drama, his life off screen couldn’t be further away.
Currently on the soap, Jack’s character David is expecting his first child with his wife Shona, played by Julia Goulding. However they are currently facing a heartbreaking decision as their unborn daughter is facing complications.
They discovered their daughter has a tumour on her neck which requires a high risk surgery. Not only that but even more tense drama is expected for the couple as Corrie crosses over with Emmerdale.
In upcoming episodes, the soaps will collide with a number of Corrie and Emmerdale favourites caught up in a multi-vehicle pile-up on a dark and stormy road. Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Kit Green actor Jacob Roberts has admitted the episode is “chaotic”.
He said he only needed one word to describe the events, and that was “chaos”. He also shared that “something big happens” and that multiple twists will air, moving on from one to the other at a fast pace.
Jacob warned viewers that there would be no time to focus on one part of the episode, or one character or plot, as there was so much to unpack. He said: “I don’t think there’s time to settle on one story.
“It goes from one to the other quite quickly. You might be invested in one thing and then something completely different or chaotic happens. You haven’t got time to invest, it’s one thing after the other.”
Sara Davies and Adam Peaty grew close during Strictly Come Dancing back in 2021, at the same time sparks started to fly between the Olympian and his future wife
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Dragon Sara Davies spoke about what happened inside the Abbey(Image: Getty Images)
One of the guests at Adam Peaty’s star-studded wedding to Holly Ramsay says the groom was completely overcome as he prepared to say ‘I do’.
The happy couple tied the knot on Saturday afternoon, with the beaming newlyweds emerging hand-in-hand from Bath Abbey following one of the most talked-about celebrity weddings in years. The bride was almost half an hour late and the hold up clearly didn’t help settle Adam’s nerves.
The big names at the ceremony included his friend Sara Davies, who grew close to the Olympian when they both appeared on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2021. The Dragons Den investor has spoken about the service and says she feel fortunate to have the swimmer in her life.
“Yesterday I had the privilege of being at this amazing man’s wedding,” she wrote on Instagram. “It also gave me a moment to reflect on how lucky I’ve been to have him in my life over the past four years. From the first day we met on Strictly, we’ve been firm friends, and it was a real honour to sit in Bath Abbey and watch him get emotional as the love of his life walked down the aisle.
“It was such a special day. Simon and I had the best time, the service was beautiful – and I’m sure you’ll not be surprised to hear me say, it was hands down the best wedding food I’ve ever had. Wishing my wonderful friend and his gorgeous bride a lifetime of happiness together.”
Their winter wedding has been months in the making, and the couple have formulated an A-list guest list that includes David and Victoria Beckham alongside Holly’s famous father, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The couple met through Holly’s sister Tilly during Strictly Come Dancing.
But despite the extensive celebrity presence, the guestlist was completely missing all of Adam’s side of the family, with just his sister Bethany in attendance. It comes amid an ongoing feud with his clan, which culminated in all of them being uninvited from the wedding.
As they spent their son’s wedding day at the family home in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, Adam’s parents watched on with the rest of the public as the opulent celebration took place. Speaking to the Mail, Adam’s mum Caroline said: “As a mother, all you want your children to do is be happy in their relationships.
“I’ve not done this to ruin their wedding. It’s their wedding, yes, it’s a happy day – but it needs to be said. They are both still loved, there is nothing I won’t forgive, and I want them to have the best day.
“And what I want to say to Adam is stand by each other. But just because you love somebody and that love is intense, don’t forget the other people around you. A wedding day is such a happy event, and I think family should have been the priority at that wedding.”
Sara Davies and Adam Peaty grew close during Strictly Come Dancing back in 2021, at the same time sparks started to fly between the Olympian and his future wife
View 3 Images
Dragon Sara Davies spoke about what happened inside the Abbey(Image: Getty Images)
One of the guests at Adam Peaty’s star-studded wedding to Holly Ramsay says the groom was completely overcome as he prepared to say ‘I do’.
The happy couple tied the knot on Saturday afternoon, with the beaming newlyweds emerging hand-in-hand from Bath Abbey following one of the most talked-about celebrity weddings in years. The bride was almost half an hour late and the hold up clearly didn’t help settle Adam’s nerves.
The big names at the ceremony included his friend Sara Davies, who grew close to the Olympian when they both appeared on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2021. The Dragons Den investor has spoken about the service and says she feel fortunate to have the swimmer in her life.
“Yesterday I had the privilege of being at this amazing man’s wedding,” she wrote on Instagram. “It also gave me a moment to reflect on how lucky I’ve been to have him in my life over the past four years. From the first day we met on Strictly, we’ve been firm friends, and it was a real honour to sit in Bath Abbey and watch him get emotional as the love of his life walked down the aisle.
“It was such a special day. Simon and I had the best time, the service was beautiful – and I’m sure you’ll not be surprised to hear me say, it was hands down the best wedding food I’ve ever had. Wishing my wonderful friend and his gorgeous bride a lifetime of happiness together.”
Their winter wedding has been months in the making, and the couple have formulated an A-list guest list that includes David and Victoria Beckham alongside Holly’s famous father, celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The couple met through Holly’s sister Tilly during Strictly Come Dancing.
But despite the extensive celebrity presence, the guestlist was completely missing all of Adam’s side of the family, with just his sister Bethany in attendance. It comes amid an ongoing feud with his clan, which culminated in all of them being uninvited from the wedding.
As they spent their son’s wedding day at the family home in Uttoxeter, Staffordshire, Adam’s parents watched on with the rest of the public as the opulent celebration took place. Speaking to the Mail, Adam’s mum Caroline said: “As a mother, all you want your children to do is be happy in their relationships.
“I’ve not done this to ruin their wedding. It’s their wedding, yes, it’s a happy day – but it needs to be said. They are both still loved, there is nothing I won’t forgive, and I want them to have the best day.
“And what I want to say to Adam is stand by each other. But just because you love somebody and that love is intense, don’t forget the other people around you. A wedding day is such a happy event, and I think family should have been the priority at that wedding.”
Gold medal winning Olympic heroes Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are set to receive top honours from HM King Charles III this New Year – over 40 years after they triumphed in Sarajevo
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Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are expected to recieve a Damehood and Knighthood in the King’s New Year’s Honours(Image: PA)
Olympic legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean will soon be a Dame and a Sir – as they are expected to recieve titles in the King’s New Year Honours. The duo are national champions – having won gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics, and later bronze at the 1994 Winter Olympics.
Now, after five decades in the rink – and following the end of ITV’s Dancing On Ice – the pair are set to be rewarded by His Majesty King Charles III. Next week, the monarch will issue special titles to a number of individuals to celebrate their astonishing contributions to the nation.
Nottinghamshire star Jayne, 68, and 67-year-old Christopher – who is from the same county – are among names expected to be called to receive their rewards. The new titles follow on from previous honours that had been granted by the late Queen Elizabeth II, as the pair received MBEs in 1981 and OBEs in 2000.
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Now The Sun has reported that “[They] will now [be] made a Dame and Knight in the New Year. Their gongs are a recognition of a lifetime of service to figure skating which has won them millions of fans, including royalty.” The Mirror has contacted a representative of the ice skating legends for comment.
The late Queen Elizabeth II reportedly sent Torvill and Dean a personal telegram following their 1984 gold medal win. The late monarch wrote: “Many congratulations on your superb performance which I watched with great pleasure and which brought you such a well-deserved gold medal.”
While the winter sport athletes were said to be greatly touched by the message – and were awestruck when they met her years later while receiving past honours. The Sun quotes Christopher saying: “It was quite a journey meeting the Queen on these occasions. She was a wonderful, wonderful woman and monarch.”
He even recalled writing to her soon before her death in 2022 – and being floored when she wrote back. He said: “I was so touched. I didn’t even expect to get a reply. I think we all hold our heads higher when we are abroad because of what the Queen represented.” He added: “Everybody around the world knows about the monarch. I think we are all proud of that, wherever we go.”
The news of new titles marks the end of a mixed year for Torvill and Dean – which began with a damp note as ITV mercifully axed Dancing On Ice after it had been on the air on and off since 2006. The skating contest saw celebrities get matched with professional ice skaters and learn to pull off daring routines in front of a panel of judges – which included the Olympic icons.
But by the 2025 season, viewership had nosedived to three million – a steep decline from the heady days when the show would enjoy audiences in excess of 10 million. And the series was also something of collateral damage to the Phillip Schofield scandal – as he was forced to quit ITV after being found to have lied about an affair with a much younger colleague from his job on This Morning.
Earlier this year, the duo embarked on a farewell tour as they danced on ice for fans up and down the country for the last time. During a performance in April, fans were horrified when Jayne suffered a terrifying fall while on the rink. However, she quickly brushed herself off and continued the remainder of the show with her co-star.
Following the incident, Christopher told the audience: “Thank you so much. As you can see, sometimes it gets scary out here. Scary, scary – for Jayne anyway.” He went on to thank fans for attending their final tour.
Christopher said: “It has been a terrific show and thank you to my wonderful skaters here and to Jayne. We are really honoured that you spend your time to come out and see us on a Sunday afternoon and share some of our 50-year career highlights. It’s been so memorable and we will always remember today. Thank you for your memories everyone.”
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The talented duo, who rose to fame with their performance at the 1984 Winter Olympics, kicked off their final tour in April. Christopher and Jayne first came together in 1975 before stunning at the Olympics. Their farewell tour, titled Torvill and Dean: Our Last Dance, ran until the early months of the summer.
After their final show in July, the pair shared footage of themselves partaking in their final skate and uploaded the video to Instagram. They wrote in an emotional caption: “Farewell to the ice. Thank you for all the wonderful memories #OurLastDance.”
