Actor turned ITV presenter Charles Foster has died.
Charles, who previously featured in both Coronation Street and Emmerdale, was the face of Granada TV from the 1970s through to the 1990s.
He most recently voiced ITV’s Judge Rinder but had also done voiceover work for Catchphrase and The Krypton Factor.
Charles will also be known to soap fans as Emmerdale’s Judge Connolly, whom he portrayed in the ITV show in 2008.
Wirral-born Charles was married to actress Meg Johnson, 85, who appeared in Coronation Street, Brookside and Taggart.
Meg famously played Pearl Ladderbanks in Emmerdale and featured in some major storylines, but she hasn’t appeared on the soap since March 2020.
Charles’ cause of death has not yet been released.
Leading the tributes to Charles, Granada Reports’ producer Rob Jaskowski said: ‘Charles was such a nice person.
‘I remember being star stuck on my first day at Granada on work placement in 1984 when I sat with him in the canteen at Quay Street.
‘He was great to chat with and a true inspiration. Condolences to his family and friends.’
Meanwhile, BBC presenter Steve Saul wrote: ‘Sorry to hear the reports of the death of former Granada TV continuity announcer and voiceover Charles Foster.
‘Along with Colin Weston and Jim Pope they were the friendly face of ITV when I was growing up.
‘I would have loved to have been an in-vision continuity announcer.’
Tributes from fans also poured in as one person, wrote: ‘Charles Foster, like many Granada presenters at the time, had both authority and warmth in his voice.
