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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Charlotte Tutton

Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole pays emotional tribute to 'special' Helen McCrory

Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole appeared emotional on This Morning on Thursday, as he remembered his late co-star Helen McCrory.

Helen sadly passed away in April 2021 at the age of 52 after being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her co-stars have remembered her in the wake of her passing, and the hit BBC series paid tribute to Helen and her character Aunt Polly recently.

Actor Joe, who is no longer on the series, takes the lead in ITV's new drama The Ipcress File this weekend.

He joked about going head-to-head with his brother Finn Cole, who also stars in Peaky Blinders, as both shows air on Sunday.

Joe Cole, star of ITV's new drama The Ipcress File, appeared emotional as he paid tribute to his late Peaky Blinders co-star Helen McCrory (ITV)

It's then that host Phillip Schofield revealed the bond Helen had with the brothers, with Joe paying tribute in a moving moment.

Joe recalled how, as Finn's on-screen mother, Helen helped him on and off the show - as he called the late actress a "rare gem".

Phillip Said: "Well Helen McCrory who's just the most adorable person, just such a lovely, lovely lady, she helped your brother Finn as well didn't she."

Joe said his Peaky Blinders co-star Helen McCrory was 'special' (BBC/Mandabach/Tiger Aspect/Robert Viglasky)

Joe then responded, before appearing emotional: "Yeah so my brother Finn's first role was on Peaky Blinders and Helen played his mother. She just offered so much support on and off camera.

"She was just... you didn't really realise until you leave the show how much of a rare gem someone like Helen was, but she was just one of the funniest people I have ever met.

"She disarmed everybody with her humour and... we lost a special one."

Peaky Blinders fans were moved to tears last Sunday, as the first episode of season six saw a poignant scene pay tribute to Helen and Aunt Polly.

At the beginning of the episode, viewers saw Michael grieving for his mother after her body appeared to have been delivered to Tommy's estate.

As Tommy inspected three body bags left outside his house, he broke down as he looked inside the final one and realised the consequences of his actions.

This Morning host Phillip Schofield asked Joe Cole about Helen (ITV)

The following scene showed Michael setting fire to Polly's caravan as he body lay inside it and the rest of the family watched on.

Michael was then heard saying: "Mum, it was the ambitions and strategies of one man that caused this.

"And I swear in the name of almighty God, no matter what it takes, no matter how many lies I have to tell, I will take revenge on Tommy Shelby."

As the caravan went up in flames, Aunt Polly's face could be seen within the smoke as it drifted up into the sky in a rather poignant scene.

This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.

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