# RIP Stephanie Cole, British actress **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 19, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196 "2026-09-19T03:50:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/1 "2026-09-19T03:50:03Z")
I first noticed Stephanie Cole as Diana Trent in Waiting for God, about a couple of hilarious old characters in a retirement home. She was tough, a retired photojournalist, and the guy in the next unit was a goofy wise guy. Great writing, and she inhabited that part. Later she was Doc Martin’s aunt in Doc Martin. She appeared all over the place, mostly on TV but also a few movies; she may have done stage work too, I only know what I can read on IMDb. You may not know the name, but I can just about guarantee that you’ve seen her on something, if you watch any British TV at all. She always played older, I think, but it surprised me that she was only 84 when she died. I’m sorry to see her go, she gave me a lot of pleasure over the years. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/2 "2026-09-19T07:51:02Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > She always played older, I think She did indeed. Here she is in _Open All Hours_ circa 1980, still in her 30s. [![](https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/590x/secondary/Open-All-Hours-Kathy-Staff-4545025.avif?r=1675378398921) ](https://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/20/590x/secondary/Open-All-Hours-Kathy-Staff-4545025.avif?r=1675378398921) ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/3 "2026-09-19T11:55:55Z")
This morning I checked my list of regular TV shows and came up with shows to watch for today. One of them is Doc Martin. The next thing I did was come here and I saw this. So, today’s watching will be different than I planned on. I don’t think I know anything else she has been in, but I love “Aunty Joan” in Doc Martin. ---
**Author:** ![Loggins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Loggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loggins)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/4 "2026-09-19T11:56:05Z")
She was great as Doc Martin’s aunt, which is the last role I saw her in. Great actress! ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/5 "2026-09-19T13:23:38Z")
I remember her as Dr Mason from Tenko. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/6 "2026-09-19T13:44:29Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > She appeared all over the place, mostly on TV but also a few movies; she may have done stage work too, I only know what I can read on IMDb. Radio, too. She was excellent as Carolyn Knapp-Shappey in the brilliant BBC comedy _Cabin Pressure_. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/7 "2026-09-19T14:17:43Z")
Back in my BBS days, I had a good-size collection of tag lines. One favorite was “Graduate of the Diana Trent School of Diplomacy”, since I did enjoy “Waiting for God”. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/8 "2026-09-19T14:48:22Z")
I just texted a friend: > The perfect Pissed-Off Pensioner. (Stephanie Cole) is no longer “Waiting for God”. > I’m upset that now we’ll never get a Cabin Pressure reunion. (Here she is with Roger Allam and Anthony Head - also RIP)[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvNtxmcqyFc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvNtxmcqyFc) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/9 "2026-09-19T15:39:16Z")
That’s one I never saw, I’ll have to see if I can dig up some episodes. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/10 "2026-09-19T15:44:20Z")
This was a surprise to me. I loved her in **Doc Martin** , but I thought she was replaced because she had died. I guess I conflated Aunt Joan’s death with Stephanie Cole’s. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/11 "2026-09-19T15:53:25Z")
> [@Icerigger](#): > > I remember her as Dr Mason from Tenko. I remember really liking that show. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it re-aired, although it’s probably streaming somewhere. I wonder if it holds up to my memory of it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/12 "2026-09-19T17:43:43Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > I thought she was replaced because she had died. As I recall, she left simply because she thought four seasons was enough. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/13 "2026-09-19T17:49:02Z")
My favorite scene of hers from **Doc Martin** was when, in Martin’s dream, Aunt Joan was getting railed by a young handyman (?) on her kitchen counter. She turns and looks over her shoulder, sees Martin’s horrified expression, and gives him a huge shit-eating grin. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/14 "2026-09-19T19:32:31Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > Aunt Joan was getting railed by a young handyman (?) on her kitchen counter. Yes, he was a painter/artist she met when he was doing some work for Martin. She then hired him to come by and do her place, and got diddled herself. 😏 ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/15 "2026-09-19T19:52:07Z")
[(273) Tenko Full Episodes - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzy_8jCpozI_ZyQx3_RR8TMMJ4d6d_WVX) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/16 "2026-09-19T19:54:06Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > in Martin’s dream It wasn’t a dream; he actually walked in on them while they were doing the deed. He just couldn’t get it out of his head afterwards. (I wouldn’t be able to either!) ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/17 "2026-09-19T20:15:57Z")
> [@ricepad](#): > > This was a surprise to me. I loved her in **Doc Martin** , but I thought she was replaced because she had died. I’d thought something similar (if not passed away then quite ill). I’m glad she got so many additional years! _Waiting for God_ still holds up–still relevant, interesting, and funny. It would be nice to see it shown again. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-stephanie-cole-british-actress/1033196/18 "2026-09-20T19:36:28Z")
Oh, shoot. I mostly know her from Cabin Pressure, the BBC radio comedy, along with a pre-Sherlock Benedict Cumberbatch. Anthony Head, who played her love interest, also died recently. So sad.