Career: Cole made his big-screen debut in 1941's Cottage to Let, but didn't achieve fame until he landed the part of Flash Harry in the classic St Trinian's films. He went on to have a successful career on stage, TV and in movies, often appearing opposite mentor Sim in such productions as Scrooge and The Green Man. TV credits include My Good Friend, Dad, An Independent Man, Blott on the Landscape and Minder, which ran for 15 years. In his later years, he appeared in Station Jim, Bodily Harm, Mary Reilly, A Class Apart, and Diamond Geezer. He died on August 6, 2015, after a long illness. He was 90.

Career: At 16, Waterman returned to Britain and concentrated on stage work until an acclaimed performance in 1968's Up the Junction led to more film roles. Low-budget movies (such as Scars of Dracula) and TV shows (including Colditz) followed until, in 1974, he co-starred with John Thaw in Regan, the pilot episode of iconic series The Sweeney, which became a major TV hit. A 10-year stint in comedy drama Minder followed. Other projects include TV shows On the Up, Stay Lucky, and Circles of Deceit. He's also worked on the stage, most notably in Jeffrey Bernard is Unwell, and My Fair Lady. As Gerry Standing, in BBC drama New Tricks, he has introduced himself to a new generation of fans.

Career: Hewson's talent for comedy led to her working in various Russ Abbot TV shows for more than 10 years. Other comedy credits include All at Number 20, In Loving Memory, Never the Twain, Home to Roost and Barbara. In 1993, she was cast in Coronation Street as accident-prone supermarket assistant Maureen Naylor. She stayed with the show until 1997 and made a brief return in 2006. Another soap beckoned in 2001 when she began playing receptionist Virginia Raven in the short-lived revival of Crossroads. In 2004, she joined the cast of her third soap opera, Emmerdale. She remained on the Yorkshire-based show for two years. Since 2003, Hewson has been a regular panellist on Loose Women. More recently, she has been playing hotel manager Joyce Temple-Savage in ITV sitcom Benidorm. In August 2015, she entered the Celebrity Big Brother house.

Career: Thompson got a job as a stage manager and went on to do repertory and fringe theatre. His first professional role was in Romeo and Juliet at the Ludlow Festival and he made his TV debut in the police series Softly, Softly. Other early work included roles in The Gentle Touch, The Long Good Friday and Yanks. Although his main love has always been the stage, he was delighted at being offered the part of Charlie in Casualty. First appearing in 1986, he is the longest-serving actor in the show and has faced many emotional scenes and delicate issues. His famous alter ego has crossed over into sister show Holby City, and in the short-lived spin-off series HolbyBlue.