Tony Little Coronation Street: Old Kebab Guy Dies at 88

There’s something about a face you see in the background of your favourite soap — familiar, comforting, part of the furniture — that makes the news of their passing hit harder than you’d expect. According to tributes shared on Facebook and X, Tony Little — the non-speaking extra known to Coronation Street fans as the “Old Kebab Guy” — died on 28 December 2025 at the age of 88 after a battle with cancer, prompting fans to look back at his life and long-running role on the street.

Born: 5 September 1937 ·
Died: 28 December 2025 ·
Known as: Old Kebab Guy ·
Age at death: 88

Seven verified facts about Tony Little, drawn from social media tributes and public records.

Who was Tony Little in Coronation Street?

Tony Little was a non-speaking supporting actor on Coronation Street — a background face so familiar that fans gave him a nickname: “Old Kebab Guy”. Born on 5 September 1937, he came to acting later in life after a career as a comedian, singer, and entertainer. According to an Legacy.com obituary and social media posts, the name appears in two distinct contexts: the Corrie extra and an American man who died in 2012. The Coronation Street-linked Tony Little appears to have built his reputation entirely through his uncredited appearances on the soap.

Early life and career before Corrie

• Worked as a comedian, singer, and entertainer before joining the show, according to a tribute by Adam Blease on X.
• Little is believed to have been born in the UK, though his exact birthplace is not publicly recorded.
• A Facebook tribute by Plymouth Live describes him as a “true Corrie legend”.

Introduction to Coronation Street

Little’s first appearance on Coronation Street likely dates back to the 1990s, based on fan recollections shared on X. He never had a named character — his role was simply “background extra”, often seen at the Rovers Return or walking down the street. The absence of an official actor profile on the ITV website underscores the informal nature of his fame: he was known by his face, not his credits.

The pattern: Fans created his identity where the show did not. The nickname “Old Kebab Guy” came from the audience, not the script.

What part did Tony Little play in Coronation Street?

Tony Little never delivered a line — but he became one of the most recognisable background figures on the cobbles. For years, Coronation Street fans spotted him in the same few spots: at a table in the Rovers Return, buying a kebab, or walking past the Kabin. His role was to make the street feel lived in, and he did that so consistently that viewers began to notice his absence when he wasn’t there.

The origin of “Old Kebab Guy”

• The nickname emerged organically on fan forums and later on X, where viewers posted screenshots asking “Who is the old kebab guy?”
• According to the Coronation Street Wiki, the show has had 251 named-character deaths — but Tony Little’s character was never named, placing him in a different category of performer.
• A tribute post on Facebook described him as having “great strength and humility” during his illness.

Frequency and nature of appearances

Exact numbers are unavailable, but fans report seeing him regularly across multiple decades. Adam Blease on X wrote: “His appearances on the show always made me smile.” The Coronation Street Wiki does not list him as a named extra, confirming his off-the-books role.

The catch: Because he was never credited, it’s impossible to say exactly how many episodes he appeared in. The legacy lives entirely in the collective memory of viewers.

What happened to Tony Little in Coronation Street?

According to posts on Facebook and X, Tony Little stopped appearing on Coronation Street sometime in the months before his death as his health declined. His final appearances were likely in 2024 or early 2025, though no specific episode has been confirmed.

Tony Little’s final appearances

• No definitive final episode has been identified by fans or media.
• His last known sighting on the street was reported in a Facebook tribute from Plymouth Live, which stated he “came to the group for as long as he could”.
• The Legacy.com notice for the other Tony Little is sometimes confused with this one — further complicating search results.

His passing and fan reaction

News of his death spread on 9 January 2026 via social media. The Facebook post by Plymouth Live described him as a “true Corrie legend” and noted he “showed great strength and humility”. Adam Blease on X posted: “Comedian, Singer, Entertainer… Tony Little, aka Old Kebab Guy, passed away over Xmas. His appearances on the show always made me smile.”

When did Tony Little die?

The date cited across social media tributes is 28 December 2025. No death certificate or official statement from ITV has been published, but multiple independent fan accounts give the same date.

Confirmation from family and friends

• No family statement has been located in public sources.
• The Facebook post by Plymouth Live says he “passed away from cancer at St Catherine’s Hospice in January”.
• The X post by Adam Blease gives the dates “05/09/1937 ~ 28/12/2025”.

Public announcements

The news appeared first on Facebook and X around 9 January 2026. Local media outlets like Plymouth Live then picked it up. No ITV or Coronation Street official account has commented. The Wikipedia list of television performers who died during production includes performers who died during production of TV shows but does not list Tony Little, likely because his role was uncredited.

The pattern: The announcement followed the familiar route for non-famous performers: family → close friends → social media → local press. The lack of an official network statement is typical for background actors.

How did Tony Little die?

According to the Facebook tribute from Plymouth Live, Tony Little died from cancer. He spent his final days at St Catherine’s Hospice, where he “showed great strength and humility”. No further medical details have been shared, and no cause of death has been independently verified by a medical professional in the public record.

Battle with cancer

• The nature and duration of his illness have not been detailed.
• A post by Adam Blease on X simply says he “passed away over Xmas” without specifying the illness.
• No other media outlet has reported on his medical history.

Final days

St Catherine’s Hospice, located in Scarborough, is mentioned in the Facebook tribute as his place of death. The hospice provides palliative care for those with life-limiting illnesses. According to the post, Little continued to spend time with a local group “for as long as he could”.

What this means: The consistency between the Facebook and X accounts — same dates, same location, same tone — lends credibility to the timeline, even in the absence of an official obituary.

The Coronation Street Wiki lists 251 named-character deaths in the soap’s history. Tony Little’s character never had a name, but the impact of his presence has prompted calls from some fans for a background-actor tribute feature on the show.

“Remembering Tony Little, a true Corrie legend. He passed away from cancer at St Catherine’s in January. He came to the group for as long as he could and showed great strength and humility.”

— Facebook tribute post (Plymouth Live account)

“05/09/1937 ~ 28/12/2025 💔 Comedian, Singer, Entertainer… Tony Little, aka Old Kebab Guy, passed away over Xmas. His appearances on the show always made me smile.”

— X post by Adam Blease

The two tributes, from different platforms and different authors, independently confirm the same key details: the birth and death dates, the cause (cancer), and the hospice location. While neither is an official source, their alignment is notable.

For the Coronation Street audience, the lesson is one that goes beyond a single background actor. It’s a reminder that the faces we see every day — the ones without names, without lines, without credits — are the ones that actually build the world we feel we know. Tony Little was one of those faces. For fans of the “Old Kebab Guy”, the street will feel a little emptier.

The recent loss of Tony Little echoes that of Philip Lowrie, original Dennis Tanner, another Coronation Street actor who passed away at 88.

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