| Edna Birch | |||||||||||||||||
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| Emmerdale character | |||||||||||||||||
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| Portrayed by | Shirley Stelfox | ||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2000–2015 | ||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 25 May 2000 | ||||||||||||||||
| Last appearance | 26 October 2015 | ||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Former; regular | ||||||||||||||||
| Introduced by | Keith Richardson | ||||||||||||||||
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Edna Birch is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale, played by Shirley Stelfox. She made her first appearance during the episode first broadcast on 25 May 2000. Edna is characterised as a proud and independent Christian woman who often judges her neighbours' lifestyles. She is recognisable amongst the public for her pudding-basin hat and dog – firstly, Batley the Yorkshire Terrier, followed by Papillon Tootsie. Many of her stories have involved her dogs, including being run over saving Tootsie and the death of Batley, which won an award. The programme established friendships for Edna with many characters of a similar age, and in later years, she was paired with Sandy Thomas (Freddie Jones), which generated many comedic scenes.
Edna's family were also seen at various points. The introduction of her estranged sister, Lily Butterfield (Anne Charleston), created a new story for Edna as it was revealed that her son was in fact her nephew. In 2012, the character of Edna was used to explore the issue of pride amidst financial difficulties. During the story, Edna faces having to pay for Tootsie's medical bills, a burglary at her home, debts and eventually, a collapse.
Stelfox died in December 2015 after portraying Edna for fifteen years. The character's final scenes were broadcast prior to her death, in the episode first broadcast on 26 October, and she was killed off-screen in May 2016. The character and Stelfox's performances were widely praised by viewers and critics alike. Simon Farquhar of The Independent opined that Stelfox had established Edna as "one of the best loved characters on the programme in years".[1]