Tributes have poured in for Caroline Aherne, who sadly passed away yesterday at the age of 52, after a long battle with cancer. A TV fixture throughout the nineties, Aherne will be best remembered for her Mrs Merton character and sitcom ‘The Royle Family’, which she starred in and co-wrote with Craig Cash.

the Royale FamilyCaroline Aherne with Craig Cash, Ricky Tomlinson, Sue Johnson and Ralf Little in ‘The Royle Family’.

Speaking to The Mirror, Ricky Tomlinson who played her father Jim on ‘The Royle Family’ said: “She was absolutely wonderful and amazing to work for. Kind, funny, witty. A true professional and one of the most generous people I ever worked with.”

More: Comedian And Actress Caroline Aherne Dies Age 52

Ralf Little, who played her bother Antony tweeted: “Sorry for silence – I just … don’t know what to say. What a sad, sad day. We’ve lost another one of our best. A character. A legend. A boss. A sister, real and (for me) fake. A boss. A writer. An actor. A genius. A friend. Big, big heart. Goodbye.”

In an interview with The Guardian, fellow Manchester comedian Steve Coogan said: "I loved her. She used to make me cry with laughter. This is the first time she’s made me cry without laughing. She was naturally funny, and cross-generational. Her comedy wasn’t intellectual but it was clever, and intuitive.”

More: Caroline Aherne: Her Most Memorable TV Moments

'Little Britain’ star David Walliams tweeted: “Absolutely devastating news about Caroline Aherne. A true comedy genius, her work was equally funny & touching.” Comedian Miranda Hart also paid tribute writing: “Yet another inspirational female comedian lost. Thank you for everything Caroline Aherne. RIP.”