Margaret "Meg" Johnson (born Margaret Mary Foster; 30th September 1936 in Manchester, died 1st July 2023 in Rochdale) was an English actress who portrayed Pearl Ladderbanks in Emmerdale from July 2003 to March 2020.
Prior to joining Emmerdale, Johnson was a part of the now-axed UK soap Brookside, playing Brigid McKenna for three years. In the early 1980s, she played the part of Eunice Gee in Coronation Street, a role she briefly reprised in 1999.
In November 1997, she was in the original cast of the London revival of Chicago playing Matron 'Mama' Morton, the prison warder, for more than a year. She can be heard on the London Cast Recording of Chicago, singing "When You're Good To Mama", "Me And My Baby" and "Class".
Following her role in Coronation Street she appeared sporadically on television, and was a part of the cast of Victoria Wood As Seen On TV (1985-1987) alongside Victoria Wood, Julie Walters, Celia Imrie and others. Her other television appearances included Crown Court, Yanks Go Home, Empire Road, Taggart, Lovejoy, Hollyoaks, The Wild House and Peak Practice.
Johnson was married to the former Granada Television continuity announcer Charles Foster until his death in February 2023.
Johnson died on 1st July 2023, aged 86. In a statement Johnson's family said she "had dementia for the last few years, but battled on personally and professionally regardless". Emmerdale paid tribute to her on their social media accounts, describing Johnson as "a kind and wonderful lady, full of warmth and always with a twinkle in her eye" adding that she would be "greatly missed by everyone who knew her."
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