Tragic life of Emmerdale actress who died aged 48 after being left on transplant list
Kitty McGeever, who played Lizzie Lakely on Emmerdale and made history as the first blind actress in a British soap.
The Emmerdale star was in her 40s when she died (Image: ITV)
Kitty McGeever, celebrated for her portrayal of the spirited Lizzie Lakely on ITV’s Emmerdale, died aged 48 in 2015 following a prolonged struggle with health problems that eventually left her awaiting a kidney transplant. Kitty broke new ground as the first blind actress to become a regular cast member on a British soap opera, marking a significant moment for UK television and representation.
After being diagnosed with diabetes at only 19, Kitty endured countless health setbacks throughout her life. While pregnant, she developed pre-eclampsia, resulting in her son Felix arriving two months early. Heartbreakingly, Felix’s first months were riddled with challenges; following a stint in a special care unit, he suffered severe health problems at merely four months old, impacting both his heart and lungs. The immense strain of looking after her critically ill son severely impacted the actress’s own wellbeing. She suffered kidney failure, cardiac problems, and diabetic retinopathy, which progressively robbed her of her sight.
The Emmerdale star had many health issues (Image: ITV)
Despite undergoing laser treatment in an attempt to preserve her vision, her eyesight continued to decline, and by 32, she had lost her sight entirely. Devastatingly, her son Felix succumbed to his health conditions in January 2003 at merely 15 months old.
Speaking to The Mirror in 2009, Kitty revealed: “They told me I had this condition that would usually take five to 10 years to take my sight, but it took five months because of all the stress.”
Following her health battles, Kitty underwent a successful 12-hour kidney transplant surgery. After recovering, she expressed her wish to resume acting and reached out to her agent in 2008.
It was at this point that Emmerdale’s production team discovered her – Kitty had been performing in a one-woman stage production where she openly shared her experiences as a blind woman when she was spotted for the soap.
Kitty’s depiction of the beloved Lizzie Lakely proved hugely popular with viewers. In a 2009 BBC interview, Kitty said that her character Lizzie “is irreverent, she’s naughty, she’s manipulative in the extreme… She uses her disability to her advantage and then disregards it to her advantage whenever and whichever way she chooses.”
She was the first blind actress on the ITV soap (Image: ITV)
Tragically, in February 2013, reports surfaced that she had been admitted to hospital and was awaiting a heart transplant. While her sister, Caroline Mitchell, a scriptwriter for Emmerdale, dismissed the heart transplant claims, she did confirm that Kitty was on the transplant register.
Kitty died on August 16, 2015, aged just 48, and it was reported that she had requested her organs be donated to assist others. Her last acting appearance was in the 2016 horror film, The Unfolding.
At the time, an Emmerdale spokesperson said: “Kitty was a great talent and a true inspiration to all who worked with her. The cast and crew are devastated at her passing and she will be missed tremendously and remembered fondly by all of us.”
The actress’s death left a lasting mark on both Emmerdale’s devoted fanbase and the soap opera itself — yet her legacy as a trailblazing performer and her remarkable courage in the face of adversity remains as powerful as ever, even to this day.
