Jean Fergusson, who played Marina in Last of the Summer Wine for more than two decades, has died aged 74. She died at home in the early hours of Thursday.

She played Marina in the long-running sitcom from 1985 until it ended in 2010. She also appeared in Coronation Street as different characters in 1987 and 1999 and as Dorothy Hoyle from 2010 to 2011.

Jean Fergusson as Marina in Last of the Summer Wine. Photograph: Sportsphoto/Allstar

A statement from her agents, Scott Marshall Partners, said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of actress Jean Fergusson, known to millions as flirtatious Marina in the long-running BBC comedy Last of the Summer Wine.

“Born in Wakefield on 30th December 1944, she was a proud Yorkshirewoman who never forgot her roots. Her career spanned more than 50 years and started in repertory playing a variety of roles.

“Jean was a much-loved and respected actress, a brilliant comedienne, raconteur and the life and soul of any gathering. She will be much missed by her many friends and colleagues.”

Fergusson’s stage career included the play She Knows You Know, which she wrote and starred in. She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier award in 1998 for her role as the comic Hylda Baker in a production at the Vaudeville theatre in London.

In recent years Fergusson appeared on celebrity quiz shows including Pointless. She is survived by her sister and two nephews.