Sophiya Haque played barmaid Poppy in Coronation Street
Actress Sophiya Haque was famed for portraying Poppy Morales in Coronation Street, with the star having appeared in the ITV soap from 2008 until 2009. Poppy was a barmaid and manager at The Rovers Return. Her final scenes saw her being dragged out of the iconic pub by Becky Granger (Katherine Kelly) following a spat with her and Steve McDonald (Simon Gregson), and she was never seen on the cobbles again.
Coronation Street marked Sophiya’s first big TV role. Prior to being cast in the soap she’d had a varied career, which kicked off with her being the lead vocalist in the band Akasa, who signed a deal with Warner Bros in 1988.
Sophiya was just 41 when she passed away
Sophiya then worked as a video jockey for MTV Asia for seven years, as well as Channel V. This led to her bagging a job as a presenter at STAR TV in Hong Kong, and she went on to appear on TV in India. In the late 90s, she relocated to Mumbai to take on a full-time role on Channel V. The actress made her Bollywood film debut in Khoobsura and she appeared in several other titles, including Mangal Pandey: The Rising.
In 2002, Sophiya headed back to the UK and was cast as Rani in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production Bombay Dreams. She went on to play Janoo Rani in The Far Pavillions and Soraya in Wah! Wah! Girls.
Following her role on Coronation Street, she appeared in BBC’s Fairy Tales and in House of Anubis in the role Senkhara. She then began working in the Michael Grandage production of Privates on Parade in the role of Sylvia Morgan, but it was during this time when Sophiya fell ill.
During the festive period in 2012, Sophiya was diagnosed with cancer. Weeks later, she developed a lung clot and pneumonia. On 17 January 2013, she passed away in her sleep at a hospital in London, where she had been undergoing tests.
At the time of her death, Sophiya was in a relationship with musical director David White. The couple, who lived in Khaphill, Surrey, had been in the process of building a houseboat before Sophiya fell ill. Records made public weeks after her death revealed Sophiya’s final requests, which included for David to have most of her £361,214 estate.
At the time, Coronation Street producers released a statement regarding Sophiya’s passing, which said: “We are saddened to hear the terrible news of Sophiya’s death. She was a vibrant and beautiful actress who was a pleasure to have around during her time on Coronation Street. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this very sad time.”
