Adele Rose, a prolific writer for Coronation Street, as well as the creator of Byker Grove, the series that propelled Ant McPartlin and Dec Donnelly to stardom, has died aged 87.

Rose’s husband, Peter Chadwick, said the writer – who was Corrie’s longest-serving writer – died on Monday from pneumonia, after contracting the condition a week ago. He told Chronicle Live: ‘She developed pneumonia about a week ago and never got over it. ‘She passed away in the local hospital, where she had the best care.’

Paying tribute to his wife of 40 years, he added: ‘She had a huge sense of humour which was often quite naughty and quite wicked. ‘She loved writing the battleaxes in Coronation Street.’ He went on: ‘She was Jewish and she had a very Jewish mother attitude to life, she had to make sure everybody was okay.

Her son said that if she didn’t have anything to worry about, it would worry her. ‘Everybody around here adored her. They were a little bit starstruck, but she was very, very warm. It’s been a wonderful 40 years with her.’ Rose, who was a favourite among fans and was the soap’s only female writer in its early years, penned 460 episodes of Corrie between 1961 and 1998.

Writing for it until she was nearly 70, Rose won a Bafta for her work in 1993. In 1989, she was approached to do a one-off drama about a youth club with the full series of Byker Grove emerging in 1990. Starring Ant and Dec in their first TV role together, it soon became the longest-running networked TV show to come out of Tyneside.

It went on to win many awards and was praised for covering topics shirked by other series, such as homosexuality, alcoholism and drugs, and teen pregnancy, and abortion. Rose’s other writer credits include Heartbeat, Angels, Z Cars, The Dustbinmen and Robin’s Nest (as well as writing for Crossroads under a pseudonym).

She retired to the Cotswolds with Chadwick in 2000. As well as her husband, Rose is survived by son, Steve, and grandson, Daniel. Her daughter Carrie tragically died several years ago after contracting sepsis.