Ben Keaton, the Irish actor known for roles in Emmerdale, Casualty and Father Ted, died on March 20, 2026, aged 69.
Born Benjamin J. Burke-Kennedy in Dublin on 3 May 1956, he appeared in Emmerdale as Jeff Brannigan and in Casualty as Spencer between 1999 and 2002.
He also played Father Austin Purcell in Think Fast, Father Ted, an episode of the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. Under his stage name, Keaton also worked in theatre and as a comedian.
Benjamin J. Burke-Kennedy (3 May 1956 – 20 March 2026), known by the stage name Ben Keaton, was an Irish actor who appeared in Emmerdale as Jeff Brannigan and in Casualty as Spencer between 1999 and 2002. He also appeared as Father Austin Purcell in “Think Fast, Father Ted”, an episode of the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted.