Article by Sue Evison and Antonella Lazzeri June 1991

Stars last night paid tribute to Crossroads actor Ronnie Allen after he lost his fight against cancer.

Ronnie, 56 - who played motel manager David Hunter - died in an ambulance after collapsing at home in South West London.  His actress wife Sue Lloyd was at his side.

Devastated Jane Rossington - the soap's Jill Chance for 24 years - said: "It doesn't seem fair that such a kind man should have his life cut short."

Ronnie's cancer was diagnosed in February this year, just two weeks after he and Sue married in London following an 11 year romance.  Surgeons removed a tumour from his lung, but it failed to stop the disease.

He starred in Crossroads for 14 years with Sue playing his wife Barbara until they were both axed in 1985.  Actor Tony Adams - motel womaniser Adam Chance - said: "Ronnie was wonderful to me when I first started in Crossroads.  I owe a lot of my success to him."

Sue Hanson, Crossroads' Miss Diane, said: "He was a very dear friend and I'll miss him terribly."  Jane Rossington added: "It's very sad, but I'm glad that Ronnie got together with Sue.  I have never seen two people make each other so happy."

Ronnie's affair with co-star Sue was revealed by the Sun in 1985.  Until then his career had been dogged by claims that he was gay.  The rumours started when Ronnie set up home with actor Brian Hankins, who died of cancer in 1978.

Ronnie said of the slurs: "People can think what they like.  The simple truth is that I hadn't found a woman I wanted to share my life with until Sue came along."

The brave star - who recently signed a £75,000 contract to star in a U.S. soap - had pledged to fight cancer.  He said: "I'm determined to beat this damned thing and don't want to die - but I'm not frightened of dying."