Kirstie Alley, star of Cheers sitcom, dies aged 71

Kirstie Alley, who rose to fame as Rebecca Howe in the US sitcom Cheers from 1978 until 1993, has died aged 71.

The actor, who also starred in Look Who’s Talking, passed away from a "recently discovered" cancer in Florida.

Her family described her as an "incredible, fierce, and loving mother" in a statement shared on her official social media accounts.

"She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living," the statement read.

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