Tipton Twin Lilian Cox marks 98th birthday with charity fundraiser

Lilian Cox turns 98 on Saturday and will remember her late twin sister

One half of the Tipton Twins is marking her 98th birthday with a charity fundraiser in memory of her sister.

Black Country twins Lilian Cox and Doris Hobday captured the nation's heart after appearing on daytime TV sharing their love of Jason Statham.

They were both admitted to hospital after contracting Covid-19 in January 2021 and Doris died shortly after.

To mark their birthday on Saturday, Lilian is hosting an event in Halesowen for the Beacon Centre for the blind.

She said it was a charity close to Doris's heart.

Doris and Lilian were followed by thousands of fans on their Facebook page

Speaking to BBC WM, Lilian said her twin was her "partner in crime", adding she "could never get a word out".

The siblings, from Tipton, in the West Midlands, were among the UK's oldest living twins and became popular figures online due to their positive outlook on life and sense of humour.

They appeared on BBC Breakfast, ITV's Good Morning Britain and This Morning, charming presenters with jokes about wearing their drawers inside out and their love for actor Jason Statham.

Doris was been buried next to her husband Ray, who, along with half a Guinness, was "her favourite thing"

On her rise to fame, Lilian joked: "I'm frightened to go out, because everybody knows you."

She said she had fans around the world who she described as "golden", with some buying tickets for her event in Halesowen despite being unable to get there, but just because they wanted to donate to her cause.

"I read how many comments there are on posts every night," she said. "It really passes my time away."

Lilian's fundraising event will be held at Soccer Zone in Halesowen at 19:30 BST on Saturday, where she will talk about her life and share unseen footage of her and Doris.

There will also be a chance for an audience Q&A, although Lilian said: "They're going to watch what them saying."

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [e-mail]