Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads? star Brigit Forsyth dies aged 83

Actress Brigit Forsyth, star of iconic British TV show Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?, has died at the age of 83.

The Scottish actress played Thelma Ferris, the long-suffering wife of Rodney Bewes’s character Bob, in the BBC’s cult 70s Newcastle-set sitcom.

She died “peacefully in her sleep surrounded by her family” in the early hours of Friday morning, her agent Mark Pemberton confirmed.

In a statement he said: “Brigit had a varied and notable career in stage, screen and radio. Best known for her roles in television as Thelma in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?, Francine Pratt in Playing The Field and Madge in Still Open All Hours.

“Brigit also played multiple roles in theatre from the West End to the National Theatres of England and Scotland, and the great reps of Leeds, Manchester and Birmingham, playing everything from the Queen in Single Spies, to Kate in All My Sons.

“She was in many radio plays on the BBC over the years and also featured in the Radio 4 sitcom Ed Reardon’s Week. A talented musician, Brigit played the cello, sang and composed, and in later years played with several bands including The Fircones.

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“Brigit loved collaboration and helping to develop new works with actors, writers and directors, which eventually led her to form her own cross-disciplinary theatre company, Word Mills Productions in 2016.”

Forsyth starred in a number of other tv shows, including ITV crime drama Poirot and BBC hospital series Casualty.

She appeared in Coronation Street playing one of Ken Barlow’s escort clients, and also had a role in classic Doctor Who episode “The Evil of the Daleks”, where she starred alongside Patrick Troughton.

The actress won plaudits for her stage roles, which included playing an American in The Glass Menagerie and a Polish doctor in a production at the National Theatre.

In 2000, she returned to screens in the BBC’s footballing drama Playing The Field, as social climbing snob Francine Pratt, married to businessman Jim Pratt played by Royle Family star Ricky Tomlinson.

Her husband was Coronation Street director Brian Mills. Her Likely Lads co-star Bewes died aged 79 in November 2017.

Additional reporting by Press Association.