Dame Penelope Keith dies aged 86

Dame Penelope Keith dies aged 86

Dame Penelope Keith, the renowned actress best known for her iconic roles in the classic British sitcoms The Good Life and To the Manor Born, has died at the age of 86. According to a statement released by her family, she passed away peacefully at her home in Surrey, where she had lived for over 50 years, while living with cancer.

Keith's career in show business spanned over five decades, during which she established herself as a household name in the UK. She joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1963 and went on to win numerous awards, including a BAFTA TV award for Best Light Entertainment Performance for her role as Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life. Her performance as the snobbish and ultra-fastidious Margo earned her a special place in the hearts of audiences, and she became a beloved figure in British comedy.

In addition to her work in The Good Life, Keith also starred in To the Manor Born, playing the role of Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, a widowed aristocrat. The show was a huge success, with the season one finale attracting an audience of almost 24 million viewers, making it one of the most-watched British programmes of the 1970s.

Throughout her career, Keith worked extensively in theatre, winning an Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in 1976 for her role in the play Donkey's Years. She also presented several documentary series for the BBC and Channel 4, and was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2014 for her services to the arts and charity.

Tributes have been pouring in from the entertainment industry, with fellow actors, comedians, and presenters remembering Keith as a "comic genius" and a "joy to know and work with." Felicity Kendal, her co-star in The Good Life, paid tribute to Keith, describing her as a "comic genius" who was "a joy to know and work with." Sue Perkins, a comedian and presenter, praised Keith for creating "some of the greatest sit com characters of all time," while broadcaster Gyles Brandreth remembered her as "a wonderful actress, a real friend, so funny, so generous with the time she gave to good causes."

Keith's personal life was also marked by happiness and fulfillment. She married Rodney Timson, a former police detective, in 1978, and the couple adopted two sons. In a statement, her family expressed their gratitude for the care and support she received during her illness and asked for their privacy to be respected at this time.