Latest news with #Porridge
Leader Live
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Kate Beckinsale announces death of her actress mother
Underworld star Beckinsale said her mother, Judy Loe, died on Tuesday. Loe, who was also an actress, had been suffering from cancer. She was married to Kate's father, fellow actor and Porridge star Richard Beckinsale, until his death in 1979. Her second husband, TV director Roy Battersby, died last year. In a post on her Instagram account, Beckinsale said of her mother: 'She died the night of July 15th in my arms after immeasurable suffering. 'I am paralysed. Jude was the compass of my life, the love of my life, my dearest friend. 'The vastness and huge heart of this tiny woman has touched so many people who love her dearly. 'She has been brave in so many ways, forgiving sometimes too much, believing in the ultimate good in people and the world is so dim without her that it is nearly impossible to bear.' Well-known names from the acting world left messages of support below Beckinsale's post, including Naomi Watts, Cara Delevingne and Jaime Winstone.
South Wales Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Kate Beckinsale announces death of her actress mother
Underworld star Beckinsale said her mother, Judy Loe, died on Tuesday. Loe, who was also an actress, had been suffering from cancer. She was married to Kate's father, fellow actor and Porridge star Richard Beckinsale, until his death in 1979. Her second husband, TV director Roy Battersby, died last year. In a post on her Instagram account, Beckinsale said of her mother: 'She died the night of July 15th in my arms after immeasurable suffering. 'I am paralysed. Jude was the compass of my life, the love of my life, my dearest friend. 'The vastness and huge heart of this tiny woman has touched so many people who love her dearly. 'She has been brave in so many ways, forgiving sometimes too much, believing in the ultimate good in people and the world is so dim without her that it is nearly impossible to bear.' Well-known names from the acting world left messages of support below Beckinsale's post, including Naomi Watts, Cara Delevingne and Jaime Winstone.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kate Beckinsale pays emotional tribute to late father Richard Beckinsale
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the Underworld actress shared a photo of her Porridge actor dad, who tragically died at the age of 31 in 1979. 'Happy 78th birthday, Daddy," she wrote, candidly adding: "For the first time in my life I am really glad you're not here. I'm so grateful you're not seeing what I'm seeing.' Kate went on to share a sweet memory from her childhood. 'I miss you and love you so very very much. Thank you for letting me dig up the little potatoes you grew and letting me wear your enormous wellies..."
Telegraph
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Christopher Biggins: ‘I earned £1m after winning I'm a Celebrity'
Actor and director Christopher Biggins, 76, has graced the screen and stage for more than 50 years. He rose to prominence with his portrayal of Lukewarm in the prison comedy, Porridge, before taking on the scene-stealing role of Nero in I, Claudius. In 2007, he was crowned king of the jungle on I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! Biggins, as he is affectionately known, and his long-time partner, Neil Sinclair, live in east London. How did money shape your upbringing? My mother and father, Pam and Bill, bought a house in Salisbury, but couldn't afford the mortgage, so they sold up and we moved into a caravan. We eventually got a house with no bathroom, just an outside lavatory and a tin bath that was dragged out on Mondays. It was a pretty frugal life, but I never wanted for anything. My parents worked very hard. My father sold motorcycles, and then cars and doubled as a motor mechanic, so he worked all hours. My mother worked in the cocktail bar at the Cathedral Hotel, which was a very swanky place back then. They also took in a lodger, Jock, who stayed for 11 years. They saved and saved, and my father's business thrived. The result was they could afford to send me to private school, installed a bathroom and the tin bath was jettisoned. What was your first job? When I left school, I went to Salisbury rep as an assistant stage manager on £2 a week, with my parents heavily subsidising me, paying for my transport and letting me live at home. I was an only child until age 18 when, as I was preparing to leave to go to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, my mother suddenly mentioned she was pregnant. I couldn't believe that one's parents still did it at that age! But I got my brother Sean out of it, which was lovely. They still helped with money for another two years. Did you think you'd make a living out of acting? No, never. But my father and mother were brilliant in supporting me from 16 to 20, so I could pursue a career on the stage. When I was 20, though, my father said I needed a backup, not least as they now had Sean. He knew I wasn't interested in motorbikes and cars, so he suggested we open an antiques shop, as we both liked bric-a-brac, which I'd run, and I could earn enough for a deposit. Did your career in antiques take off? Well, I'd sit in this shop and see no one all day, and then suddenly at five o'clock, there'd be a rush of about 15 people who all stole from you. So, that didn't seem like much of a job, and I gave it up for acting. Eventually, my father sold up, although he dabbled in bric-a-brac from the back of his garage for many years. I put all my energy into acting and have never looked back. I must add, my father was right, as he recognised how precarious a career acting is. No regrets? No, I've been very fortunate to be able to look back on a wonderful 60-odd-year career, but my father was right. When people come to me for advice about going into theatre, I always say don't do it because it's a horrible profession. I know so many brilliant actors who never got a break. It's all about being in the right place at the right time. What was your big break? Playing Lukewarm in Porridge, alongside Ronnie Barker, Richard Beckinsale and David Jason. I was on £90 an episode, which was great in 1974. When it was repeated on BBC One or BBC Two, I used to get over £1,000 an episode. However, in a bad moment, the BBC decided to sell all these sitcoms to the free-to-air stations, which means I get nothing for the repeats. If we were in America, I'd be a multi-millionaire because you get repeat fees forever over there. Did having this part make you feel more financially secure? I was very lucky because when I was in Salisbury rep, I met two actors: Jonathan Cecil and Vivien Heilbron. They had a lovely house in Fulham, and gave me two rooms, a bedroom and a sitting room, and the use of a kitchen, all for £4 a week. As you can imagine, being on £90 an episode, I became readily accustomed to a style of living that I have maintained ever since. I had enough money to afford to eat out in restaurants regularly, and in those days, you could go to a restaurant in Covent Garden called Luigi's and have a bowl of pasta, a glass of red wine and a coffee for £6. I don't know how young people these days exist, because restaurants are so expensive. What's been your career highlight? Nero in I, Claudius was a wonderful part, a great experience, and to this day, I believe I was Nero in a previous life. Soon after that, I played the sex-crazed vicar in Poldark, which was also marvellous. But I think the most life-changing experience was winning I'm a Celebrity through the public vote, which gives you amazing confidence. I got paid £50,000 for doing it, much less than they get now, but it opened doors and it was a wonderfully lucrative period. I earned £1m in the year after the jungle. Where do you live? We have a very pretty three-bed house near Victoria Park in east London, which was designed by the architect Piers Gough. It's chock-full of artwork, so much so that we don't know the word wallpaper. We also have a one-bed flat in Stratford East, which we let. Although with all the associated costs, cladding problems and so on, we may sell. Are you a spender or a saver? I'm a spender, but as you get older, you realise you have what you need. You don't need another microwave. All you need is to have a nice life. I suppose the most expensive thing in our lives is going abroad on holiday. What's been your best financial decision? Buying this house. I paid £50,000 for it 36 years ago. It's worth considerably more now. Do you have a pension? I have the state pension, which I paid in over all those years, and that gives me enough to get by on, before I earn through the day job. I'm not saying pensioners are rich, but it does help, especially with the shocking water, gas and electricity bills. I have no private pension. Do you have any plans to retire? No. I am a bit like the Frank Sinatra of the pantomime world. I finish a run and think that's it, but I keep coming back, and will be on stage as King Richard in Robin Hood at the Birmingham Hippodrome this Christmas.
Rhyl Journal
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Sir David Jason reveals honest thoughts on Ronnie Barker
The star best known for his role as Del Boy in Only Fools and Horses worked with Barker on the BBC series Open All Hours. The actors first worked together on Hark at Barker in 1969 before coming together again to star in Open All Hours, which ran for four series. In 2005, Ronnie died aged 76 after retiring from television in 1988 when he was just 59. Speaking to The Times, Sir David opened up about working with Ronnie, sharing: "I was going to say Ronnie was always up to no good but that's unfair; he was great fun and he was great company. "Whenever I'm working or with people, if anything happens to make me laugh, I often am reminded of working with Ronnie." The actor added: "I have such fond memories of his off-screen stuff that nobody else can ever see. "One day, we were at rehearsals for Open All Hours, and Ronnie and I did something that was not in the script. "Whatever it was, we made ourselves laugh — fall about laughing — and as we came off the set Ronnie was still giggling away and he said to me, 'Aren't we lucky to be doing something that makes us laugh and we're getting paid for it?' "That very moment has stuck with me forever." Alongside his work in Open All Hours, Ronnie was known for his role as Norman Stanley Fletcher in Porridge, set in the fictional HMP Slade. Recommended Reading Sir David Jason reprises Only Fools and Horses' Del Boy in a surprise appearance Only Fools and Horses star Sir David Jason admits 'it's over now' due to health Sir David Jason admits the one 'disappointment' he had with own beloved show When Ronnie announced his retirement in 1988, it came as a shock to many, including Sir David. Writing in his autobiography, This Time Next Year, Sir David said: "I felt it was far too soon for a man of Ronnie's talents to be stepping down... but there was nothing I or anyone else could do or say to change his mind. "He was adamant, and it was hard to challenge him on it because I knew he had his own personal reasons for being so. Put bluntly, he feared the work might one day kill him."
