Latest news with #TVlegend
BreakingNews.ie
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
‘STV legend' Glen Michael host of Cartoon Cavalcade dies aged 99
Children's TV presenter and entertainer Glen Michael has been remembered as an 'STV legend', as the broadcaster announced his death at the age of 99. He was best known for Glen Michael's Cartoon Cavalcade, which ran from the 1960s to 1990s. Advertisement His family said he died peacefully at his home in South Ayrshire early on Wednesday evening. STV's audience director Bobby Hain said: 'We are deeply saddened to hear that Glen Michael has passed away. His programmes involved silly humour and family fun (STV) 'Glen was a wonderful performer and personality and we know that many viewers will have very fond memories of him. 'He was an STV legend, with Glen Michael's Cavalcade a particular favourite for children across Scotland during its 26-year run. Advertisement 'Our thoughts are with his family at this time and we send them our deepest condolences.' Michael was born Cecil Edward Buckland in Devon in 1926, but adopted the name Glen Michael as he began a showbusiness career. One of his childhood acquaintances would grow up to be Queen Elizabeth II's horse racing manager, Lord Porchester, whom he knew as 'Porchey'. He had an itinerant childhood and spent a period in a workhouse. Advertisement Seeking fame and fortune, he travelled to London and put on an act impersonating famous people such as Sir Winston Churchill. During the war, he was conscripted into the RAF and performed shows for troops in military camps. After a career touring Scotland with variety shows, he joined STV where he began presenting children's shows. His Cartoon Cavalcade grew in popularity and became a much larger show than first envisaged, involving silly humour and family entertainment. Advertisement Guests on the cavalcade show included Slick the pop group, with Midge Ure at the start of his career. Michael was also one of the original presenters on Radio Clyde in 1974. During his later years he supported the veterans' charities Erskine and Age UK. He is survived by his family, including wife, Karyn Buckland, and two great granddaughters. Advertisement
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Coupling star Sarah Alexander's former lover Gerald Harper dies aged 96 as tributes pour in for Hadleigh actor
Coupling star Sarah Alexander's former lover Gerald Harper had died aged 96. The actor was well-known to 60s and 70s TV audiences as the suave star of Hadleigh, and before that Adam Adamant Lives!, an Edwardian gent who finds himself propelled into London in the swinging sixties. CDM Talent Agency confirmed the sad news in a statement on social media on Friday. They wrote: 'It is with great sadness that Gerald Harper has recently passed away - he was a valued client before he went to Spain to enjoy his retirement.' Sarah, 54, was only 25 when she was first spotted dating Gerald Harper, then 68, in 1996. A passer-by told the Sunday People of Alexander and Harper: 'They were super-glued together! They were all over each other and didn't care who saw them. 'Funnily enough, the young lady was making a lot of the running and kept grabbing him to French kiss him – it was quite a display.' When Sarah, whose big TV break would come in Coupling with Jack Davenport in 2000, moved in with Harper in his large Notting Hill house, friends' eyebrows were raised, especially as she is eight years younger than her new boyfriend's daughter, confusingly also named Sarah. But they refused to allow the generation gap to get in their way. Friends said Harper was 'absolutely bereft' when Sarah left him for Amandaland star Peter Serafinowicz in 2002. Before his relationship with Sarah, Gerald was married to Carla Rabaiotti, a former Pan American air stewardess. The pair, who later divorced in 1983, share a son. Harper was previously married to actress Jane Downs from 1957 until they divorced in 1975. They share a daughter. At the height of his fame Harper was TV's most eligible bachelor in ITV's Hadleigh, which ran from 1969 to 1976. He was perfectly cast as urbane English toff James Hadleigh, a wealthy, handsome playboy who lived in a mansion in the West Riding and ran the local newspaper. He told the Express in 2006: 'There wasn't that much to watch back then, so we had huge audiences. 'The top brass at Yorkshire Television didn't think Hadleigh would work, though, and placed us very late at night. 'When they realised they were wrong, they apologised. I tore up my contract and said: 'Shall we start again?' 'Not only did I get more money, I was given the loan of a country estate for a year complete with staff. I lived like a lord. It was very glamorous. 'I was a TV star on my own terms and for the best part of 20 years I virtually didn't have a day off.' Following his TV career, he returned to his main love, the theatre. His classical work includes playing on Broadway with the Old Vic company, playing Iago at the Bristol Old Vic and Benedick at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Age never held Harper back, and when he was approaching his 75th birthday, he flew to the Masai Mara in a light aircraft and rode horseback across Kenya's Masai Mara game park. On the return leg, the plan crashed through a hedge and ended up on its side. He recalled: 'I turned to the pilot and said: 'Do not bother with the next venue, my good man. Just get me the hell out of here to Nairobi and civilisation!' Enough was enough.' A former pupil at Haileybury public school, he originally planned to become a doctor, but caught the acting bug while doing his National Service and won a place at RADA.
The Sun
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Where is Aggie MacKenzie now? A look at Kim Woodburn's How Clean is Your House co-star
KIM Woodburn sadly passed away on June 16, 2025, following a short illness. Here we take a look at the life and career of the late TV legend 's co-star Aggie MacKenzie, as well as what she's up to now. 1 In 2002, Channel 4 reached out to a cleaning company seeking a cleaner with a "funny temperament" and Kim Woodburn was recommended. She was paired with Aggie MacKenzie following a screen test, with filming for the now iconic show beginning just weeks later. The duo fronted the show for six series up until August 2009. Kim went on to feature in numerous of shows including I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here in 2009, as well as Celebrity Big Brother in 2017. She was also a regular on on ITV 's Loose Women and This Morning. Following the sad news of her passing, a representative for Kim said: "It is with immense sadness that we let you know our beloved Kim Woodburn passed away yesterday following a short illness. "Kim was an incredibly kind, caring, charismatic and strong person. "Her husband Peter is heartbroken at the loss of his soulmate. "We are so proud of the amazing things Kim achieved in her life and career. "We kindly ask that Kim's husband and close friends are given the time and privacy they need to grieve. "We will not be releasing any further details." Who is Aggie MacKenzie? Born Agnes MacKenzie in 1955 in the Scottish Highlands, Aggie is best known as the co-presenter of Channel 4's How Clean Is Your House? Her career has evolved considerably since her cleaning show fame. Aggie continued working in television, presenting ITV's Storage Hoarders (2012–2013) and making guest appearances on shows such as STV's The Hour and Celebrity Masterchef. She has also maintained her career as a journalist and writer, sharing cleaning tips and household advice on her website and other outlets. Yoga teacher In her fifties, Aggie built a new career by retraining as a yoga teacher, hosting online classes from her North London home and running yoga retreats. She offers weekly sessions over Zoom, focusing on wellness and mindfulness, marking a significant shift from her TV cleaning persona. Aggie writes on her website:" I've been qualified since July 2017, and teach small groups or one-to-ones, mainly from my home in north London and at workplaces. "I teach mainly beginners and level 2, and am experienced at working with mixed-level groups." Partnership with Kim Aggie's partnership with Kim was strictly professional. The two were not friends outside of their work. Their relationship became strained during the later years of How Clean Is Your House? Aggie even said they 'did not speak' during the final two series. Kim previously said she wished Aggie well, but also acknowledged they were never friends, simply 'a great double act'.
