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News, Rumors & Scoop

Prunella Scales Dies: British Actress Best Known For Playing Sybil Fawlty In ‘Fawlty Towers’ Was 93

The death was confirmed to the BBC by Scales’ family. Her sons Samuel West and Joseph West told PA she died “peacefully at home in London.”

“Although dementia forced her retirement from a remarkable acting career of nearly 70 years, she continued to live at home,” they added, noting that she had watched Fawlty Towers the day before she died. “We would like to thank all those who gave Pru such wonderful care at the end of her life: her last days were comfortable, contented and surrounded by love.”

BAFTA nominee Scales played Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers, the hit 1970s show created by John Cleese and Connie Booth that many deem to be the greatest British sitcom of all time. Sybil was hotelier Basil Fawlty’s acerbic and bossy wife, who argued frequently with Basil and was often the subject of his ire.

The show was hugely successful, and a remake is currently in the works from Cleese and Rob Reiner’s Castle Rock Entertainment.

Born in South England in 1932, Scales began her career as an assistant stage manager at the Bristol Old Vic theater in the 1950s before starring in the likes of Pride and Prejudice and Hobson’s Choice. Her big break came in sitcom Marriage Lines, where she played Kate Starling opposite Richard Briers, and she was then cast in Fawlty Towers, which made her a household name

Other big roles followed in The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Boys from Brazil and Howards End, the latter of which saw her son Samuel nominated for a BAFTA. She also appeared with her husband, the actor Timothy West, in the Joe Orton farce What the Butler Saw. Timothy West died last year at age 90.

In 1992, Scales was nominated for a BAFTA for her role playing Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett’s televised play A Question of Attribution.

Scales is survived by two sons and one stepdaughter, seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

John Woodvine Dies: British Stage Actor Who Appeared In ‘An American Werewolf In London’ & ‘The Crown’ Was 96

His death was announced by his agent Phil Belfield, who said in a statement that Woodvine died peacefully at his home. The statement did not include the location of Woodvine’s home.

“John was an extraordinary actor and had a fabulous and varied career in all areas of the industry including work on stage in over 70 productions including at the Old Vic, National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company, and on screen in numerous roles including in Young Winston, An American Werewolf In London, Dragonworld, Persuasion, The Crown and most recently in the film Enys Men. John was greatly admired by all and will be sadly missed and fondly remembered by all those who met, knew and worked with him. We are all the richer to have known him.”

Born on July 21, 1929, in South Shields, County Durham, Woodvine graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in 1953 and joined the Old Vic the following year. Among his many credits at the venue were roles in Macbeth; As You Like It; Henry IV, Part One; Henry IV, Part Two; Romeo and Juliet; and Othello.

He appeared on Broadway in four Old Vic transfers in 1956: King Richard II, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Troilus and Cressida. Woodvine returned to Broadway in 1981 in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

Woodvine won the Olivier for Best Comedy Performance in 1987 for his performance as Sir John Falstaff in the Old Vic’s production of The Henrys.

On television, Woodvine appeared in the British crime series Z Cars (1963-69) and New Scotland Yard (1972-74). He played the Marshal of Atrios in the 1979 “The Armageddon Factor” season of Doctor Who, and portrayed Frank Gallagher’s father in the British version of Shameless (2005). In 2016, he appeared in four episodes of Netflix’s The Crown, playing the Archbishop of York.

Film credits include John Schlesinger’s Darling (1965), Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971), Dragonworld (1994), Miss Potter (2006) and Enys Men (2022).

In John Landis’ 1981 hit An American Werewolf in London, he portrayed Dr. Hirsch, the physician who treats the title character, played by David Naughton, after the latter is attacked by a werewolf.

Woodvine is survived by his wife, the actress Lynn Farleigh, and daughters Mary and Emma.

Ray Brooks, Mr Benn Narrator and EastEnders Vet, Dead at 86

The news of Brooks’ death was confirmed by his family, who told BBC that the actor died on Saturday in his home after a brief illness.

Brooks narrated the short-lived animated children’s series Mr Benn between 1971 and 1972. In a statement to BBC, Brooks’ children said that their father considered the role his most popular, “with people continually asking him to say the catchphrase ‘as if by magic!'”. Though only 13 episodes were ever made, Brooks’ sons said “they were repeated twice a year for 21 years.”

Brooks got his start in the 1960s, appearing in such miniseries as Julius Caesar and The Secret Kingdom. From 1963-1964, he played Terry Mills opposite Sidney James in the BBC dramedy Taxi!, and Norman Phillips in the BBC soap Coronation Street.

He went on to star in Big Deal as Robby Box, between 1984 and 1986, and Running Wild as Max Wild, between 1987 and 1989. Later in his career, he joined EastEnders as Joe Macer.

Brooks’ other TV credits include Two Thousand Acres of Sky, Growing Pains, The Pickwick Papers, Death of an Expert Witness, Two People and Jackanory. On the film side, Brooks’ credits include The Knack… and How to Get It, House of Whipcord, Assassin, Carry on Aboard, The Last Grenade and Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.

UK Soap Star Helen Worth Overwhelmed By Surprise Farewell From ‘Coronation Street’ Cast After 50 Years

The actress took to X to send a video thanking fans for their support through the decades, and ITV also shared a video in which Worth was seen overwhelmed by the cast and crew gathering to bid her farewell.

Worth has played Gail Platt for 50 years – during her time on the show, she was married five times and been featured in a catalogue of dramatic storylines including widowhood, the death of her husband, and her discovery that one husband Richard Hillman was a serial killer.

Hillman actor Brian Capron returned in ghostly form to feature in Worth’s very last episode, which ultimately saw her happily married for a sixth time to husband Jesse Chadwick, played by John Thompson.

In her farewell video to fans, Worth said:

“Hello all of you. It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to say ta ta.

“It’s been a fabulous 50 years and I just wanted to thank all of you some of you who may have been watching for 50 – is there anybody?

“And those of you who have been watching for a few years thank you.

“Thanks for coming on the journey with me. I’ve had a wonderful time.

"I’ve loved it, all the stories and of course it’s been wonderful working with the wonderful Platts which for me is what it’s all about. And there’ll be more Platt stories and I hope you’ll be watching.

“Lots of love and thanks from me.”

William Russell Dies: Early ‘Doctor Who’ Companion Was 99

The Doctor Who X account posted the news, writing: “We’re sad to report the passing of William Russell, a legend in #DoctorWho history – who played one of the first and original companions to the Doctor, Ian Chesterton.”

Current showrunner Russell T Davies, who is into his second stint at the helm, also posted his condolences to X.

“An absolute legend, for Doctor Who and the whole of television,” he wrote. “In 1963, William created the template for the Doctor’s companion, and that’s still going strong, 61 years later. He’s adored by fandom, and will never be forgotten.”

Born in 1924, Russell quickly gained prominence in the UK when he was cast as lead in ITV’s The Adventures of Sir Lancelot in the mid-1950s.

In 1963, he landed the Doctor Who role, playing Chesterton, a schoolteacher who acted opposite William Hartnell, the very first Doctor, until 1965. He appeared in 77 episodes of the sci-fi series’ original run, and also reprised the character for various podcasts and one 2022 cameo in ‘The Power of the Doctor’ episode.

Doctor Who remains a huge success and recently launched its latest incarnation with Ncuti Gatwa, which is co-produced for Disney+.

During a lengthy acting career, Russell’s other acting credits included film roles in The Man Who Never Was, Superman and The Great Escape. He also played Ted Sullivan in Coronation Street, along with appearing more recently in Agatha Christie: Poirot and An Adventure in Space and Time.

Russell is survived by wife Etheline and four children, including Alfred Enoch, who starred in the Harry Potter movies.

James Laurenson Dies: ‘The Crown’ And ‘Coronation Street’ Actor Was 84

His death was reported by multiple UK news outlets today. A cause of death and other specifics have not been reported.

First appearing in 1968 as the Reverend Peter Hope in the long-running soap Coronation Street, Laurenson most recently appeared in the film Matilda The Musical (2022), and TV series The Terror (2018) and The Crown (2016). On the latter, he reccured as Doctor Sir John Weir, Physician Royal to King Edward V and others in the monarchy.

Laurenson also was known for his groundbreaking performance in a stage production and 1970 television broadcast of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II in which he and Ian McKellen shared a kiss, considered the first same-sex kiss for British television and arriving three years after homosexuality was decriminalized.

In 2011, Laurenson was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as the Ghost and the Player King in Nicholas Hytner’s production of Hamlet.

Born February 17, 1940, in New Zealand, Laurenson moved to London after university, making his film debut in 1969’s Women in Love. His career would include work on the stage, including many performances in Shakespeare plays and, in 1984, in his only musical, 42nd Street; in film (Pink Floyd’s The Wall) and many TV series (Prime Suspect, Crown Court, Lovejoy and U.S. series Cagney & Lacey and Remington Steele).

According to UK news outlets, he is survived by second wife Cari Haysom and son Jamie from his previous marriage to actress Carol Macready.

John Savident Dies: ‘Coronation Street’ Actor Was 86

His agent confirmed his passing in a statement to press, saying: “We are sad to announce the death of the actor John Savident who died on Wednesday 21 February. He was a much-loved husband and father of two and will be sorely missed by all who knew him.”

Savident joined ITV soap in 1994 as a butcher with a disastrous love life. His comic timing and turn of phrase made him one of the long-running program’s most familiar faces before his character was killed off in 2006 after almost 1,000 episodes. His quirk of adding the words “I say” in between others has been widely parodied in the UK.

The Coronation Street X account shared an image of the actor, and wrote: “Everyone at Coronation Street is deeply saddened to learn of John Savident’s death. As Fred Elliott, John firmly established himself in the pantheon of Coronation Street greats.

“His peerless comic timing, combined with a deep pathos arising from his outstanding dramatic skill, made Fred an unforgettable, iconic character that provided great joy to viewers for many years.”

The actor also appeared in British TV dramas Doctor Who, Holby City and Above Suspicion, and BBC comedy Hotel Babylon. He acted in films such as A Clockwork Orange, Gandhi and Hudson Hawk, and was in the first staging of musical benemoth Phantom of the Opera in 1986, returning to his role as Monsieur Firmin in 2011 for a concert film at the Royal Albert Hall.

Jewish Soap Star Assigned Personal Bodyguard While Filming Outdoor Scenes

Veteran actress Dame Maureen Lipman was seen filming scenes for long-running soap Coronation Street this week in Manchester, accompanied by a security guard provided by her employer ITV.

The Sun reports that the decision to assign security to the actress follows her comments criticising other celebrities who had signed a petition by Artists for Palestine UK condemning Israel’s attacks on Gaza, in response to the invasion by Hamas on October 7.

Lipman, who is Jewish, called these signatories “bleeding heartless liberals” and said publicly at an event:

“When babies were garrotted, women dragged by their hair and a family had eyeballs gouged out and fingers chopped off in front of their children — do they really think that Israeli blockades on the border with Gaza justification for such acts of violence?

“Those bigoted signaturists, do they have no soul as well as no judgment?

“Those bleeding heartless liberals who care so deeply for the Palestinians?

“That they espouse their cause at the expense of every other oppressed people of the world?.?.?.?shame, shame, shame on every one of you.”

The Sun quotes Lipman expressing surprise at the decision to ramp up her security, but saying, “This is where we are now.”

The Community Security Trust has registered a record 805 anti-Semitic incidents in the UK in the 21 days after October 7, more than the total number for the first six months of this year.

ITV & Equity Progressing On Landmark Deal For Soap Actors That Would Include AI Provisions For The First Time

Unions in the U.S. fighting tooth and nail for AI rights will likely be paying close attention and we understand ITV and Equity negotiators are sitting down tomorrow to focus on this specific part of the union’s claim.

Furthermore, Deadline understands that these same AI provisions have been tabled for Equity’s upcoming negotiations with the BBC and UK producer trade body Pact, which govern the vast majority of TV series in the UK.

When they sit down together tomorrow, negotiators from ITV and Equity will discuss AI claims and what is known as synthesisation, the potential for actors’ faces to be cloned and used in other shows, thereby leading to less work for performers. The issue was brought to the fore in the recent Joan is Awful episode of Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror, which has felt a little too close to home for some in the TV and film community.

ITV and Equity sources stressed that the deal is still a way from being signed off for use in contractual arrangements.

A recent Equity AI toolkit flagged the issue of synthesisation as a key priority to protect actors in the future. It provided a template AI contract to protect artists engaging with performance cloning work, along with template clauses to protect artists from having their performance cloned without their consent.

UK broadcasters have so far tinkered round the edges with cloning, employing deepfakes rather than more technologically-advanced AI. Regulator Ofcom recently told broadcasters to “consider carefully” whether they need to update their compliance procedures to account for the risks involved with deepfake content. This followed shows such as ITVX’s Deep Fake Neighbour Wars, which used deepfakes of the likes of Kim Kardashian, Idris Elba and Greta Thunberg to create comedy impression sketches, along with BBC Two documentary I’m an Alcoholic: Inside Recovery, which employed superimposed deepfakes over the top of its contributors to protect their anonymity.

Equity’s negotiations with ITV over soaps produced by the broadcaster’s in-house studios division are further along than the BBC and Pact talks and should complete by the end of this year, we understand, allowing them to act as a blueprint for the BBC and Pact talks, which will likely go into 2024.

Speaking alongside U.S. actors union SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland last month, Equity General Secretary Paul Fleming said it is the “duty of unions to make sure members are educated about their rights” regarding AI.

An ITV spokeswoman said: “We’re having ongoing positive and constructive discussions around this issue with Equity. However, nothing has been finalised or signed off for inclusion in any contractual agreements.” Equity hadn’t responded to requests for comment by press time.

Beyond AI

Beyond AI, negotiations with ITV are complex but progressing, Deadline hears, with significant revision, improvements and modernisation being made to agreements that have not been updated for a number of years.

These contractual agreements govern areas such as pay, working conditions and compensation, topics that resonate with the goals of the WGA and SAG in the U.S. Along with AI provisions, Equity is demanding a 15% rise in basic pay as well as reporting provisions around secondary payments, akin to the U.S. unions’ demand for streaming residuals.

Equity’s Fleming has previously said that the union could be headed towards its own industrial dispute with Pact, which represents hundreds of UK production companies, if negotiations don’t bear fruit.

The strikes have hit the UK industry hard, contributing to a broader slowdown and less opportunity for freelancers. A petition calling on the government to financially support TV and film crew unable to work due to the strikes has so far amassed nearly 30,000 signatures.u00

British Actress Catherine Tyldesley Bemoans “Horrendous” Abuse Over Bizarre Birthday Cake Row

Catherine Tyldesley, an actress best known for her work in ITV soap Coronation Street, has revealed that she has received “horrendous” online abuse after being accused of taking advantage of a small bakery in the pursuit of free cake.

NVRLND, an events company tasked with organizing a 40th birthday party for Tyldesley, approached Yorkshire-based Three Little Birds bakery with a request to make a “camp as tits” themed birthday cake and 100 cupcakes in exchange for social media promotion.

Three Little Birds owner Rebecca Severs posted a screenshot of NVRLND’s emailed request on her company’s Facebook page. She also uploaded her response, in which she said: “I’m so sorry to hear that your client has fallen on such hard times they can’t afford to pay small businesses for their products.

“Unfortunately, as my mortgage provider doesn’t take payment ‘in the form of promotion on their socials’, and my staff can’t feed their kids with exposure on Instagram, I’ll have to decline your very generous offer.”

Tabloid newspaper The Daily Mail revealed that Tyldesley was the celebrity behind the birthday bash in a story on Wednesday, prompting the actress to issue a response on her Instagram profile.

In a post titled “CAKE GATE – The Truth,” Tyldesley denied knowledge of the emails from NVRLND and praised the events company. “The abuse I have been receiving online is horrendous so hopefully this will put an end to it,” she said. “I genuinely do hope the bakery have got some exposure and receive lots of new orders! I’ve always supported local and small businesses.”

NVRLND told the Mail that its emails to Three Little Birds had been “completely misconstrued” and it would have covered all of the bakery’s expenses and costs. “Our aim is to connect small local businesses with the opportunity of growth,” NVRLND said, adding that it was also working on an “expenses-only basis.”

In a Facebook post, Three Little Birds said: “We are blown away by all your support and so happy to see that so many other people agree that small business shouldn’t be taken advantage of!”

Former ‘Coronation Street’ Actress Receives Apology From Daily Mirror Publisher In Prince Harry Phone-Hacking Trial

The Daily Mirror publisher’s barrister said today that it “unequivocally apologizes” to Nikki Sanderson, having admitted that it used private investigators to obtain stories about her. Sanderson alleges the newspapers used information from her mobile phone voicemails which were hacked, and paid private investigators to get personal information about her.

Sanderson is claiming damages for 37 articles published in the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and People newspapers between 1999 and 2009. MGN admitted that on four occasions journalists used investigators to target the actor on one of the UK’s most-watched soaps, which she joined when she was just 15.

Sanderson was reported by the BBC to have described her experience as “abuse,” a word she said she didn’t use lightly.

The trial is part of a plus-100 claimant phone-hacking and privacy suit taking place in London at present, which has attracted global headlines due to Prince Harry’s appearance earlier this week.

Yesterday, Morgan, who edited the Daily Mirror between 1995 and 2004, was accused of “injecting” information into the stories of the paper’s former Royal Editor.

In a written statement, Jane Kerr said Morgan “engaged with the [Buckingham] Palace press offices and would occasionally direct or inject information into a story.”

Many of her stories concerned Prince Harry, who was a teenager at the time and alleges about 140 articles published between 1996 and 2010 by MGN contained information gathered using unlawful methods.

He took to the stand earlier this week, the first royal in more than 100 years to appear in the UK’s high court. Harry used his appearance to claim Morgan makes him feel “physically sick” as he blasted the tabloid press for “inciting hatred.”

For Older News Visit The Daytime Soap Operas News Archives: Here!

Facts

1. Opening theme is by Eric Spear.

2. Coronation Street and rival soap opera EastEnders had a crossover for Children in Need in November 2010 called "East Street". EastEnders stars that visited Weatherfield include Laurie Brett as Jane Beale, Charlie G. Hawkins as Darren Miller, Kylie Babbington as Jodie Gold, Nina Wadia as Zainab Masood and John Partridge as Christian Clarke.

3. Corrie was originally going to be called Florizel Street but the story goes that the title was changed after a Granada TV cleaner remarked on how the name supposedly sounded like a disinfectant.

4. Married five times, Gail is the most-wed character. (As of December 2013)

5. There have been 93 weddings. Mike Baldwin and Jackie Ingram had the shortest marriage, their wedded bliss lasting just seven days in 1991. (As of December 2013)

6. More than 5,000 characters have appeared during the soap’s long history. (As of December 2013)

7. It’s estimated that if real the Rovers pub would served more than 3.5 million pints since the soap started. The ‘beer’ used on the show is very weak shandy.

8. A new purpose-built set for the show was unveiled last month. Based at Salford Quays close to the BBC's HQ, it is the fifth interpretation of the celebrated street and took about 3,000 workers more than two years to create. Of the 400,000 bricks used on the lot, 144,000 of them were reclaimed from a derelict row of properties in Salford.

9. Deaths greatly outnumber births in the show’s long history - 160 people bumped off (including heart attacks, car accidents, suicides, cancer, murders and electrocutions) to 47 babies born. (As of December 2013)

10. Famous people you may have seen treading the famous Weatherfield cobbles include Joanna Lumley; Ben Kingsley; Ian McKellen; Stephanie Beacham; Patricia Routledge; Patrick Stewart; Martin Shaw; June Whitfield; Anna Friel; Nigel Havers.

11. Ken Barlow’s son Peter Barlow is the character to have been played by the most actors. The current performer Chris Gascoyne is the seventh to have had the role. (As of December 2013)

12. As the show’s sole-surviving original character, Ken Barlow has spent the longest time in Coronation Street followed by Emily Bishop.

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