[go: up one dir, main page]

Bella Emberg (born Sybil Dyke;[1] 16 September 1937 – 12 January 2018)[2] was an English actress whose television career spanned 60 years.[3][4]

Bella Emberg
Born
Sybil Dyke

(1937-09-16)16 September 1937
Brighton, Sussex, England
Died12 January 2018(2018-01-12) (aged 80)
Morden, London, England
OccupationActress

Early life and career

edit

Emberg was born on 16 September 1937 in Brighton, Sussex and grew up wanting to be an entertainer. Her professional debut was in weekly repertory in Ryde, Isle of Wight in the summer season of 1962, aged 25.[5]

She appeared in television series such as The Benny Hill Show, Robin's Nest, Softly, Softly, Z Cars, Dawson Watch, Bear Behaving Badly and Grange Hill. Her best-known role was in The Russ Abbot Show, where she played superheroine Blunderwoman alongside Abbot's Cooperman character.[3] The show ran from 1980 to 1996, and at its peak attracted 18 million viewers.[5]

Emberg also starred in Mel Brooks' film History of the World, Part I (1981).[6] She made a guest appearance in the first episode of the revived version of The Basil Brush Show in 2002, and also featured in Doctor Who four times. From 2008 to 2010 she appeared as Barney Harwood’s fictional Aunt Barbara in Bear Behaving Badly on CBBC. In 1965 she had an uncredited appearance in Undermind, (non-speaking) and other uncredited roles in the 1970s Third Doctor serials Doctor Who and the Silurians and The Time Warrior. In the revived series, she played Mrs Croot in Love & Monsters. She filmed a second appearance as Mrs Croot for The Runaway Bride, but this scene ended up on the cutting room floor.

Shortly before her death, she completed filming for In the Long Run, a Sky One comedy created by Idris Elba, due to be broadcast in April 2018.[4]

Death

edit

Emberg's housemate found her collapsed at their home in London's Raynes Park on 12 January 2018, aged 80. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate her and she was found to have died from alcohol toxicity.[5][7]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1969 The Siegfried Idyll Maid in Biebrich TV movie
1970 Morning Story Mrs Shaw TV movie
1972 Mr. Horatio Knibbles Woman crossing road (uncredited) Feature film
1978 Sammy's Super T-Shirt Woman at door (uncredited) Film
1981 History of the World, Part I Baguette – The French Revolution Feature film
1995 It Might Be You Lady Caller TV movie
2002 Fuel Effie Short film
2006 London Hospital Mrs Hard Up TV movie
2018 Dog Day Evelyn Short film

Television

edit
Year Title Role Notes
1961 Playbox Policewoman TV play series, 1 episode
1961 Our Mister Ambler TV series, 1 episode
1961 Maigret TV series, 1 episode
1964 Two of a Kind Girl TV series, 1 episode
1964 The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr Miniseries, 1 episode
1965 R3 Wife TV series, 1 episode
1965 ITV Play of the Week Nurse Cary TV play series, 1 episode
1965 Undermind Volunteer at Flu Research Centre (uncredited) TV series, episode: "Waves of Sound"
1965 Love Story Frau Kellerman TV series, 1 episode
1966 The Benny Hill Show Various characters TV series, 1 episode
1968 The Wednesday Play Maid TV play series, 1 episode
1968 Detective Parker TV series, 1 episode
1969 Softly, Softly Secretary TV series, 1 episode
1969 Father, Dear Father Myrtle TV series, 1 episode
1968; 1969 The Troubleshooters Nurse / Hilda TV series, 2 episodes
1969 Curry and Chips Woman TV series, 1 episode
1970 Villette Marie Bruc TV series, 1 episode
1970 The Roads to Freedom Rose Miniseries, 1 episode
1970; 1971 Doomwatch St. Simons' Islander / Woman TV series, 2 episodes
1971 Take Three Girls Annie TV series, 1 episode
1971 Cousin Bette Cousin Judici Miniseries, 1 episode
1971 The Goodies Delia's Dancer TV series, 1 episode
1972 Callan Prison Officer TV series, 1 episode
1972 Softly, Softly: Task Force Prison Officer / Police Woman TV series, 2 episodes
1973 Seven of One Mrs Beckett TV series, 1 episode
1973 ...And Mother Makes Three Woolworths Employee TV series, 1 episode
1973 Hunters Walk Mrs Flack TV series, 1 episode
1973 Sykes Passenger TV series, 1 episode
1973 The Tommy Cooper Hour TV series, 1 episode
1970; 1974 Doctor Who Kitchen Maid / Nurse TV series ("Doctor Who and the Silurians", "The Time Warrior")
1965–74 Z-Cars Various characters TV series, 4 episodes
1974 Father Brown Museum Guide TV series, 1 episode
1974–75 Man About the House Traffic Warden / Podge's Mother TV series, 7 episodes
1976 Lucky Feller Woman TV series, 1 episode
1976 George and Mildred Woman in Park TV series, 1 episode
1975–76 Within These Walls Prison Officer TV series, 5 episodes
1975–77 Doctor on the Go Housewife / Miss McArthur TV series, 2 episodes
1977 Big Boy Now! Mrs Craig TV series, 1 episode
1976–77 Yes, Honestly Mrs Lawson / Woman in Pub TV series, 2 episodes
1977 The Tomorrow People Cleaning Lady TV series, 1 episode
1977 The Foundation Traffic Warden TV series, 1 episode
1977 The Dick Emery Christmas Show: The Texas Connection Cook TV special
1978 Robin's Nest Dirty Agnes TV series, 1 episode
1978 Pennies from Heaven Mrs Corder TV series, 2 episodes
1978 Happy Ever After Daphne TV series, 1 episode
1978 The Birds Fall Down Catherine Miniseries, 2 episodes
1978–79 A Sharp Intake of Breath Doris / Mrs Casey / Mrs Jackson TV series, 4 episodes
1979 Spooner’s Patch The Mayor's Wife TV series, 1 episode
1979 Rings on Their Fingers Café Waitress TV series, 1 episode
1979 Testament of Youth St Jude's Staff Nurse Miniseries, 1 episode
1980 Grange Hill Cleaning Lady TV series, 1 episode
1979–80 The Dawson Watch Barbara Streisand / Mastermind Contestant TV series, 3 episodes
1981 Now for Nookie Woman TV series, 1 episode
1971–82 The Benny Hill Show Various characters TV series, 15 episodes
1983 Let There Be Love Miss Turnbull TV series, 1 episode
1980–85 Madhouse Various characters TV series, 50 episodes
1987–90 The Les Dennis Laughter Show Various characters TV series, 14 episodes
1991 Billy Webb’s Amazing Story Mrs Frisby TV series, 5 episodes
1986–94 The Russ Abbot Show Blunderwoman / Various characters TV series, 66 episodes
1996 The Ant & Dec Show TV series, 1 episode
1997 Ant & Dec Unzipped TV series, 1 episode
1997 The Lily Savage Show Bella the Hun TV series, 1 episode
1998 The Zig and Zag Show Completely Horrible Woman / Serena TV series, 2 episodes
2002 The Basil Brush Show Auntie TV series, episode 1
2002 Trial & Retribution Mrs Fowler TV series, episode 1
2006 Doctor Who Mrs Croot TV series, 1 episode: "Love & Monsters"
2008–10 Bear Behaving Badly Aunt Barbara TV series
2015 Pompidou Bella TV series, 3 episodes
2017-18 In the Long Run Sheila (final role) TV series, 3 episodes

References

edit
  1. ^ Harp, Justin (13 January 2018). "Russ Abbot Show's Blunderwoman, actress Bella Emberg, dies at age 80". Digital Spy.
  2. ^ Hayward, Anthony (14 January 2018). "Bella Emberg obituary". the Guardian. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Blunderwoman star Bella Emberg dies at age 80". ITV News. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Comedy actress Bella Emberg dies". BBC News. 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b c Jones, Stephen (12 January 2018). "Blunderwoman comedy star Bella Emberg dies. aged 80". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  6. ^ McPhee, Rod (11 June 2017). "'I put the costume on and my boobs fell out!' Bella Emberg on being Blunderwoman". mirror. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
  7. ^ Dyer, Chris (12 January 2018). "Blunderwoman star Bella Emberg died of alcohol poisoning, inquest hears". Daily Mirror. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2021. A post mortem examination by Dr Athanasis Vargiamidou found [Emberg] died from "alcohol toxicity". [...] Assistant Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: [...] "There is nothing in her medical notes to suggest she was a heavy drinker, police found no evidence of chronic alcohol misuse.
edit