Lynda Bellingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lynda Bellingham
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Bellingham, c. 2010
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| Born |
Meredith Lee Hughes
31 May 1948 |
| Died | 19 October 2014 (aged 66) Westminster, London, England
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| Occupation | Broadcaster, actress, author |
| Years active | 1971–2014 |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 2 |
Lynda Bellingham OBE (born Meredith Lee Hughes; 31 May 1948 – 19 October 2014) was a much-loved English actress, TV presenter, and author. Many people knew her as the friendly mum in the famous "Oxo Family" TV adverts. These ads ran for many years, from 1983 to 1999.
Lynda also starred in popular TV shows like All Creatures Great and Small and Doctor Who. Later, she became a well-known face on the daytime chat show Loose Women. She was known for her warm personality and honest opinions.
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Early life
Lynda Bellingham was born in Montreal, Canada. She was adopted when she was just four months old. Her childhood was spent in England, where she went to Aylesbury High School.
After school, Lynda decided to follow her dream of acting. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. This is a famous school in London for actors.
Film and television
Acting roles
Lynda Bellingham started her acting career on television in the 1970s. One of her first roles was as a nurse in the show General Hospital. She also appeared in early films like Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976).
A big role for Lynda was playing Helen Herriot in the TV series All Creatures Great and Small. This show was about a vet in the countryside. She also appeared in the science fiction show Blake's 7 in 1981.
Fans of Doctor Who might remember her as the Inquisitor. She played this important role in a long story called The Trial of a Time Lord in 1986. She even returned to the role for audio dramas later on.
Lynda also starred in comedy shows. She played Faith Greyshott in Second Thoughts and its follow-up, Faith in the Future. From 2000 to 2003, she was Pauline Farnell in At Home with the Braithwaites.
Television commercials
Lynda Bellingham became a household name because of the "Oxo Family" TV commercials. She played the mum in these adverts, starting in 1983. The ads showed her bringing her family together with meals made with Oxo products.
Over the years, viewers watched the family grow up in the adverts. The campaign was very popular and ran until 1999.
Television presenting
Lynda also worked as a TV presenter. In 2010, she was a guest presenter on the ITV show Lorraine. She also had her own cooking show called My Tasty Travels with Lynda Bellingham in 2012.
The next year, she presented another ITV programme, Country House Sunday.
Loose Women
Lynda Bellingham joined the popular ITV chat show Loose Women in 2007. She became a regular panellist, sharing her thoughts on various topics. She was known for her honest and funny comments.
She appeared on the show more than 300 times. She remained a regular until 2011. She even made a special appearance in 2014, shortly before she passed away.
Strictly Come Dancing
In 2009, Lynda Bellingham took part in Strictly Come Dancing. This is a popular show where celebrities learn to dance with professional partners. She was partnered with dancer Darren Bennett.
Lynda enjoyed her time on the show. She danced the Tango, Cha-Cha-Cha, Paso Doble, and Foxtrot. She was voted out in the fourth week of the competition.
Other appearances
In 1993, Lynda was the special guest on This Is Your Life. This show surprises famous people by telling their life story. She was surprised by Michael Aspel while working on Second Thoughts.
She also lent her voice to the reality show of the British rap band N-Dubz in 2010. In 2011, she appeared in a short film called Too Close for Comfort. She played a mother, and her real-life son, Michael Peluso, played her son in the film too.
Live performances
Lynda Bellingham also had a successful career on stage. In 2005, she appeared in a play called Losing Louis in London. Her performance received very good reviews from critics.
From 2008 to 2012, Lynda played the role of Chris Harper in the stage version of Calendar Girls. This play was very popular and toured around the UK. It was based on a true story.
She also appeared in pantomimes, which are fun Christmas shows. She played the Fairy Godmother in Cinderella in Birmingham and Bradford.
Writing
Lynda Bellingham was also an author. In 2010, she released her book Lost and Found. This book told the story of her life and career. She also wrote a novel called Tell Me Tomorrow, which was published in 2013.
Her autobiography, There's Something I'm Dying to Tell You, came out in 2014. This book was released shortly before she passed away. Her last story, The Boy I Love, was published after her death.
Personal life
Lynda Bellingham was married three times. Her first marriage was to film producer Greg Smith in 1975. Later, she married Nunzio Peluso in 1981. They had two sons together, Michael and Robbie.
In 2008, Lynda married Michael Pattemore on her 60th birthday. She was also recognized for her charity work. She was given an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 2014. This award is given to people who have done great things for the country.
Illness and death
In July 2013, Lynda Bellingham shared that she had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer. She bravely spoke about her illness. In September 2014, she announced that her cancer had spread.
She made the difficult decision to stop her treatment in November 2014. She wanted to spend one last Christmas with her family. Lynda passed away in a London hospital on 19 October 2014. Her funeral took place in Crewkerne, England.
