June Whitfield

Dame June Rosemary Whitfield (11 November 1925 – 29 December 2018 (The date of death has been consistently reported by the press as Friday 28 December 2018.) However, the order of service for the funeral (pictured in the BBC source)

Early life June Rosemary Whitfield was born at 44 Mount Ephraim Lane in Streatham, London, in 1925, to John Herbert Whitfield and his wife Bertha Georgina née Flett. Her father was the managing director of a company called Dictograph Telephones that had been founded by his father in Yorkshire, and both of her parents were keen amateur actors. She made her first stage appearance, aged three, after her mother enrolled her at Robinson's Dance Studio. Whitfield attended Streatham Hill High School, before being evacuated during the Second World War to Bognor Regis, where she attended St Michael's School, and then to Penzance in Cornwall. She moved with her parents to Huddersfield, where she learned shorthand and typing. She continued to study secretarial skills at Pitman's College, Brixton Hill. In 1944, Whitfield graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art with a diploma. This started a working relationship with Terry Scott that lasted until 1987. During Scott On... she also appeared in The Best Things in Life, The Goodies, The Dick Emery Show, Bless This House and The Pallisers. She appeared in the spin-off film of Bless This House (1972), with Scott as her husband, and Carry On Abroad (also 1972), followed by an appearance in Carry On Girls (1973). Both had Scott and Whitfield as a suburban middle-class married couple. Terry and June ran for 65 episodes until 1987. Five years later, in 1992, Julian Clary created Terry and Julian, a Channel 4 sitcom which spoofed the title of Terry and June; Whitfield made an appearance in one episode. During the eight-year run of Terry and June, Whitfield also appeared in It Ain't Half Hot Mum and Minder.

In the 1970s and early 1980s Whitfield appeared in a series of television advertisements created for Birds Eye by advertising art director Vernon Howe, and featuring the concluding voice-over line: "it can make a dishonest woman of you!"

In 1971 Whitfield and Frankie Howerd recorded a novelty comic version of the song "Je t'aime", previously recorded by Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, in which she featured as "Mavis".

She was the subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions: in April 1976, when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at her home in Wimbledon; and in March 1995, when Michael Aspel surprised her at BBC Television Centre.

In 1982 she also starred opposite Julie Dawn Cole, Tony Blackburn, Leslie Crowther, Windsor Davies, Les Dennis, David Jensen, Bill Owen, Peter Sallis and Chris Tarrant in a two-minute Alice In Wonderland Christmas commercial for Woolworths.

During the 1980s Whitfield returned to radio comedy. From 1984 she could be heard with Roy Hudd on the satire programme The News Huddlines, and voiced a character in an episode of the animated comedy series Rex the Runt.

Her autobiography And June Whitfield, written with the help of Christopher Douglas, appeared in 2000. She appeared in The Royal, followed by appearances in Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie's Marple, New Tricks and Last of the Summer Wine, which she joined in 2005. She had an episode of The South Bank Show devoted to her on 29 July 2007 and, in the same year, appeared in the English National Opera's production of On the Town in London's West End. In November 2007, she appeared in the Only Fools and Horses spin-off The Green Green Grass as the mother of Marlene, and in 2008 she appeared in an episode of ITV medical drama Harley Street. In 2009, she made a guest appearance in Kingdom and published an updated autobiography, At a Glance ... An Absolutely Fabulous Life, a collection of scrapbook pictures from her life and career. On 29 December 2009, she was the subject of an entire evening's tribute programming on BBC Two.

In 2010 Whitfield was signed for a short appearance on ITV soap opera Coronation Street. Her character, May, appeared at the funeral of Blanche Hunt and explained to Blanche's daughter, Deirdre, how her mother had died. In 2011, she played Margaret Rutherford in the BBC Radio 4 play A Monstrous Vitality, a radio adaption by Andy Merriman of his biography of Rutherford, A Dreadnought with Good Manners. She reprised her role of Mother in two episodes of Absolutely Fabulous at Christmas 2011New Year 2012, and for an Olympic special on 23 July 2012. In 2013, Whitfield became the inaugural recipient of the Aardman Slapstick Comedy Legend Award, a recognition of her lifetime's contribution to the world of comedy. In 2014, she made a second appearance in Midsomer Murders, and appeared in Jonathan Creek. From 2014 to 2016 she appeared in the sitcom Boomers as the mother of Stephanie Beacham's character. In 2015, she played Granny Wallon in a BBC One adaptation of Laurie Lee's novel Cider with Rosie.

In May 2015 Whitfield made a guest appearance in the BBC soap EastEnders as a nun called Sister Ruth and returned to the show in January 2016 to complete a storyline. In October 2015, it was confirmed that she would reprise her role of Mother in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie which was released in July 2016. She made a guest appearance as God in the Sky 1 series You, Me and the Apocalypse, which was broadcast in November 2015.

Honours and awards In 1982 Whitfield was made a Freeman of the City of London. Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1998 Birthday Honours,

In 1994 Whitfield was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the British Comedy Awards.

Death She died in London on 29 December 2018, aged 93. Her funeral was held at All Hallows Church in Tillington, near Petworth in West Sussex, on 18 January 2019, attended by many of her co-stars and personal friends.

Fellow Absolutely Fabulous actress Jennifer Saunders paid tribute to the "extraordinary grace" of Whitfield and said she would "hugely" miss her "dear friend". Julia Sawalha described her as a "great source of inspiration". Actress Jane Horrocks said her former co-star was a "wonderful lady", who was "versatile, funny and generous".

Radio Miss Marple

Whitfield played Miss Marple in 12 BBC Radio 4 adaptations of novels by Agatha Christie. She reprised the role in 2015, starring in three adaptations of Miss Marple short stories (Tape-Measure Murder, The Case of the Perfect Maid, and Sanctuary).

Other Bring on the Girls (1955) Starstruck (1955) Take It from Here (1955) Midweek Theatre (1967) Happy Ever After (1976) It Doesn't Have to Hurt! (1990) Like They've Never Been Gone (1998–2002) The Afternoon Play: Seven Floors (2003)

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1950 The 20 Questions Murder Mystery Lady speaking in queue (uncredited) 1953 Love from Judy Sally McBride TV movie 1956 The Straker Special tomboy mechanic 1966 The Spy with a Cold Nose Elsie Farquhar 1968 Frankie Howerd Meets the Bee Gees Comedy short 1976 Not Now, Comrade Janet Rimmington 1984 It's Going to Be Alright Margie Hansen Animation 1987 It's a Hudd Hudd World TV movie 1991 The Craig Ferguson Story Mrs Ferguson 1992 Carry On Columbus Queen Isabella 1996 Jude Aunt Drusilla 1999 Faeries Mrs Coombs (voice) Animation 2000 The Last of the Blonde Bombshells Annie TV movie 2003Bob the Builder: The Knights of Can-a-Lot Dot (voice) UK dub; Animation2007Bob the Builder: Scrambler to the Rescue UK dub; Animation; TV movie 2012 Run for Your Wife Lady in gym class 2015 Cider with Rosie Granny Wallon TV movie 2016 Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie Mother chorus member 5 episodes 1955–1958 Before Your Very Eyes various characters 6 episodes 1956 The Idiot Weekly, Price 2d 11 episodes 1957 Hancock's Half Hour Miss Dubois episode: "The Alpine Holiday" Yes, It's the Cathode-Ray Tube Show! various characters (voice) 1958 Dixon of Dock Green Marie 1 episode: "The Key of the Nick" My Pal Bob 1 episode (#2.6) On with the Show 2 episodes: #3.1 and #4.5 1959 It's Saturday Night 1 episode (#1.3) 1960 Arthur's Treasured Volumes Enid Brown episode: "The Blood Donor" episode: "The Succession: Son and Heir" 6 episodes 1961–1963 The Seven Faces of Jim with Jimmy Edwards, episode aired 25 December 1962 Six More Faces of Jim Eth Comedy Playhouse Sandra Baxter (series 1) "The Telephone Call" 1963 More Faces of Jim various characters How to be an Alien (voice) 1965 Call It What You Like various characters episode aired 25 December 1967 1967–1968 Beggar My Neighbour 1968–1974 Scott On... various characters Armchair Theatre Angela "What's a Mother For?" The Fossett Saga Millie Goswick The Undertakers Housewife Comedy short 1969–1970 The Best Things in Life Mabel Pollard 1972 Tarbuck's Luck 1973 Bless This House Odette 1974–1979 Happy Ever After June Fletcher It Ain't Half Hot Mum Captain Georgina Tollemache "For Whom the Jingle Bells Toll" 1981 Mike Yarwood In Persons 1990 Cluedo Mrs Blance White 1992 The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends Mrs Rabbit (voice) "The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny" Terry and Julian Mrs Wilson 1992–2012 Absolutely Fabulous Mother 1997 All Rise for Julian Clary Auntie Jane Common As Muck Irene Family Money Ivy Wyrd Sisters Nanny Ogg (voice) 1998 Friends The Housekeeper Rex the Runt Judge Pikelet The SecretMrs BirksteadCatherine Cookson mini-series 2001–2010 Last of the Summer Wine Nelly / Delphi 2005 Midsomer Murders Peggy Alder "Midsomer Raspsody" The Royal Esme 2005–2007 Bob the Builder Dot UK dub 2006 Agatha Christie's Marple Mrs Lancaster 2007–2009 The Green Green Grass Dora 2009–2010 Doctor Who Minnie Hooper "The End of Time" 2010 Coronation Street May Penn 2011 M.I. High Beryl Bagshot Midsomer Murders Molly Darnley 2 episodes 2014–2016 Boomers Joan 2015 You, Me and the Apocalypse God 2015–2016 EastEnders Sister Ruth

Stage credits

Year Production Role Venue / Company Notes Ref 1950 Ace of Clubs Sunny Claire Cambridge Theatre, London Original London production of the Noël Coward musical 1952 Love from Judy Sally McBride Saville Theatre, London Original West End production 1952 Women of Twilight Rosie Vaudeville Theatre, London Stage play prior to the 1952 film version 1982 Jack and the Beanstalk Dame Chichester Festival Theatre Pantomime 1985 Jack and the Beanstalk Dame Theatre Royal Bath Pantomime 1990 Babes in the Wood Fairy Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon Pantomime 1991 Babes in the Wood Fairy Theatre Royal Plymouth Pantomime 1992 Babes in the Wood Fairy New Theatre, Cardiff Pantomime 1994 Cinderella Fairy Godmother New Wimbledon Theatre Pantomime 2002 Bedroom Farce Delia Aldwych Theatre, London Alan Ayckbourn revival

Books – (autobiography, with Christopher Douglas)