Liza Goddard

Louise Elizabeth Goddard (born 20 January 1950), professionally known as Liza Goddard, is an English television and stage actress, best known for her work in the 1970s and 1980s.

Early life Goddard was born in Smethwick, Staffordshire, but spent most of her early years in Surrey. She is the oldest daughter of David Goddard (1925–1992), who produced and directed numerous TV shows and programmes, and his wife Clare. Goddard's younger sister is Maria.

Her parents met in Germany. Clare trained in rep, and appeared in television adverts. They lived at Heath End, Surrey then at 10 Weybourne Rd in Weybourne, Surrey, and in Frensham, then 'Huffins' in Tilford. Maria and Liza performed in the Junior Tilford Players.

She attended Farnham Girls' Grammar School, before her father moved the family to Sydney, when she was 15 in April 1965, upon his appointment as Head of Drama at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Career Goddard made early television appearances in Australia, including in the ABC anthology TV series Wednesday Theatre playing Eurydice in "Point of Departure" and the title role in "Antigone" She appeared in another ABC anthology series Love and War, playing Juliet in "Romeo and Juliet", the first Australian TV presentation of Shakespeare's play. She was also in episode 100 of Homicide ("The Traveller", 1967) and had a brief (non-speaking, uncredited) appearance in the feature film They're A Weird Mob (1966).

However, she is best remembered in Australia for her role as Clarissa "Clancy" Merrick in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, in which she appeared in the first two series and 48 episodes between 1968-70.

After returning to the UK in 1969 as an adult, she was cast as Victoria Edgecombe, the character created by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham in Take Three Girls (1969), This was followed by Pig in the Middle (1980–83) written by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham.

Goddard was one of the 'explorers' who were 'evaporated' in a (now missing) episode of the BBC science fiction quiz programme The Adventure Game (1980), played a space pirate in the Doctor Who story Terminus (1983), and appeared in Roll Over Beethoven (1985), opposite Nigel Planer. She later had a recurring role as Philippa Vale in Bergerac (featuring in four series between 1984 and 1989).

Goddard played a humanist in the 1987 biographical film Testimony, starring Ben Kingsley.

The following year, she played Barbara Colport in the Tales of the Unexpected (TV series) episode #9.6 "Wink Three Times" (1988). She then appeared in Woof!, a Children's ITV programme first broadcast in 1989. Her third husband, producer and director David Cobham, created this series. She had earlier appeared in the TV adaptation of Brendon Chase (1981), also produced and directed by Cobham.

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1984 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Ambassador's Theatre in London for the shows recording nearby, at the Regent Theatre. Between 1988-92, she was the female team leader on the long-running quiz/panel show Give Us A Clue, replacing Una Stubbs in the role.

In 1990, Goddard appeared as Laurel Manasotti in the ITV sitcom That's Love.

Goddard appeared as Gilly in Wild West (2002), alongside Dawn French and Catherine Tate. In 2007 she appeared in the Midsomer Murders episode "A Picture of Innocence", reuniting her with Bergerac star John Nettles. In 2012 she had a cameo role in the all-star comedy film Run for Your Wife, and in 2013 she toured with the official Agatha Christie Theatre Company in Go Back for Murder, an adaptation of the book Five Little Pigs.

In September 2016, Goddard played the guest role of Gloria Francis in the BBC1 drama series Casualty. In March 2023 she again appeared in Casualty, this time playing Christine Robinson in the series 37 episode "No Regrets". In July 2023 Goddard was announced as taking the role of Dotty Otley in a national tour of Michael Frayn's farce Noises Off, directed by Lindsay Posner, following its run at the Phoenix Theatre, London.

Personal life Goddard's first marriage was to Doctor Who actor Colin Baker.

In 1981 she married Bernard William Jewry, the pop star Alvin Stardust.

Prior to Goddard's third marriage (1995) to producer and director David Cobham, Goddard was credited with helping to rescue Queen Elizabeth II's Range Rover and horse box that had got stuck in the mud near Holkham in 1994.

As of 2021, she lives near Dereham, Norfolk, and works with the RSPCA, amongst other charities. She recovered from breast cancer in 1997. She has two children.

Selected filmography Year Title Role Notes1966 They're a Weird Mob Young Woman on Ferry Film (uncredited) Wednesday Theatre Eurydice Episode: "Point of Departure" Antigone Episode: "Antigone"1967 Homicide Jenny Craig Episode: "The Traveller" Love and War Juliet Episode: "Romeo and Juliet" 1968–1970 Skippy the Bush Kangaroo Clarissa "Clancy" Merrick 67 episodes 1969–1971 Take Three Girls Victoria 24 episodes 1972 Ooh... You Are Awful Liza Misseden-Green Film 1976 The Brothers April 16 episodes 1976–1977 Yes, Honestly Lily Pond-Browne 26 episodes1978 Crown Court Carolina Wallis 3 episodes Wodehouse Playhouse Lady Geraldine Spettisbury Story: "The Luck of the Stiffhams"1980 Minder Joceyln Episode: "National Pelmet" Watch This Space Claire 6 episodes 1980–1983 Pig in the Middle Nellie Bligh 20 episodes 1981 Brendon Chase Monica Hurling 8 episodes 1982 Take Three Women Victoria 2 episodes1983 Doctor Who Kari Serial: "Terminus" (4 episodes) Wagner Jessie Lausott 1 episode (mini-series) 1983–1989 Bergerac Phillipa Vale 6 episodes 1985 Roll Over Beethoven Belinda Purcell 13 episodes 1987 Testimony The English Humanist Film 1988 Tales of the Unexpected Barbara Colport Story: "Wink Three Times" 1989–1997 Woof! Mrs. Jessop 63 episodes 1990 That's Love Laurel 6 episodes 1997–2001 Bernard's Watch Narrator (voice) 44 episodes 2002 Wild West Gilly 2 episodes 2006 Doctors Penny Dates Episode: "Too Soon" 2007 Midsomer Murders Marion Bell Episode: "Picture of Innocence" 2009–2014 Grandpa in My Pocket Lady Prigsbottom 3 episodes 2012 Run for Your Wife Exercising Woman Film 2016–2023 Casualty Gloria Francis/ Christine Robinson 2 episodes