Patricia Bredin

Patricia Bredin (14 February 1935 – 13 August 2023) was an English actress and one-time singer. She is best known as the first representative of the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957

Career In 1957 Bredin took the part of Molly, the island girl, in the original cast of the musical Free as Air , in which she starred with Gillian Lewis.

Bredin took part in the Eurovision Song Contest 1957 in Frankfurt and finished in seventh place out of ten entries with the song "All", the first-ever song sung in English at Eurovision. At 1:52, "All" was for a long time the shortest performance in the history of the contest. The record was broken in 2015 when Finland's Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät performed "Aina mun pitää", which was only 1:27 long.

In 1959, she starred in the British comedy film Left Right and Centre with Ian Carmichael. This saw British exhibitors vote her one of the most promising British new stars along with Peter Sellers and Hayley Mills. On Boxing Day in 1959 she appeared in the BBC TV's long running variety show The Good Old Days, which was rescreened on Boxing Day 2016 on BBC4 as part of the BBC's celebration of the programme.

The following year she had a leading part in another film, the period adventure The Treasure of Monte Cristo, and also starred with Sid James in Desert Mice.

Bredin succeeded Julie Andrews as Guenevere in the Broadway production of Camelot. She played the role from 16 April 1962 until she was replaced by Janet Pavek three months later.

Personal life and death Patricia Bredin was born on 14 February 1935. In 1964, she married Welsh singer Ivor Emmanuel. They had no children, and divorced within two years.

Selected filmography

Left Right and Centre (1959) – Left – Stella Stoker The Bridal Path (1959) – Margaret Make Mine a Million (1959) – Herself, Cameo appearance Desert Mice (1959) – Susan The Treasure of Monte Cristo (1961) – Pauline To Have and to Hold (1963) – Lucy