Hi-de-Hi! actress Ruth Madoc has passed away at the age of 79, according to her agent. Her agency reported that the following surgery for a fall she suffered earlier in the week, she passed away on Friday afternoon in the hospital.
She was referred to as a “special talent admired by many” by Phil Belfield of the talent agency Belfield & Ward Ltd.
He paid homage to her “iconic” television performance as Gladys Pugh in the comedy Hi-de-Hi! from the 1980s, which was set in a summer camp in the late 1950s.
He released a statement saying,
“It is with great regret that we must announce the passing of our dear and greatly loved client Ruth Madoc.”
She was “gone way too soon,” according to Mr. Belfield, who referred to her as a “true legend of the British entertainment industry.”
She was forced to leave the pantomime Aladdin at the Princess Theatre in Torquay, Devon, after falling.
In a tribute on Instagram, screenwriter Russell T Davies called her “funny, loving, salty, shrewd and delightfully uncynical.”
She was “one of those wonderful old troupers who loved the business, loved the stories, loved performing and performers,” according to the Doctor Who writer and It’s A Sin creator.
Ruth played the lead role of Myrtle in the Mine All Mine television series that I created. She was wonderful.
Sir Tony Robinson, an actor, and broadcaster, wrote that he was “very sad to hear my beautiful friend… has died away.”
Madoc was “clever, polite, a devoted trade unionist and wore her heart on the left,” according to him.
Gladys Pugh, the principal yellow coat in Hi-de-Hi!, was primarily known for her unrequited love for Simon Cadell’s Jeffrey Fairbrother, the camp manager.
In a tribute to her, broadcaster Gyles Brandreth revealed he met Madoc thanks to Cadell.
Ruth was a wonderful performer who was also a nice person, according to Brandreth.
Madoc received his training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art after being born in April 1943 and raised in Llansamlet, close to Swansea.
Her acting career included numerous roles in plays and musicals, such as Gypsy and Fiddler on the Roof.
She recently appeared on stage with Calendar Girls and in Little Britain, where she played Daffyd Thomas’s mother.
Former Little Britain actor and comedian Matt Lucas expressed his shock and sadness over the news in a tweet.
We were ecstatic when she decided to join “Little Britain” since we had grown up watching her legendary and brilliant performance as Gladys Pugh in Hi-de-Hi!, he continued.
He described Madoc as “excellent” and “an absolute treat to work with” in the performance.
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