Wendy Richard was a British actress who was best known for her roles as Miss Brahms in the sitcom Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in the soap opera EastEnders. She was also a recipient of the MBE and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards. She died at the age of 65 in 2009 from breast cancer, after a long and courageous fight with the disease. This article will look at the life and career of Wendy Richard, and how she faced her final challenge with dignity and grace.
A Versatile and Popular Performer
Wendy Richard was born in Middlesbrough, England, in 1943, to publican parents. She moved around a lot as a child, living in Bournemouth, the Isle of Wight, and London. She attended the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts and started her acting career in the 1960s. She appeared in several TV shows, such as The Newcomers, Dad’s Army, and Carry On films, before landing her breakthrough role as Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? in 1972.
Miss Brahms was a young and attractive sales assistant who worked in the ladies’ department of a department store. She often clashed with her boss, Mrs Slocombe, and flirted with her male colleagues. She also had a distinctive Cockney accent, which contrasted with her upper-class co-workers. Wendy Richard played the role for 13 years, until the show ended in 1985. She also reprised the role in the spin-off series Grace and Favour in 1992 and 1993.
In 1985, Wendy Richard joined the cast of EastEnders, a new soap opera set in the East End of London. She played Pauline Fowler, the matriarch of the Fowler family, who lived in Albert Square. Pauline was a loyal, hard-working, and devoted wife and mother, who faced many challenges and tragedies in her life. She was also a pillar of the community, who often helped her neighbours and friends. Wendy Richard played the role for 21 years, until she decided to leave the show in 2006. She appeared in more than 1,400 episodes of EastEnders, making her one of the longest-serving and most popular characters in the show’s history.
Wendy Richard was awarded the MBE in 2000 for her services to television. She was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2007 British Soap Awards for her role in EastEnders. She continued to act after leaving EastEnders, appearing in shows such as The Green Green Grass, Benidorm, and Marple. She also did voice work for animated films and video games, such as Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and Fable II.
A Brave and Inspiring Fighter
Wendy Richard was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996, after finding a lump in her breast. She underwent a lumpectomy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, and went into remission. She also had a breast reconstruction surgery in 1999. She continued to work throughout her treatment, and was open about her condition with the public. She also supported various charities and campaigns related to breast cancer awareness and research.
In 2002, Wendy Richard discovered that her cancer had returned, and had spread to her left kidney and lymph nodes. She had another surgery to remove her kidney, and more chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She again went into remission, and married her fourth husband, John Burns, in 2008. She also made a documentary about her life and illness, called Wendy Richard: To Tell You the Truth, which aired on BBC One in 2009.
However, later that year, Wendy Richard learned that her cancer had come back for the third time, and was terminal. She decided to stop the treatment, and spend her remaining time with her loved ones. She also planned her funeral and wrote her will. She said that she was not afraid of dying, and that she had accepted her fate. She said: “I’ve had a fantastic life. I’ve done everything I ever wanted to do and more.”
Wendy Richard died on February 26, 2009, at a clinic in Harley Street, London, with her husband by her side. She was 65 years old. She was cremated and buried at East Finchley Cemetery and Crematorium, London. Her death was mourned by her family, friends, colleagues, and fans, who remembered her as a talented, kind, and funny person, who brought joy to many people.
