Hi-De-Hi Actress Ruth Madoc dies aged 79, her agent confirms
His death came after he was pulled from an Aladdin pantomime concert at the Princess Theatre, Torquay due to a fall. “Due to an accident and treatment earlier this week, Ruth Maddock will unfortunately not be able to perform Aladdin’s pantomime this year at the Princess Theatre, Torquay,” the company said in a Twitter post. Madoc played Gladys between 1980 and 1988 on a BBC sitcom and later on Little Britain and Benidorm.
Ruth Madoc. That’s a shame. #RIP— Mick @nalaknip December 10 2022
In a statement given to the PA News Agency, Phil Belfield of talent agency Belfield & Ward Ltd, described Ruth Madoc as “one of a kind and a unique talent loved by many”.
He said: “It is with much sadness that we have to announce the death of our dear and much loved client Ruth Madoc.
“Ruth passed away on the afternoon of Friday 9th December while in hospital following surgery for a fall she had earlier in the week, which had led her to have to withdraw from panto in Torquay.
“From film work such as Fiddler On The Roof and Under Milk Wood with Richard Burton and her iconic TV performance as Gladys Pugh in Hi De Hi! and more recently in Little Britain and on stage with Calendar Girls (the play and the musical), plus recent acclaim in short films Skinny Fat and Cardiff, she was truly a national treasure and was looking forward to getting back on the road in 2023 with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
“A true legend in British show business, he is one of those unique talents that are admired. He left so early. Our hearts are broken!” thoughts join Lowry’s daughter, Rhys’ son, and the rest of his family.
Madoc was born in April 1943 and grew up in nearby Llansamlet Swansea. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Madoc took a break. In 1971, she played Fruma Sarah in the film version of the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
After other roles starting in 1972, including “Mrs. Give Bread Two” in the comedy “Under the Milk Forest”, she starred in the sitcom “Hi-de-hello!”.
Tributes flooded in for the actress via social media
One Twitter user wrote: “Ruth Maddock. That’s embarrassing. #RIP”
Another said: “Sad news that Ruth Maddock has passed. I remember seeing her in #Salisbury and she was so kind to my mum. It was a meeting my mum will never forget and is dear to me.”
Along with a sad face emoji, another tweeted: “RIP Ruth Madoc another part of my childhood missing.”
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