Comedian and TV presenter Victoria Wood has passed away from cancer aged 62.
Advertisement
It was announced on Wednesday that the Prestwich-born actress and writer, who attended Fairfield County Primary School and Bury Grammar School, died at home with her family after a short battle with cancer.
‘The multi BAFTA award-winning writer, director, actor and comedian died peacefully at her North London home with family this morning.
She won five BAFTAs – two for her ITV drama Housewife 49.
Throughout her long and successful career, Victoria starred in various BBC comedies including Dinnerladies, and was known for her work with long-term collaborator and friend Julie Walters. Dame Esther Rantzen, who presented the ’70s magazine show ‘That’s Life!’ and interviewed Wood on a number of occasions, was one of the first to pass on her thoughts.
“Oh, Victoria Wood. You were SO my hero”, she wrote.
The star also made documentaries including Victoria’s Empire about the British Empire and Victoria Wood’s Big Fat Documentary about the diet industry.
She was awarded a CBE in 2008.
She is survived by two children, Grace and Henry.
At the same time, Wood’s wit and warmth gave her an incredibly broad appeal.
Chef James Martin tweeted “So sad to hear that Victoria Wood has passed away”.
They most recently appeared together in December 2009 in Victoria Wood’s Mid Life Christmas, which featured sketches including Mid Life Olympics 2009 and period drama spoof Lark Pies to Cranchesterford.
Wood rose to stardom in the 1980s with her TV series Victoria Wood As Seen On TV.
After a gap of several years, in 1998 she returned to the small screen with a new sitcom, Dinnerladies, about a group of women working in a northern factory canteen. She was married to stage magician Geoffrey Durham, although they divorced in 2002.
He said: “I learned today that my youngest sister Victoria has died after a short illness”.
Wood continued writing and performing until late a year ago.
– Boy George (@BoyGeorge) April 20, 2016 Victoria Wood was a national treasure loved by millions.
Although Wood cultivated a deliberately frumpy, roly-poly image, her origins were comfortably middle-class. She was straight with you and told you what she wanted, but she was always really nice about it and good to work with. “She will be greatly missed and our thoughts are with her friends and family”, Hall said.
Advertisement
“As another famous Bury Grammar School Old Girl, Victoria Derbyshire, tweeted last night ‘We Bury Grammar School girls are proud to have attended the same school as Victoria Wood'”.
