Mollie Sugden, best known for playing Mrs Slocombe in the BBC1 sitcom Are You Being Served?, has died aged 86.
The comedy actress died yesterday in hospital following a long illness.
Sugden was born in Yorkshire and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
When she graduated, she worked in rep, before moving into television, appearing in shows such as Z-Cars, Up Pompeii!, The Goodies and Steptoe and Son.
BBC head of comedy Mark Freeland has paid tribute to the actress.
He said: “She will be remembered as a truly funny and instantly recognisable actress. She lit up the screens in both The Liver Birds and, most famously, Are You Being Served?. Her daftly enormous purple rinse and never-to-be-forgotten catchphrase are the stuff of comedy legend and she takes her place as one of TV’s iconic funny women.”
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