Mollie Sudgen dies aged 86

Actress Mollie Sugden, best known for her role as brassy old bird Mrs Slocombe in BBC sitcom Are You Being Served?, has died at the age of 86.

Mollie, who in the 1970s was also a semi-regular in Granada Television’s Coronation Street, had been suffering from a long illness before her death today at the Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford.

She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before moving onto an apprenticeship with a repertory theatre company. Her first big TV break was in comedy Hugh and I back in 1962. Other bit parts followed in series such as The Dick Emery Show, Up Pompii, The Benny Hill Show and Steptoe and Son. She also starred in leading roles in ITV sitcom That’s My Boy and the BBC’s Come Back Mrs Noah.

Writer David Croft, speaking to the BBC, recalled the actress he worked with on Are You Being Served?

“She would never refuse any sort of comedy situation no matter how undignified it was she would always go along with it. She was marvellously funny,” he said.

Special Feature: Mollie Sugden in Pictures

The Yorkshire-born performer worked on numerous programmes for both the BBC and ITV over a long and distinguished career which was still going strong in the early 1990s; with parts in Grace and Favour – the Are You Being Served? Spin-off – and a revived series of The Liver Birds, which she first appeared in back in the early 1970s.

In Coronation Street, from 1965 to 1976, she starred as landlady of The Laughing Donkey Nellie Harvey who came into conflict on several occasions with Rovers landlady Annie Walker.

Spokesperson and manager, Ms Reddin commented: “She had had a long illness and various problems but it was very quick in the end. Her twin boys were with her and she faded away. She was a lovely, lovely person and I never had any trouble with her. She was a great professional.”

Top Ten Mrs Slocombe Quotes:

  • “It’s very short notice–there’s my pussy to consider. Who’s going to let it out?”

 

  • “Well, if I’m not home on the stroke of six, my pussy goes mad.”

 

  • “It’s a wonder I’m here at all, you know. My pussy got soakin’ wet. I had to dry it out in front of the fire before I left.”

     

  • “I have a pussy of great antiquity, and I’d like him to take a look at it.”

     

  • “I’ll put my pussy in front of the hole, and the next time he comes out, he’ll get a nasty shock.”

 

  • “Look, I’m trying to get my pussy on the phone!”

     

  • “They’re for my pussy…d’you know, it wins a prize every time I show it.”

 

  • “But at 7 o’clock tonight, my pussy’s expectin’ to see a friendly face.”

     

  • “If there are any leftovers, my pussy gobbles them up in a flash.”

 

  • “Well, you know how clumsy those removal men are. I’m not havin’ ’em handlin’ my pussy.”