Dame Penelope Keith, the much-loved actress best known for her role in the BBC sitcom The Good Life, has died aged 86 after a battle with cancer.
A family statement confirmed she passed away peacefully at her home in Surrey, where she had lived for more than 50 years. “We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey,” the statement read. “The family is grateful for the care and support she received throughout her treatments, and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”
Keith became a household name through her portrayal of the imperious Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, the beloved BBC sitcom that ran from 1975 to 1978 and starred alongside Richard Briers, Felicity Kendal and Paul Eddington. Her comic timing and ability to play haughty, status-conscious characters with warmth and precision made her one of the defining comic actresses of British television. She went on to star in To the Manor Born, playing the aristocratic Audrey fforbes-Hamilton opposite Peter Bowles, a role that attracted some of the highest viewing figures in British television history.
Keith was appointed OBE in 1989 and was made a Dame in 2014 in recognition of her services to drama and to charity. She also served as High Sheriff of Surrey and was deeply committed to her local community throughout her life.
