Georgina Hale, star of Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, has sadly died at the age of 80.
Known for her work in Ken Russell’s films, she won a BAFTA for Most Promising Newcomer in 1974 with her performance in Mahler. Later, the star took home a Laurence Olivier Award nomination for her work in theatre production Steaming.
The actress passed away on January 4th, but news of her death has only just come to light. She had a career spanning half a decade, which eventually saw her listed as one of the top 10 British character actors by The Guardian in 2010.
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But her life was marred by tragedy. Georgina was only 18 when her mother died, and her father sadly passed away just four years later. She married actor John Forgeham in 1964, but the pair later divorced in 1969.
Born in Essex to a pub owner father, Georgina was forced to change schools a lot growing up – and she admitted she couldn’t “write, spell or read”. Speaking in 2002, she said: “There was a real shame in it, and you were the dunce of the class, always getting whacked around the head.”
No cause of death has yet been released. Georgina’s last screen appearance was in a 2016 episode of BBC medical soap Holby City, marking the end of her long career in soaps.
Appearing in seven episodes of Hollyoaks, she played Blanche Longford, the overbearing mum to Alistair Longford. She arrived in 2010 for Alistair’s wedding to Cindy Cunningham, and attempted to stop the pair tying the knot.
(Image: EXPRESS NEWSPAPERS)
In 2006 she played Beryl Chugspoke in four episodes of Emmerdale, along with roles in The Bill and Casualty. She was never afraid of stripping off on camera either, and appeared naked in various Kurt Russell films.
She admitted to the Liverpool Daily Post: “I don’t mind having to take my clothes off. It’s a slice of life, after all. But I don’t really enjoy it.”
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Tributes have been pouring in for the star, with one user on X writing: “Can’t even begin to express how much I loved Georgina Hale. She was a cross between Mae West, Fenella Fielding and a careworn Sindy Doll.”
Another added: “RIP the fabulous Georgina Hale, yet another distinctive actor the British film industry didn’t have a clue how to use.” While a third wrote: “Sad News, #GeorginaHale has gone to the great cinema in the Sky. She will always be ‘Mrs Budgie’ to us, but she was so much more, Georgina will be so missed.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
