"I was absolutely devastated," he told The Guardian in 2009. (function() { stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage, EastEnders spoilers: Linda Carter makes a mysterious phone call after big Mick decision, 10 soap spoilers this week: EastEnders earth-shattering twist, huge Emmerdale death, Coronation Street Stephen drug horror, Hollyoaks health trauma, Do not sell or share my personal information. Grange Hill and Sweeney Todd actor Lee Whitlock dies aged 54 - Metro Fans were quick to pay tribute following news of his death. At the age of 34, Amanda discovered she had breast cancer just days after welcoming her second son. To get the latest news from WalesOnline sent to your email inbox click here. Kevin died aged 49 just a week after filming his final scenes for The Bill, and Tosh continued to appear on screen for a month after his death. Is Grange Hill returning for a movie? Gwyneth Powell, actor who played Grange Hill's headteacher, dies aged The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Alison Bettles, now 48, played Fay Lucas from 1982 to 1987 in six series of the show. He was 67. . Where Are The Cast Of Grange Hill Now? - Eighties Kids It's a sad day for fans of The Bill, as it was announced George Rossi has tragically died at the age of 61. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Lee Whitlock, who starred in Grange Hill and Sweeney Todd, has died aged 54, Grange Hill star Gwyneth Powell passed away last year at the age of 76, Lee MacDonald played heroin addict Samuel 'Zammo' McGuire, Simone was one of the original stars of Grange Hill and now works in corporate events, Erkan continues to work as an actor after playing one of the most iconic characters on Grange Hill, Susan turned her skills to directing and has worked at the helm of some major TV shows, Sean played heartthrob Tegs and later moved to the US and became a citizen there, Todd has had a stellar showbiz career going from EastEnders to Dancing On Ice, Claire was one of the most recognisable characters from Grange Hill, Terry played one of the first characters on the show, Benny Green. Denny Roberts, played by Lisa Hammond, was the first person on the show with dwarfism, while Rachel Burns (Francesca Martinez) had cerebral palsy. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. However, it seems it hasn't always been easy being famous and George has hit some bumps in the road during his career. Roly, Zammo, Gripper and more - what happened to the original - MSN The actor admitted himself to a residential rehab clinic in a bit to get sober, but left the facility to go on a deadly drinking binge. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. To get rid of blackheads on the nose, experts recommend washing your face twice . More than 23 million are said to have watched the Christmas Day episode that year - in which Aidan tried to take his own life. Donnelly, who starred in the school drama for eight years, died in his . The cast even recorded a single called Just Say No imploring young fans of the show not to give in to peer pressure and to stay away from drugs. But, the now-50-year-old was caught in a drugs sting in 2019. gtag('config', document.getElementById('ga_tracking').getAttribute('data-id')); Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate and Zazzle affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The actor Gwyneth Powell, who appeared in the BBC series Grange Hill, has died at the age of 76, her agent has said. Read more: The Archers marks Queen's death with tribute scene. The actor played the angel-faced boy from 1985 until 1990 and enjoyed success after that. A statement by the actor's family revealed that he'd been fighting demons before his death. He has also been lauded for his extensive charity work over the years, receiving an OBE in 2010 for his work with good causes. Original Grange Hill cast now - tragic death, arrest and very different You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. One of the most familiar faces on the show, the character retired when her relationship with DC Jim Carver came to a very abrupt end. He is now a boxing ring announcer as well as an actor. The series revolved around World War II veteran Harvey Moon (Kenneth Cranham), as he attempted to rebuild his life in post-war London. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Many of the original cast members from the first 2 series are credited as characters in 1982 yet appeared in many cases in only one scene with the majority appearing only in one episode and were not . Lee Whitlock has died at the age of 54. It was created by Phil Redmond, who is also responsible for the Channel 4 . Copyright 2009-2023 Simplyeighties.com She also moved to Los Angeles for a time before returning to London to set up a publicity firm. Lee Whitlock, who starred in Grange Hill and Sweeney Todd, has died aged 54 London-born Lee, 54, went on to appear alongside Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in the 2007 film Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The show's characters became some of the most recognisable faces on TV, but where are the actors who played its young stars now? He has also developed film scripts and published three successful children's novels. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. After The Bill, the actor joined the cast of EastEnders as gangster Johnny Allen, who went to war with the Mitchells and the Moons. The actor - best known for playing Gary Hargreaves - had reportedly been battling cancer . Another strict one, Bullet Baxter ruled the PE department with an iron fist. Played by Michael Sheard, kids took the mick out of his wig but rarely to his face - his foghorn voice and bad temper frightened the children! Enjoying nothing more than arresting a criminal, DC Lennox was loved for his quick wit and hilarious put-downs. Grange Hill was a groundbreaking show for many reasons, It followed the dramatic lives of the students and teachers at the local school, Zammo McGuire became addicted to heroin in the show, The Grange Hill cast - (L-R) Lee Macdonald, Gwyneth Powell, Erkan Mustapha, Karen Ford and Terry Sue Patt, He started a fire that inadvertently killed her when she slipped and fell from the fire escape, The shocking death marked the show's 20th anniversary, Rachel Burns (Francesca Martinez) was one of the first characters with a disability. Lee MacDonald - Zammo Maguire Let's start off with far and away the most controversial character in the show. Nowadays, Jeff looks completely different to his iconic character in The Bill. He now lives and works in LA with his wife and two sons. He had been running a locksmiths and key-cutting business since retiring from telly, but in 2019 he made asurprise comeback 32 years after playing Zammo by joining EastEnders. Although she secured regular work and appeared in a series of TV dramas, her career accelerated after being cast in the childrens series Grange Hill, about life in a comprehensive school. He attempted suicide, but survived and went on to make a recovery, declaring he had been left distraught at the thought his acting career was coming to an end. I'm A Celebrity South Africa axed from TV schedules and replaced, MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo dies aged 46, The traditional looking bungalow that's nothing like you expect it to be on the inside, Prepare for a feast for the eyes hiding behind that normal, white front door, Simon Cowell makes Britains Got Talent history as he does something hes never done before, Olga and her dogs Bonnie and Simba failed to impress Simon and the rest of the judges, Bobby Davro announces fiance Vicky Wright has been diagnosed with cancer, The couple, who have been together 12 years, found out the tragic news last year, Dani Dyer: Is This Anxiety? After Grange Hill star Mark Farmer's death, other tragedies behind the GRANGE Hill actor Nicholas Donnelly, who played Mr MacKenzie in the show, has died aged 83. Chris has since made appearances in shows such as EastEnders, Judge John Deed, New Tricks and Come Dine With Me. This week it was announced that Grange Hill: The Movie is due out later this year, with creator Phil Redmond saying the script is ready with plans to bring back former alumni for the film. yts.src = document.getElementById('site_analytics_tracking').getAttribute('data-url'); She spoke out about her battle with breast cancer in 2015. He also played a Police Inspector in the 1985 sci-fi horror movie. A fan favourite, the actor first appeared on our screens in 1986 when he took on the role of Ziggy Greaves in Grange Hill. Whitlock began his career in a child actor in the early 1980s, appearing in shows such as Shine on Harvey Moon. Mark's untimely death is the latest in a list of tragedies that have plagued the former stars of Grange Hill. I want the theme tune, I want the badge, I want a sausage on the fork. Actor Andrew Lancel wrote on Twitter: "I was always a fan of Lee Whitlock since Shine on Harvey Moon. Since , six actors who appeared in Home Alone have sadly passed away. Devoted fans started a 'Save the Bill' campaign on social media in a bid to convince ITV to reconsider their decision, but it fell on deaf ears. Grange Hill cast - where are they now? | Closer He entered Celebrity Big Brother in 2015, and lasted just under two weeks before being evicted. We also want the social realism, the good humour, the caper and the poignancy.". Grange Hill and Sweeney Todd star Lee Whitlock dies, aged 54 In 2020, he got engaged to his long-term partner, Jess. Candidly the actor expressed he felt his whole life would "fall away" after the "shock was enormous". 1. In the same year he played the role of gangster Terry Molloy in Heartbeat. Powell was born in Manchester on 5 July 1946 and landed her first major television role in the 1971 dystopian drama series The Guardians on London Weekend Television. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Grange Hill's headteacher was in charge between 1981 and 1991. "Terry had his own crosses to bear and he became gripped by a depression he never fully recovered from. This week, he was spotted with long hair and a beard as he grabbed lunch during a low-key outing. function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} on E4 - Love Island winner hopes her experience will encourage others to speak to someone, Her documentary airs on E4 on Monday, May 1, Alex Jones fulfils 'lifetime ambition' but admits it's 'much harder than it looks on TV', The BBC presenter will appear on rival channel ITV in the show, which airs later in the year, Phillip Schofield and his This Morning stand-in Joel Dommett turn up at fancy dress party as exactly the same character, Last month Joel stepped in for Phillip on ITV's This Morning and was a hit with viewers, Former Casualty star to honour 'bestie' Paul OGrady in beautiful way, Paul O'Grady was godfather to actress Amanda Mealing's two sons, Danniella Westbrook rushed to hospital after 'life-changing' Turkish facial surgery, The former EastEnders actress said she was in extreme pain, Today's rugby news as Gatland announcement to seal duo's fate and former Wales star quits Australia job overnight, The latest rugby headlines from Wales and beyond, Discovery a huge hint to what the planet was like millions of year ago and if live veer flourished on our near neighbour, Doctors found cyst the size of a watermelon on pregnant woman's ovary, The cyst had grown so large it pushed her surrounding organs out of place, The four Welsh walks named the best in the UK, Walks in Anglesey, Gower, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire have all been included in this 15-strong list, The key DWP benefit payments and money changes kicking in from today, The changes could make a big difference to your finances, Slimming World helped Jo lose more than 7st to have a baby after going through three miscarriages, We tried the Indian curry house Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds said was the best in Europe, 'They are superb - a perfectly crisp outside gives way to a soft, golden inside, which is both fragrant and flavourful. grange hill football hooligan Movies. It was a joy to work with him twice and to know him as a funny, gentle, lovely man. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. In 1989, he witnessed the Hillsborough disaster and had a spell in hospital but it now getting treatment for his condition. After leaving the show, John studied at the University of Easy Anglia, becoming the head of the student union. ", Try 12 issues for 1 today - never miss an issue. shooting in sunbury village pemberton, nj; yucaipa police news today; ibew local 1249 wage rates; irish wedding toasts father of the bride; dr christopher duntsch family. (modern). There have been countless appearances from very famous faces over the years, including Keira Knightley, Russell Brand, Sean Bean, Hugh Laurie, Emma Bunton and Martin Freeman. The filmmaker played Jessica Samuels in the show about pupils . ", Theatre director Liam Rudden added: "Sorry to read that the actor Lee Whitlock has left us at the age of just 54. Millions have watched her work as a director on episodes of Line Of Duty. Join the community by leaving a comment below andstay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. She once told The Express: "I didn't wallow in self-pity, the anger I felt made me very pro-active. Many things can cause blackheads to form, including increased oil production, hormones, and the presence of bacteria on the skin. His character landed a spin-off show, Burnside, which ran for one series of six episodes in 2000 - focusing on Frank's work with the National Crime Squad. authenticate users, apply security measures, and prevent spam and abuse, and, display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles, measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and, develop and improve our products and services. So it had an enormous effect on me, of which I think most of the public are fairly well aware.". Scott returned to EastEnders in 2015 where he remains to this day. Graham joined the cast as recurring character Tony in 1984, before becoming a regular from 1988 until 2009. Grange Hill the movie is moving ahead - with one of its original stars on board to direct. Eventually he was jailed after confessing to arranging Dennis Rickman's murder and he died from a heart attack in prison in 2006. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our privacy policy and cookie policy. Grange Hill's Mr Bronson dies at the age of 65 The Grange Hill cast - (L-R) Lee Macdonald, Gwyneth Powell, Erkan Mustapha, Karen Ford and Terry Sue Patt ( Image: BPM) Don't Miss He spoke to the Liverpool ECHO back in 2019 about his struggles as he said: "I tried to commit suicide in the early 1990s, because I thought I was going to feel the way I did forever. Read more:All the latest television and arts news here. He later appeared as apprentice footballer Aidan Brosnan on. Grange Hill movie going ahead with original star set to direct He told The Scotsman in 2010: "I started in March 1984 and left in January 2008 and, of the original cast, was in the show the longest. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. She has four children and two of her sons have followed her into acting with roles in Dr Who and EastEnders. One of the original castmembers when the show started in 1984, Eric Richard appeared in almost 800 episodes before stepping down in 2001. Grange Hill - Wikipedia Viewers saw the schoolboy cheat his friends of cash and be confronted by police for flogging off possessions that weren't his, as well as slumping with glazed eyes while high as a kite. His character was written out after resigning under the grounds of being traumatised by the death of colleagues in a bomb blast. He may have rose to fame as a child star on shows like Grange Hill, but he's more recently had success stateside - becoming somewhat of a Hollywood heartthrob. It was groundbreaking for a number of reasons - and in 2015, BBC scriptwriter Emma Reeves admitted that many of the scenes would never be aired today because of strict editorial guidelines imposed on children's television. It was open season on Gripper.". Grange Hill. You might remember him as Kev from the "Bev? Sadly the actor was found dead in his flat in Walthamstow, London, in 2015, aged 50. The 45-year-old joined the drama when he was around 11 - with the actor playing the role from 1988 until his departure in 1991. In just a short space of time we've sadly seen cast members die young, fight cancer and deal with issues such as homelessless. Lee was a great character & a great actor who has left a legacy of brave & groundbreaking work achieved at a particularly young age. He has played two different character in Coronation Street, a business associate of Mike Baldwin in 1988 and Lewis Archer's old friend Patrick Woodson in 2013. Grange Hill actor Lee Whitlock has died aged 54, his agents confirmed on 20 February. Sharing the sad news, his niece Louisa Rossi said: "Unfortunately George Rossi who played DC Duncan Lennox passed away the morning of Wednesday 5th January 2022.". ", Celeb obsessed? During 27 years on our screens, The Bill became a staple on the TV schedule, moving to post-watershed when storylines became even darker and more violent. He still acts and directs, but you might remember him for performing the funniest mistake ever seen on Dancing on Ice in 2009! RIP.. He played Tegs Ratcliffe in Grange Hill then footballer Aidan Brosnan in EastEnders and also had a briefly successful music career. He studied for a time at Swansea University had has appeared on shows like Soccer AM and Celebrity Juice and, after a spell as a caterer, he is now a director and writer. Grange Hill was one of the first children's TV shows to introduce characters with disabilities. A cause of death has not been disclosed. Amanda was eventually given the all clear. Stewpot was played by Mark Burdis from 1981 to 1985. We've only just started like working through the script. The actor was best known for his appearances in Grange Hill, Shine On Harvey Moon, Two Of Us and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street. The violent bully, played by Iain Robertson, would carry a knife and slashed Judi Jeffries' face, leaving her scarred for the rest of her short life. The pair have two sons. Grange Hill's Mr Maurice Bronson aka Michael Sheard was born in Aberdeen Michael sadly died in 2005 Mr "Bullet" Baxter Mr Baxter ruled the PE department with an iron fist, rising to deputy. Actor Mark Savage said that people were terrible to him after Grange Hill, paying him back for his characters misdemeanours. Actor Chris Simmons had actually been in the show twice before playing criminals, but became a regular cast member on the side of the good guys. Music - "I Don't Want To Do This Without You" by 'Late Night. Star who was best known as Mrs McClusky in BBC series died of complications after surgery, says agent. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Her famous portrayal of Mrs McClusky is one that will be fondly remembered by all those that grew up watching Grange Hill. _yts.push(["_trackPageview"]); She starred as a classroom rebel from 1978 to 1982, constantly in trouble for wearing make-up and flouting uniform regulations. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. "When the news was released about the movie, I am sure you would have heard somebody, somewhere, singing the theme tune. When they told me that they weren't going to take up my contract any more, the shock was enormous and I just thought my whole life is going to fall away here "I thought, 'What will I do? Mark's untimely death is the. Grange Hill to get big screen treatment as original cast set to return He was 67. The Rada-trained actor died of cancer in his Isle of Wight home on August 31, 2005. BBC bosses appeared to make a nod to his past in The Bill when creating his character, making Jack a former copper with a murky past. And fantastic actor. She has since applied her talents behind the camera as a successful television director of shows including Secret Diary Of A Call Girl, Lark Rise To Candleford and Getting On.