Hi-de-Hi! star Ruth Madoc has died aged 79 after being rushed to hospital 

Hi-de-Hi! legend Ruth Madoc has died aged 79, her agent confirmed in a statement today.

The actress, who played Gladys Pugh in the sitcom from 1980 to 1988, was rushed to hospital this week after a fall which forced her to cancel her pantomime commitment this winter.

Just hours before she passed away on Friday, Madoc had given fans an update on Friday to reassure them that she was on the mend, saying: ‘Hiya everyone, please don’t worry!  

‘I’m well and I’ll soon be back to normal, but unfortunately @princesstheatretorquay won’t get to have The Empress Gladys in the Panto this Christmas!!!  I’m doing really well and will soon be back to normal!’

In a statement, Phil Belfield of talent agency Belfield & Ward Ltd, described Madoc as ‘one of a kind and a unique talent loved by many’.

Hi-de-Hi! actress Ruth Madoc has died aged 79, her agent has confirmed in a statement 

He said: ‘It is with much sadness that we have to announce the death of our dear and much loved client Ruth Madoc.

‘Ruth passed away on the afternoon of Friday 9th December while in hospital following surgery for a fall she had earlier in the week, which had led her to have to withdraw from panto in Torquay.

‘From film work such as Fiddler On The Roof and Under Milk Wood with Richard Burton and her iconic TV performance as Gladys Pugh in Hi De Hi! and more recently in Little Britain and on stage with Calendar Girls (the play and the musical), plus recent acclaim in short films Skinny Fat and Cardiff, she was truly a national treasure and was looking forward to getting back on the road in 2023 with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.

‘A real legend of the British entertainment scene, she was one of a kind and a unique talent loved by many. She is gone far too soon. Our hearts are broken!

‘Thoughts are with her daughter Lowri, her son Rhys and all of her family.’

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