Dame Penelope Keith, a beloved sitcom legend, has died following a battle with cancer at the age of 86. Her family confirmed her death in a statement on Monday, stating she passed away at her five-decade-long home in Surrey.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey, where she had lived for more than 50 years.”
“The family is grateful for the care and support she received throughout her treatments and asks that their privacy be respected at this time,” the statement read.
Keith became a breakout star after portraying snobbish Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, a hit sitcom of the 1970s. She also won audiences with her role as Audrey Forbes-Hamilton, an aristocratic widow in To the Manor Born.
She boasted awards including an Oliver Award for Donkey’s Years and BAFTAs for The Good Life and The Norman Conquests. Away from the screen, she replaced Sir Laurence Olivier as president of the Actors’ Benevolent Fund in 1989 and was given the honour of Dame in recognition of her work in arts and charity.
Sir Jeremy Hunt, an ex-culture secretary, paid tribute to Keith’s towering figure in television, noting that she helped Britain laugh at itself and brought happiness to millions. “Incredibly sad to hear of the passing of Dame Penelope Keith CBE. She was a neighbour and friend who was dearly loved by all who knew her in Milford,” he wrote on X. “She helped Britain laugh at itself, one of our best national qualities, and brought happiness to millions. RIP, dear Penny.”