Bella Emberg

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English actress (1937–2018)

title: "Bella Emberg" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1937-births", "2018-deaths", "20th-century-english-actresses", "21st-century-english-actresses", "actresses-from-brighton", "alcohol-related-deaths-in-england", "english-film-actresses", "english-television-actresses", "20th-century-english-businesspeople"] description: "English actress (1937–2018)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Emberg" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary English actress (1937–2018) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameBella Emberg
birth_nameSybil Dyke
birth_date
birth_placeBrighton, Sussex, England
death_date
death_placeMorden, London, England
occupationActress
notable_worksDoctor Who
(1970, 1974, 2006)
::

| name = Bella Emberg | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = Sybil Dyke | birth_date = | birth_place = Brighton, Sussex, England | death_date = | death_place = Morden, London, England | occupation = Actress | notable_works = Doctor Who (1970, 1974, 2006)

Bella Emberg (born Sybil Dyke; 16 September 1937 – 12 January 2018) was an English actress whose television career spanned 60 years.

Early life and career

Emberg was born on 16 September 1937 in Brighton, Sussex, and grew up wanting to be an entertainer. Her professional debut was in weekly repertory in Ryde, Isle of Wight, in the summer season of 1962, aged 25.

She appeared in television series such as The Benny Hill Show, Robin's Nest, Softly, Softly, Z Cars, Dawson Watch, Bear Behaving Badly and Grange Hill. Her best-known role was as a cast member in The Russ Abbot Show, in which she played superheroine Blunderwoman alongside Abbot's Cooperman character and appeared in 69 episodes in various roles. The show ran from 1980 to 1996, and at its peak attracted 18 million viewers.

Emberg also made a cameo appearance in Mel Brooks' film History of the World, Part I (1981). She made a guest appearance in the first episode of the revived version of The Basil Brush Show in 2002, and also featured in Doctor Who four times. From 2008 to 2010 she appeared as Barney Harwood’s fictional Aunt Barbara in Bear Behaving Badly on CBBC. In 1965 she had an uncredited appearance in Undermind, and other uncredited roles in the 1970s Third Doctor serials Doctor Who and the Silurians and The Time Warrior. In the revived series, she played Mrs Croot in "Love & Monsters". She filmed a second appearance as Mrs Croot for "The Runaway Bride", but this scene ended up on the cutting room floor.

Shortly before her death, she completed filming for In the Long Run, a Sky One comedy created by Idris Elba, which was broadcast in 2018.

Death

Emberg's housemate found her collapsed at their home in London's Raynes Park on 12 January 2018, aged 80. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate her and she was found to have died from alcohol toxicity.{{cite news |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/blunderwoman-comedy-star-bella-emberg-11843559 |title=Blunderwoman star Bella Emberg died of alcohol poisoning, inquest hears |first=Chris |last=Dyer |work=Daily Mirror |date=12 January 2018 |quote=A post mortem examination by Dr Athanasis Vargiamidou found [Emberg] died from "alcohol toxicity". [...] Assistant Coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe said: [...] "There is nothing in her medical notes to suggest she was a heavy drinker, police found no evidence of chronic alcohol misuse. |accessdate=7 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203103510/https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/blunderwoman-comedy-star-bella-emberg-11843559 |archive-date=3 December 2020 |url-status=dead

Filmography

Film

::data[format=table]

YearTitleRoleNotes
1969The Siegfried IdyllMaid in BiebrichTV movie
1970Morning StoryMrs ShawTV movie
1972Mr. Horatio KnibblesWoman crossing road (uncredited)Feature film
1978Sammy's Super T-ShirtWoman at door (uncredited)Film
1981History of the World, Part IBaguette – The French RevolutionFeature film
1995It Might Be YouLady CallerTV movie
2002FuelEffieShort film
2006London HospitalMrs Hard UpTV movie
2018Dog DayEvelynShort film
::

Television

::data[format=table]

YearTitleRoleNotes
1961PlayboxPolicewomanTV play series, 1 episode
1961Our Mister AmblerTV series, 1 episode
1961*Maigret *TV series, 1 episode
1964*Two of a Kind *GirlTV series, 1 episode
1964The Four Seasons of Rosie CarrMiniseries, 1 episode
1965R3WifeTV series, 1 episode
1965ITV Play of the WeekNurse CaryTV play series, 1 episode
1965UndermindVolunteer at Flu Research Centre (uncredited)TV series, episode: "Waves of Sound"
1965Love StoryFrau KellermanTV series, 1 episode
1966The Benny Hill ShowVarious charactersTV series, 1 episode
1968The Wednesday PlayMaidTV play series, 1 episode
1968DetectiveParkerTV series, 1 episode
1969Softly, SoftlySecretaryTV series, 1 episode
1969Father, Dear FatherMyrtleTV series, 1 episode
1968, 1969The TroubleshootersNurse / HildaTV series, 2 episodes
1969Curry and ChipsWomanTV series, 1 episode
1970VilletteMarie BrucTV series, 1 episode
1970The Roads to FreedomRoseMiniseries, 1 episode
1970, 1971DoomwatchSt. Simons' Islander / WomanTV series, 2 episodes
1971Take Three GirlsAnnieTV series, 1 episode
1971Cousin BetteCousin JudiciMiniseries, 1 episode
1971The GoodiesDelia's DancerTV series, 1 episode
1972CallanPrison OfficerTV series, 1 episode
1972Softly, Softly: Task ForcePrison Officer / Police WomanTV series, 2 episodes
1973Seven of OneMrs BeckettTV series, 1 episode
1973...And Mother Makes ThreeWoolworths EmployeeTV series, 1 episode
1973Hunters WalkMrs FlackTV series, 1 episode
1973SykesPassengerTV series, 1 episode
1973The Tommy Cooper HourTV series, 1 episode
1970, 1974Doctor WhoKitchen Maid / NurseTV series ("Doctor Who and the Silurians", "The Time Warrior")
1965–74Z-CarsVarious charactersTV series, 4 episodes
1974Father BrownMuseum GuideTV series, 1 episode
1974–75Man About the HouseTraffic Warden / Podge's MotherTV series, 7 episodes
1976Lucky FellerWomanTV series, 1 episode
1976George and MildredWoman in ParkTV series, 1 episode
1975–76Within These WallsPrison OfficerTV series, 5 episodes
1975–77Doctor on the GoHousewife / Miss McArthurTV series, 2 episodes
1977Big Boy Now!Mrs CraigTV series, 1 episode
1976–77Yes, HonestlyMrs Lawson / Woman in PubTV series, 2 episodes
1977The Tomorrow PeopleCleaning LadyTV series, 1 episode
1977The FoundationTraffic WardenTV series, 1 episode
1977The Dick Emery Christmas Show: The Texas ConnectionCookTV special
1978Robin's NestDirty AgnesTV series, 1 episode
1978Pennies from HeavenMrs CorderTV series, 2 episodes
1978Happy Ever AfterDaphneTV series, 1 episode
1978The Birds Fall DownCatherineMiniseries, 2 episodes
1978–79A Sharp Intake of BreathDoris / Mrs Casey / Mrs JacksonTV series, 4 episodes
1979Spooner's PatchThe Mayor's WifeTV series, 1 episode
1979Rings on Their FingersCafé WaitressTV series, 1 episode
1979Testament of YouthSt Jude's Staff NurseMiniseries, 1 episode
1980Grange HillCleaning LadyTV series, 1 episode
1979–80The Dawson WatchBarbara Streisand / Mastermind ContestantTV series, 3 episodes
1981Now for NookieWomanTV series, 1 episode
1971–82The Benny Hill ShowVarious charactersTV series, 15 episodes
1983Let There Be LoveMiss TurnbullTV series, 1 episode
1980–85MadhouseVarious charactersTV series, 50 episodes
1987–90The Les Dennis Laughter ShowVarious charactersTV series, 14 episodes
1991Billy Webb's Amazing StoryMrs FrisbyTV series, 5 episodes
1986–94The Russ Abbot ShowBlunderwoman / Various charactersTV series, 66 episodes
1996The Ant & Dec ShowTV series, 1 episode
1997Ant & Dec UnzippedTV series, 1 episode
1997The Lily Savage ShowBella the HunTV series, 1 episode
1998The Zig and Zag ShowCompletely Horrible Woman / SerenaTV series, 2 episodes
2002The Basil Brush ShowAuntieTV series, episode 1
2002Trial & RetributionMrs FowlerTV series, episode 1
2006Doctor WhoMrs CrootTV series, 1 episode: "Love & Monsters"
2008–10Bear Behaving BadlyAunt BarbaraTV series
2015PompidouBellaTV series, 3 episodes
2017–18In the Long RunSheila (final role)TV series, 3 episodes
::

References

References

  1. Harp, Justin. (13 January 2018). "Russ Abbot Show's Blunderwoman, actress Bella Emberg, dies at age 80". Digital Spy.
  2. (14 January 2018). "Bella Emberg obituary". the Guardian.
  3. "Blunderwoman star Bella Emberg dies at age 80". ITV News.
  4. McPhee, Rod. (2017-06-11). "'I put the costume on and my boobs fell out!' Bella Emberg on being Blunderwoman". mirror.
  5. (2018). "Comedy actress Bella Emberg dies". BBC News.
  6. Jones, Stephen. (12 January 2018). "Blunderwoman comedy star Bella Emberg dies. aged 80". [[Daily Mirror]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

1937-births2018-deaths20th-century-english-actresses21st-century-english-actressesactresses-from-brightonalcohol-related-deaths-in-englandenglish-film-actressesenglish-television-actresses20th-century-english-businesspeople