Judy Cornwell

Biography

Cornwell's father served in the RAF and she grew up in Britain, where she attended a convent school and Saint Michael Boarding school in Heacham, Norfolk, before moving to Australia, to which country her family emigrated. She has written about her childhood experiences in her autobiography Adventures of a Jelly Baby. She returned to Britain, and there became a professional dancer and comedian in her teens, working her act between the nudes at the Irving Theatre before becoming an actress. Her long career includes roles in radio's The Navy Lark, the controversial play Oh! What A Lovely War, her own TV comedy series Moody and Pegg, and several seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Films and television

Cornwell's film roles include Santa Claus: The Movie (as Mrs. Claus) and Mad Cows. On television she has appeared in Dixon of Dock Green, Cakes and Ale, Bergerac, Doctor Who (the episode Paradise Towers), several episodes of Farrington of the F.O., The Famous Five, The Bill, Heartbeat, Miss Marple and Midsomer Murders. She also appeared on radio as WREN Cornwell in The Navy Lark. Judy also appeared in BBC soap opera EastEnders as Queenie Trott, the mean tyrant mother of lovable loser Heather Trott. In 1987, she appeared as the English spinster Lady Rosemary Tuttle in the episode 'Rumpole and the Official Secret' from Season 4 of Rumpole of the Bailey. She is best known, however, for her portrayal of lovable working class housewife Daisy in the popular sitcom Keeping Up Appearances, which ran from 1990 to 1995. She also appeared in the new series of Birds of a Feather as a sister shopping in a supermarket in episode 8.

Published works

Cornwell has published a number of books, including her autobiography Adventures of a Jelly Baby (ISBN 0-283-07001-3) that was published in 2005 which describes her childhood growing up in Britain during the war, and then in Australia where her family emigrated.

She has also published several novels, including Cow and Cow Parsley in 1985, Fishcakes at the Ritz in 1989, The Seventh Sunrise in 1994, and Fear and Favour in 1996.

Personal life

Cornwell married John Kelsall Parry on 18 December 1960, and they have a son, Edward. The couple reside in Brighton.

Her grandmother was music hall singer Sarah Bonner.