SAD NEW: One of UK’s biggest TV stars d!ed in psychiatric hospital
She was one of Britain’s most recognisable faces on television – famous for her roles and her iconic catchphrases but behind the laughter, her life ended in heartbreak
Hylda Baker in character as Nellie Pickersgill (Image: TV Times/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
At her peak, she ranked among the most celebrated comedians in the nation — bringing joy to audiences and becoming one of the most instantly recognisable faces on British television.
Yet Hylda Baker’s story came to a heartbreaking end when she passed away in a psychiatric hospital, having battled Alzheimer’s disease following a lifetime dedicated to stage and screen.
Born in Farnworth, in what was then Lancashire, in 1905, Hylda’s journey to fame began at just 10 when she performed at the Opera House in Tunbridge Wells as part of a variety act, where she sang, danced and showcased a remarkable talent for impressions.
By the age of 14, Hylda was already writing, producing and headlining her own shows. Her characters included a gossiping Northern woman alongside her near-silent companion, known simply as Big Cynthia, who was almost always portrayed by a man in drag — something truly groundbreaking for the era.
Hylda swiftly established the catchphrases that would go on to define her career, among them “she knows, y’know” and “it’s quarter past, I must get a little hand put on this watch”, reports the Daily Star.
She was one of the most recognisable faces on British TV (Image: TV Times/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Finally, in 1955 she burst onto TV, appearing in The Good Old Days on the BBC. Viewers simply couldn’t get enough of her, and by 1960 Hylda had her own television programme, Our House, with The Best of Friends swiftly following in 1963.
It wasn’t long before the film industry came knocking for her extraordinary talent and she featured in Saturday Night and Sunday Morning in 1960, Up The Junction in 1968 and portrayed the iconic Mrs Sowerby in the musical, Oliver.
Nevertheless, her most significant role, and the one that propelled her to enormous stardom, was yet to arrive. When she was given the part of Nellie Pledge in Nearest and Dearest, there wasn’t a person in Britain unfamiliar with Hylda Baker’s name.
The popular series centred on the love/hate dynamic Nellie shared with her brother, Eli, portrayed by Jimmy Jewel as the siblings attempted to manage the family enterprise of Pledge’s Purer Pickles.
Behind the scenes, it appears the hostility was genuine and the duo were reported to thoroughly dislike each other but this didn’t prevent the programme’s success, which subsequently went on to be adapted into a film.
Hylda’s person like was just as dramatic as the characters she played (Image: ITV)
Shooting the series also revealed the first of Hylda’s difficulties – she was finding it hard to recall her lines and frequently had to depend on cue cards or assistance from her co-star Madge Hindle, who would urgently whisper them to her.
A spin-off programme followed in 1974, Not On Your Nellie, which showcased an almost identical character to the one she had portrayed in Nearest and Dearest, but the show was beset with problems. A declining Hylda was not only struggling to remember her lines but had also begun refusing to attend rehearsals, and eventually the show was axed.
The final blow came when Hylda broke her leg on set after slipping on a beer mat and subsequently sued the production company. Not On Your Nellie was cancelled shortly afterwards, effectively bringing Hylda’s television career to a close.
Yet the spotlight hadn’t entirely faded for the woman who had once been Britain’s best-loved comedian. In 1978, at the age of 73, she joined forces with Arthur Mullard to record a tongue-in-cheek rendition of You’re The One That I Want from the smash-hit film Grease, originally made famous by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
The duo appeared on Top of the Pops and the track climbed to number 22 in the charts, with an album of comedic covers of popular songs following shortly after.
Hylda’s final television appearance came in 1978 when she featured in the BBC arts documentary series Omnibus.
Her private life proved every bit as turbulent as her on-screen adventures. She married Ben Pearson in 1929, but following two devastating ectopic pregnancies, the couple went their separate ways in 1933.
In a dreadful incident on Christmas Eve 1961, Hylda was hit by a car on Charing Cross Road in London, not far from her Bloomsbury home. She sustained a broken toe and severe bruising, and the actress claimed the accident left her unable to work for over six months and had left her unable to walk properly.
She took legal action against the car’s driver and received £4,000, equivalent to nearly £100,000 in today’s terms.
Further heartache befell the star in 1971 when her chauffeur, Noel Moncaster, fled with £2,500, around £40,000today, of her funds and although he was arrested just three months afterwards just £45 remained. He had spent the money financing lavish trips to France, Spain and Africa.
Hylda also starred in several films (Image: ITV)
During his trial, Muncaster was ordered to repay Hylda only £400.
A star professionally and in her personal life, the comedian adored wearing furs and even had monkeys as pets. She infuriated neighbours living near her in Blackpool with noisy parties.
Following early indications of Alzheimer’s during the 1960s, when she found it difficult to recall her lines, Hylda was eventually diagnosed in 1981 aged 76. She was first transferred to Brinsworth House, in Twickenham, London, which is a specialist home for retired entertainers.
Yet just two years afterwards she was moved to a psychiatric hospital in Surrey where she passed away, destitute, in 1986 from bronchial pneumonia.
Despite her celebrity and achievements, she tragically spent her final years impoverished and “lonely and forgotten”, according to Pride of Manchester, with under 10 people understood to have attended her funeral.
