News

and the lede: British actor Jill Gascoine, known for starring in 1980s TV drama “The Gentle Touch,” has died after a 10-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 83.

Gascoine played Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in ITV’s “The Gentle Touch,” the first British police drama with a woman in the main role.

She continued playing the character in spin-off “C.A.T.S. Eyes,” and also starred in “The Onedin Line” in the 1970s.

She was married to actor Alfred Molina. After moving to Los Angeles with Molina in the 1990s, she went on to become a novelist.

Her son Adam Gascoine confirmed her death on Facebook Wednesday, writing: “She suffered from Alzheimer’s for 10 years, so today was a thankful release. The family is all well, and relieved that she’s not suffering any more.”

He said there would not be a memorial “for a good while due to the current climate,...

Jill Gascoine, the English actress who played Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in Brit series The Gentle Touch, has died at the age of 83.

The actresses’ son confirmed the news on Facebook in a post where he said she had been suffering from Alzheimer’s for 10 years. “Today was a thankful release,” he wrote. “The family is all well, and relieved that she’s not suffering any more.”

Gascoine is survived by two sons and her husband, the actor Alfred Molina, whom she married in 1986.

The actress played the role of Detective Inspector Forbes for 56 episodes of The Gentle Touch in the early 1980s; it was the first Brit TV drama to center on a female police officer. She reprised the part for spin-off series C.A.T.S. Eyes in 1985-87.

Her TV work also saw roles in shows including Z-Cars, General Hospital, Home To Roost, and, after relocating to Los Angeles, the...

London, Dec mber 31: The Marchioness of Worcester, who survived breast cancer, has credited an organic diet and complementary medicine with helping her beat the disease.

The former actress had breast and lymph cancer diagnosed in 2009.

The 54-year-old is now clear of the condition and she believes that her diet of organic food played a key role in maintaining her strength and aiding her recovery, the Telegraph reported.

The Marchioness, who as Tracy-Louise Ward starred in the 1980s television detective series C.A.T.S. Eyes, is more determined than ever to improve awareness about food.

She said that an "alkaline.

Jill Gascoine has stepped down from the role of EastEnders' Glenda Mitchell, forcing the soap's bosses to recast the character just days after the initial announcement. With such tight filming schedules, the series was forced to hire a replacement, opting for 53-year-old ex-Dempsey and Makepeace actress Glynis Barber. Earlier this week, producers revealed that 72-year-old Gascoine - star of The Gentle Touch and C.A.T.S. Eyes - had signed to play the role of Archie Mitchell's (Larry Lamb) estranged wife Glenda. However, during her first day on set, Gascoine took the decision to withdraw from her filming commitments as she felt that she "lacked the right experience to film such a big continuing drama". Speaking of her conclusion to step down, Gascoine said: "I was so looking forward (more)...

Star of The Gentle Touch and C.A.T.S. Eyes Jill Gascoine has joined the cast of EastEnders as Archie Mitchell's estranged wife Glenda. The 72-year-old - who played Detective Inspector Maggie Forbes in the '80s TV shows - first appears in Walford as Glenda in January, much to the shock of her daughters Ronnie (Samantha Womack) and Roxy (Rita Simons). Despite having never been seen on screen, Glenda's potted backstory has formed through her children, ex-husband Archie (Larry Lamb) and sister-in-law Peggy (Barbara Windsor). Described as Archie's "first beautiful, quiet and dutiful wife", Glenda walked out on him and the girls around the time Ronnie gave birth at the age of 14. Archie's controlling nature turned the once brash and confident Glenda into a nervous wreck and when Archie orchestrated their teen daughter's child (more)...