Lynda Bellingham

Lynda Bellingham OBE (31 May 1948 – 19 October 2014) was an English actress, broadcaster, and author. She gained recognition for her roles in television series such as All Creatures Great and Small, Doctor Who, Second Thoughts, and Faith in the Future. Bellingham was also well-known for her portrayal of the mother in the long-running series of "Oxo Family" British TV advertisements from 1983 to 1999. Additionally, she was a regular panellist on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women between 2007 and 2011. Born Meredith Hughes in Montreal, Bellingham was adopted at the age of four months. She received her education at Aylesbury High School and trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Her career began with a role as a nurse in the ITV soap opera General Hospital and later included appearances in films such as Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976) and Stand Up, Virgin Soldiers (1977).