'Humble Genius' Victoria Wood Dies At 62
Victoria Wood's older brother Chris says her death "has robbed us of one of the brightest talents of our generation".
Wednesday 20 April 2016 15:17, UK
Comedian and actress Victoria Wood has died from cancer at the age of 62.
She passed away at her home in London surrounded by family, her publicist said.
In a statement her older brother Chris said her death "has robbed us of one of the brightest talents of our generation".
"It wasn't just that Victoria was hugely talented in so many different fields, she was also outstanding in her tremendous, single-minded drive and determination to pursue her chosen career," he said.
Her long-time friend and comedy partner Julie Walters said she was "too heart sore to comment."
"The loss of her is incalculable," she said.
In a career spanning over 40 years Wood wrote and starred in numerous sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, including the award-winning comedy Dinnerladies.
She also toured the country for years with her live comedy show, in which she showcased her famous talent for impressions, witty social observation, and for composing and performing comical songs.
She won numerous accolades for her work on stage and screen, including five Baftas, and was made a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2008.
Announcing her death, her publicist, Neil Reading, said: "Victoria Wood has sadly passed away, after a short but brave battle with cancer."
Born in Prestwich, Lancashire in 1953, Wood first appeared on our screens in 1974 when she won the talent show New Faces, while studying drama at Birmingham University.
She went on to become a regular on Esther Rantzen's BBC consumer show That's Life!.
Wood got her own TV show, Victoria Wood As Seen On TV, in the 1980s, for which she won her first Bafta in 1986.
It featured the household favourite Acorn Antiques, a spoof soap opera which she later turned into a sellout musical with collaborator Julie Walters.
She won another Bafta for An Audience With Victoria Wood in 1989 and a Bafta tribute award in 2005.
Her hit series Dinnerladies, which ran from 1998-2000, saw her reunited with Walters, who she first met while auditioning at Manchester Polytechnic's student theatre aged 17.
In 2006 she won two Bafta awards for acting and writing for her drama Housewife, 49, an adaptation of the diaries of Nella Last.
Paying tribute to Wood, comedian Katy Brand told Sky News she "was the whole package... Fantastic mimic, silly sense of humour and fascinated by the minutia of ordinary life.
"I think that is what she wanted to represent, the poetry of ordinary life."
Actress and comedian Jennifer Saunders tweeted: "Cant believe Vic has gone. She was truly an inspiration and had so much left to to give and we won't see it. She was so funny.#VictoriaWood."
Comedian and actor David Walliams wrote: "I have such happy memories watching #VictoriaWood 's TV shows with my mum, dad & sister. She was a humble genius."
Journalist and writer Caitlin Moran wrote: "Seeing Victoria Wood on TV - working class, bookish, silly, clever, doing stand-up, singing, acting - made me think "Girls can do this."
Wood's long-term manager and friend, Phil McIntyre, said: "Victoria has been a part of our lives as a friend, devoted mother and national treasure for 30 years. She was always modest, generous and undemanding.
"A super person and a super and unique talent. There will be an unfillable void left on all levels and we will miss her deeply."
Wood was married to the magician Geoffrey Durham, known as the Great Soprendo for 22 years. The pair divorced in 2002.
She is survived by two children, Grace and Henry.