Bill Maynard: 'Heartbeat' star dies aged 89, family says
The actor died in hospital in Leicestershire shortly after breaking his hip in a fall from his mobility scooter, his daughter-in-law said
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Bill Maynard, the English comedian and actor best known for Heartbeat, has died aged 89, his family has confirmed.
The star, who played the roguish but lovable Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in the series, died in hospital in Leicestershire shortly after breaking his hip in a fall from his mobility scooter, his daughter-in-law said.
“He was larger than life and he just loved showbiz,” Jacqueline Reddin, who is also an actor, said. “He was so proud of the fact that he had been working for 81 years and he would have been 90 in October. He leaves a son and daughter, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.”
Born Walter Frederick George Williams, he started his career as a variety performer, taking his name from a billboard advertising Maynard’s Wine Gums.
Making his first television appearance in 1953 on Henry Hall’s Face the Music, the medium offered him a long and fruitful career: appearing in Dennis Potter’s 1971 television play Paper Roses, working with Ronnie Barker on the series Seven of One, starring as the eponymous lead in sitcoms Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggitt! and The Gaffer, and playing Sergeant Beetroot in the series Worzel Gummidge.
On film, he appeared in several Carry On instalments, including 1972’s Carry on Matron and 1974’s Carry on Dick.
In 1984, Maynard had his first (and only) foray into politics, standing against Tony Benn in the Chesterfield by-election as an Independent Labour candidate, purely to try and prevent him from winning the seat and re-entering Parliament. Benn won the seat, while Maynard took fourth place.
In 1992, he joined ITV’s long-running series Heartbeat, remaining on the show until December 2000, while also appearing in its spin-off series The Royal until 2003. In 2013, the actor celebrated 60 years since his first TV appearance by releasing a version of “What A Wonderful World”.
Ms Reddin said he had also filmed an episode of the game show Pointless and was looking forward to watching it when it aired.
Follow Independent Culture on Facebook for all the latest on Film, TV, Music, and more
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments