Yootha Joyce

Dear Yootha... That's how people would start. They would write to Yootha about their most intimate problems, so convinced were they of her performance as Mildred in the sitcom George & Mildred. This sexually frustrated, vulnerable yet predatory character had reached such levels of believability, that some were convinced that Yootha would be the one to sort out their worries.

"I'm no Marjie Proops darling, but I try to help in my simple way."

Looking at Yootha's long career, you wonder where she'd been before her phenomenal success. George & Mildred, in which she played alongside Brian Murphy, was one of the most successful TV sitcoms of the seventies. TV success also saw both actors branching out, achieving record audiences on stage, at summer seasons in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Where had Yootha come from? What training had she had? What kind of person was she? Most importantly, what went wrong when her success became a problem? All this, the author attempts to discover in this fascinating insight into her life.

First published: Wednesday 29th October 2014