Bread actress Eileen Pollock, who was often referred to as Polly, has died aged 73. The star’s family said she died peacefully at home in London on Sunday. In a statement, they added she will be remembered as an “actor, writer and storyteller” and described her as a “dear sister, loved aunt and great aunt”.
“Your beauty, laughter and loving eyes gave joy to all,” they continued.
Dan Gordon, Eileen’s co-star in Women of the verge of HR, told Irish News: “We used to call her ‘Polly’s People’ because she picked up all the waifs and strays along the way and would never see them stuck.
“She’d meet someone in the town when we were on tour and say, ‘They’re down on their luck’ and would bring them to see the show and buy them a drink afterwards.
“She was great fun and the one thing I remember is that I never saw her angry. I never once seen her cross with anyone.
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In the same year, she said she didn’t understand why actors would want to distance themselves from their most memorable role.
She told the Northern Echo: “I disbelieve actors who say ‘I want rid of that image’ because people will always remember me as Lilo Lil and it’s wonderful.
“I like it when someone says in a supermarket, ‘You know who you remind me of, don’t take offence, that tart from Bread’.”
Bread was based on a close-knit, working-class family led by acid-tongued matriarch Nellie Boswell (Jean Boht) in Liverpool.
The sitcom ran for seven series and concluded in 1991.
The cast included; Ronald Forfar, Peter Howitt, Graham Bickley, Victor McGuire and Melanie Hill.
Ronald, who played rogue Freddie Boswell in the hit sitcom, died aged 81 in October.
The former actor spent his last years in Rochester, Kent and was a familiar figure to locals.