Jane Rossington Jane Rossington was part of the cast from day one and she played Jill Richardson in the soap. And little remains of the Crossroads Motel, where Noele Gordons character Meg Richardson ruled the roost in ITVs cheap television soap which attracted huge audiences as high as 15 million viewers in the 1970s and early 1980s. In 2012, Susan moved to ITV soap Coronation Street , playing Penny Thornley. Crossroads was very amateur when I went into it.. In a 1981 interview with Angela Rippon, Tonge claimed that viewers were often astonished to encounter him off-screen and discover he did not use a wheelchair or crutches, despite him having been a wheelchair user for many years. Brian Kent played Dick Jarvis from 1964 until 1972 as part of the original cast. [2] He was known for his role as Mike Baldwin in the soap opera Coronation Street, in which he appeared from 1976 to 2006. An impressive career followed with appearances on EastEnders, Holby City, The Bill, and Navy. Charging charged $1.25 per room per night, it was luxurious for its time, comprising a number of small bungalows with private garages. He stayed on at a time when the soap saw its highest ratings pulling in 18 million viewers a night at its peak. The arrival of Valerie Pollard at the Crossroads motel in 1982, Heather Chasen being interviewed about her career, authority on south-east Asian birds and mammals, Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House. Sue was seen by a skin cancer specialist who diagnosed her with malignant melanoma, and the mole was removed. David Moran - IMDb Now 37, she is best known for her long-standing role as Nancy Hayton on Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks , which she began in 2008. Cast of Crossroads L-R Meg Mortimer (Noele Gordon) David Hunter (Ronald Allen) Jill (Jane Rossington) Sandy (Roger Tonge) and Benny (Paul Henry). Now, 76 he lives on the island of Anglesey in Wales, where he was born. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. Once, we were in a cafe on Marylebone High Street, Barrie told me, Heather was completely and utterly broke and said, Im going to phone the bank manager. She did, then said, Its wonderful. As a result, I wasnt with it for many years and everything just seemed to go downhill. Reg Watson, the producer, had already interviewed several actors for the part but was unsatisfied; after Tonge's audition, the producer offered him the role. John Ernest Briggs MBE (5 September 1935 - 28 February 2021) [1] was an English actor. I enjoyed playing Benny, the studios were nearby and we built up an audience of 15 million viewers in its daily 6.30pm slot, just as people arrived home from work. Arguably the most successful actress to have starred in Crossroads, both old and new, the sky seems to be the limit for Freema Agyeman! [1] Henry's first acting credit was for his role as Guiccioli on the TV miniseries The Roads to Freedom. In late 2004, he appeared in the stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium, where he played Grandpa Potts. Susan Margery Jeaffreson Lloyd (7 August 1939 - 20 October 2011) was an English model and actress, with numerous film and television credits. Benny went to peoples hearts and many spoke of his relationship with Diane [Susan Hanson], which worked because she was an established character whom the public loved. Created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling, and originally produced by ATV, Crossroads Motel which was later upgraded to a hotel was to be found in the fictional village of Kings Oak, on the outskirts of Birmingham. That grief is with me today as if it was yesterday. Tonge thus became the first disabled actor in a soap; however, it was something he always played down and his illness was never talked about. In 2013, at the age of 72, Adams began suffering from osteoarthritis, which he blames on a seafood diet. Crossroads cast list, including photos of the actors when available. The actor was previously married to Margery Field and he died on July 2, 1985 in London. She is engaged to her long term boyfriend Nicholas Willes as of 2019, and calls herself a "cat mother" on Twitter. In 1981, four years after The Navy Lark ended, Chasen appeared in Crossroads for the first time, in the role of a newspaper reporter for just one episode. This article was amended on 29 May 2020. His absence and death were never mentioned in Crossroads until the final episode. Malcolm Young played Philip Winter between 1964 and 1965, making his appearance one of the shortest on the show. Jo Richardson - IMDb Tuesday, 2nd May 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. READ MORE:Bradley Walsh in tears during emotional talk with son Barney. Jo Richardson was an actress, known for Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972), Crossroads (1964) and Morning Story (1970). Paul Henry as Crossroads lovable Benny Hawkins, Where are they now? She became ill during the run and had to be replaced. Year: 1981. His father was a master carpenter. Underneath his soft woolly hat lurked a soft woolly brain but Aston-born Paul Henry played him to perfection. She then met up with the nurse, named Sister Anna Bianconi-Moore, on the Corrie set to thank her. It made way for a new daily soap opera, Crossroads, in which Gordon played the role of motel owner Meg Richardson (later Meg Mortimer), a part which had been developed with Gordon in mind, as she was still under contract to Lew Grade's ATV. [4] He was in character as Benny in the song, but spoke rather than sang. Who's Who on Television. Luckily, two security cards were nearby and I was unhurt.. Tonge was born Anthony Roger Tonge in Birmingham where he attended Lordswood Technical Grammar School. [18], As detailed by ITV in their on-air obituary broadcast prior to an episode of, As noted in BBC One's TV Heros series, 1991, As noted by Jane Rossington and Paul Henry on the documentary, "Welcome to Nollywood: The staggering true story of Crossroads queen Noele Gordon", "The real story behind Noele Gordon and why she was sacked from Crossroads", "Helena Bonham Carter: I've got so many issues, but as you get older you go: whatever", "ITV commissions Nolly starring academy award-nominated Helena Bonham Carter as Noele Gordon", "What happened to Noele Gordon? [1], Born in Aston, Birmingham, Henry attended the city's Alderlea Boys School in Shard End with Jeff Lynne. This list includes all of the Crossroads main actors and actresses, so if they are an integral part of the show you'll find them below. He sneaked into the studios and charged at me with a knife, he said. Gordon stayed with the programme until she was sacked in 1981, when ATV was in the process of being re-constituted into a new company, Central Independent Television. He died on 26 February 1981 in London, England, UK. [1] Early life He was only 35. Heather Chasen obituary | Soap opera | The Guardian What happened to stars of hit motel soap of 70s & 80s? He was already a familiar face, having found fame as Dr Neville Bywaters in General Hospital. The actress died in January 1990 at the age of 68. Gordon never married. The character is known for a story that never happened. His absence and death were mentioned in an episode of Crossroads between his character's mother Meg and sister Jill and again in the episode featuring Meg leaving for a new life on the QE2. (April 2016) Paul Henry (born 1947) is an English actor, best known for his role as Benny Hawkins in the soap opera Crossroads, on which he appeared on 354 episodes over 11 years. He has appeared on Celebrity Pointless where he won the jackpot alongside Shaun Williamson, who played Barry Evans in EastEnders. She led her soap life to the full for 24 years during which scripts saw her married five times once bigamously become a drug addict, an alcoholic and have a baby with her stepbrother. The real story behind Noele Gordon and why she was sacked from Crossroads It would be great to be working again, but at the end of the day, Ive got a lovely family and they are the love of my life.. Star also had role alongside Steve McQueen in The Great Escape and had parts in host of films, TV shows and theatre shows, Never miss breaking news by signing up to our free email updates. The claim was not challenged on air.[2]. Over the years the series dealt with storylines which were controversial for the times. Early life [ edit] Briggs was born in Battersea, south-west London, on 5 September 1935. Just a couple of years after her debut TV role as Lola Wise, Agyeman became the companion in Doctor Who, Martha Jones. Prior to the 'accident' storyline, Tonge had for many months only been seen in seated scenes, standing rigid or lying in bed. [11], In October 2017, Henry appeared on Pointless Celebrities alongside Shaun Williamson. I took the flack as that was part of my job to protect my staff. Henry's intended portrayal was the reason the character came from Birmingham. [1] Henry's first acting credit was for his role as Guiccioli on the TV miniseries The Roads to Freedom. It led to her playing most of her scenes opposite Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts), no doubt with both having a sense of deja vu. While he had much success in films and other television series, he never forgot Crossroads and was always keen to be involved with reunion events. She was educated at a Malaysian boarding school, Pensionnat Notre Dame, in Pahang. Maurice Colbourne - Wikipedia In real life, after a short-lived marriage to BBC Radio 1 DJ Tommy Vance in the 1960s, Hanson married former Move frontman Carl Wayne in 1974, who lost a battle against cancer in 2004. READ MORE:Helena Bonham Carter 'wasn't sexual' enough in early career struggle. This cast list of actors from Crossroads focuses primarily on the main characters, but there may be a few actors who played smaller roles on Crossroads that are on here as well. Early life [ edit] Death In 1981, after a long fight with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Tonge died age 35. The actor Heather Chasen, who has died aged 92, landed her best-known screen role in the television soap Crossroads.