Una Stubbs, the actress known for BBC’s Sherlock and the 70’s sitcom Till Death Us Do Part, sadly passed away on 12 August 2021. She was a talented actress, dancer and TV personality.
The comedy sitcom she was most known for ran for 10 years (from 1965-1975), where she played the part of Rita Rawlins. The premise was based on the main character, played by Warren Mitchell, being a working-class cockney bigot. His entertaining way of sharing his strong opinions and the performances from Stubbs as his daughter in the show were extremely popular with audiences.
More recently, Stubbs was known for her hilarious depiction of Mrs Hudson, in the BBC’s critically-acclaimed Sherlock series. Her performance throughout the shocking and clever series was full of humour – Mrs Hudson is a character that tries to ground Sherlock with an awareness of the world outside his brain, and the landlord had a fond familial friendship with Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock, as well as Martin Freeman’s Doctor Watson. Stubbs’ wit and awareness of comedic timing brought variety to the series, and her character will be very-much missed if there is another series in the future.
The family released a statement saying that she passed away quietly “with her family around her, in Edinburgh” and asked for “privacy and understanding at this most difficult and sad of times.” She was at the age of 84 when she died, and her death is sombre news to the world of British Television, as well as those many people who enjoyed her brilliant performances.
Words by Annie Gray
A graceful soul with an amazingly sharp wit