Where’s the Hi-De-Hi cast now? From fatal fall and heartache to crime writing success

Hi-de-Hi: First day at Maplin’s holiday camp

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Classic BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi! went off air 36 years ago but still remains a beloved part of British culture. It originally began on January 1, 1980, and ran for nine series until January 30, 1988.

Set within the fictional Maplins holiday camp in the 1950s, it made stars of its cast including Paul Shane, Su Pollard, Jeffrey Holland, Ruth Madoc and Simon Cadell. Written by the dream comedy writing team of Jimmy Perry and David Croft it was actually inspired by Jimmy’s time serving as a Redcoat at Butlins.

With the camp staff made up of a motley crew of struggling actors, comedians, wannabe stars, and has-been entertainers there were plenty of stories to mine which were often as poignant as they were hilarious. It proved a huge hit and attracted audiences of 20 million at its peak.

It won the BAFTA for Best Comedy Series in 1984, and in a 2008 poll on Channel 4, the Hi-De-Hi Ho-De-Ho catchphrase was voted the 35th most popular comedy catchphrase.

It is frequently repeated and has lost none of its charm or humour. Here, Express.co.uk takes a look at what happened to the cast once the doors of Maplin’s closed for the final time.

Peggy Ollerenshaw – Su Pollard

Split image of Peggy Ollerenshaw and the actress who played her Su Pollard

Peggy Ollerenshaw, played by Su Pollard, dreamed of being a yellowcoat (Image: BBC/Getty)

While the show featured an ensemble cast, one character who stood out above all the others was chambermaid Peggy Ollerenshaw, played by national treasure Su Pollard. The ditzy but loveable chalet maid was desperate to be a Yellowcoat, which she considered the pinnacle of glamour and success, and her efforts to land the coveted jacket often had hilarious results.

Su, now 74, was already an established singer and theatre actress when she landed the role of Peggy – only her second TV part. Since the show ended she has barely stopped for breath.

She appeared in more TV comedies including You Rang, M’Lord?, which reunited many of the Hi-De-Hi cast, and Oh, Doctor Beeching! and Benidorm.

She has also presented Songs of Praise, appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 and has made countless pantomime appearances including performing alongside David Hasselhoff in Peter Pan. In 2023 she was rewarded for her decades of panto work with the Outstanding Achievement Award at Pantomime Awards.

In 2021, she appeared on Celebrity MasterChef but failed to impress John Torode with a chicken blunder, where she “hacked at it” while plating up.

Spike Dixon – Jeffrey Holland

Spike Dixon and Jeffrey Holland split image

Spike Dixon, played by Jeffrey Holland, was the camp’s resident comic (Image: BBC/Channel5)

Camp comic Spike would do anything to make the guests laugh and was frequently to be found in whacky costumes and situations. More often than not his sidekick camp host Ted Bovis (Paul Shane) was by his side.

Jeffrey had been a recognisable guest star in many popular TV shows throughout the 70s but Hi-De-Hi was his big break. When the show ended, like many others in the cast he joined You Rang M’Lord.

He also appeared opposite some of the shows alum in Oh! Doctor Beeching. Coronation Street fans will recognise him as Clive Drinkwater from 2011 and he has worked consistently since the show ended.

In recent years, he has fulfilled his lifelong ambition of playing Stan Laurel in the one-man show The Is My Friend Mr Laurel, which regularly tours to huge acclaim.

Sylvia Garnsey – Nikki Kelly

Sylvia Garnsey and Nikki Kelly split image

Nikki Kelly played the foxy Sylvia Garnsey on the show (Image: BBC/Channel 5)

Sylvia was something of a femme fatale who always displayed flirtatious behaviour with the camp’s entertainment managers. She strutted around Maplins in tiny shorts turning men’s heads in her wake.

She was already well-established in theatre when she joined the cast of Hi-De-Hi. When the show ended she did some TV, appearing in ITV sitcom The Upper Hand and panel game show As Seen On TV. She also returned to her theatre roots and became a panto staple.

She came full circle in 2010 when she appeared in a revised version of the stage adaptation of Hi-de-Hi, playing ballroom dancer Yvonne Stuart-Hargreaves (played in the television series by the late Diane Holland). The role of Yvonne’s husband, Barry, was reprised on stage by the original actor Barry Howard.

April Wingate – Linda Regan

April Wingate played by Linda Regan split image

Linda Regan played bubbly April Wingate in the show (Image: BBC/Ian Vogler)

April was bubbly and ditzy and often seen by the side of Sylvia. Linda had enjoyed a decade-long career in television before joining the cast of Hi-De-Hi for 24 of its 58 episodes.

After the show went off the air, she appeared in shows such as Birds of a Feather, Framed and the hard-hitting crime drama The Knock. She also starred in five episodes of The Bill before appearing as Harry’s mother in all four seasons of the children’s drama series Harry and Cosh from 1999 to 2003.

In 1995 she married another comedy icon, Brian Murphy of George and Mildred and Last Of The Summer Wine fame.

She still acts, most recently having appeared in Holby City, Doctors and Run for Your Wife, as well as appearing in several short films and commercials. However, she has also won acclaim as an author writing award-winning crime novels.

Gladys Pugh – Ruth Madoc

Gladys Pugh and Ruth Madoc split image

Ruth Madoc played camp announcer Gladys Pugh (Image: BBC/Getty)

As camp announcer and sports coordinator, Gladys Pugh (Ruth Madoc) became forever associated with the famous catchphrase Hi-De-Hi, which she opened each broadcast with. She was perpetually lovelorn firstly being obsessed with entertainment manager Jeffrey Fairbrother and later his predecessor Clive Dempster.

When the show ended Ruth took to the stage appearing in many Agatha Christie plays and numerous other productions.

She also found a whole new generation of fans when she starred as the mother of Dafydd “the only gay in the village” in Little Britain. Other TV appearances included Big Top, with Amanda Holden, and a guest appearance in Casualty.

She died in December 2022, at the age of 79 after undergoing surgery following a fall.

Professor Jeffrey Fairbrother – Simon Cadell

Jeffrey Fairbrother and Simon Cadell split image

Camp entertainment manager Jeffrey Fairbrother was played by Simon Cadell (Image: Getty)

Jeffrey was the object of Gladys Pugh’s affections and his uptight manner was completely at odds with his more down-to-earth staff. Simon left the show after series five and went on to win an Olivier Award for his role in the adaptation of Grahame Green’s Travels With My Aunt.

On television, he appeared in wheeler-dealer comedy-drama Minder and the sitcom Singles, detective drama Bergerac, comedy sketch programme The Kenny Everett Television Show and Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected.

His dulcet tones meant he was also heavily in demand as a voice-over artist for television commercials and he narrated the children’s television series Bump for the BBC, about a baby elephant (who always bumps into things) and his friend Birdie.

As a heavy smoker who would consume up to 80 a day, Simon died at the age of 45 in 1996 after being diagnosed with lymphoma in 1993, while being treated for pneumonia.

It came four months after he suffered a near-fatal heart attack following a recital with Joanna Lumley at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London.

Ted Bovis – Paul Shane

Ted Bovis and Paul Shane split image

Ted Bovis was played by Paul Shane in the show (Image: BBC/Getty)

Paul’s Teddy Boy look as camp host Ted became iconic. Alongside camp comic Spike he was usually at the centre of hilarious mishaps in his attempts to entertain the holidaymakers.

After the show ended, he joined several other cast members in the sitcom You Rang, M’Lord, and also went on to land his own show in the early 90s called Very Big, Very Soon, where he starred as a down-at-heel actor’s agent.

He had a four-year stint in Holby City and also made appearances in A Touch of Frost, Emmerdale and countless other theatre shows and pantomimes.

He and wife Dory had three daughters and six grandchildren. Paul became a widower in 2001 when Dory died. He himself died in 2013 at the age of 72 after a short illness.

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