# Bella Emberg

Bella Emberg (born Sybil Dyke; 16 September 1937 – 12 January 2018) was an English actress whose television career spanned 60 years.

## Early life and career

Emberg was born on 16 September 1937 in Brighton, Sussex and grew up wanting to be an entertainer. Her professional debut was in weekly repertory in Ryde, Isle of Wight in the summer season of 1962, aged 25.
She appeared in television series such as The Benny Hill Show, Robin's Nest, Softly, Softly, Z Cars, Dawson Watch, Bear Behaving Badly and Grange Hill. Her best-known role was in The Russ Abbot Show, where she played superheroine Blunderwoman alongside Abbot's Cooperman character. The show ran from 1980 to 1996, and at its peak attracted 18 million viewers.
Emberg also starred in Mel Brooks' film History of the World, Part I (1981). She made a guest appearance in the first episode of the revived version of The Basil Brush Show in 2002, and also featured in Doctor Who four times. From 2008 to 2010 she appeared as Barney Harwood’s fictional Aunt Barbara in Bear Behaving Badly on CBBC. In 1965 she had an uncredited appearance in Undermind, (non-speaking) and other uncredited roles in the 1970s Third Doctor serials Doctor Who and the Silurians and The Time Warrior. In the revived series, she played Mrs Croot in Love & Monsters. She filmed a second appearance as Mrs Croot for The Runaway Bride, but this scene ended up on the cutting room floor.
Shortly before her death, she completed filming for In the Long Run, a Sky One comedy created by Idris Elba, due to be broadcast in April 2018.

## Death

Emberg's housemate found her collapsed at their home in London's Raynes Park on 12 January 2018, aged 80. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate her and she was found to have died from alcohol toxicity.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1969 | The Siegfried Idyll | Maid in Biebrich | TV movie |
| 1970 | Morning Story | Mrs Shaw | TV movie |
| 1972 | Mr. Horatio Knibbles | Woman crossing road (uncredited) | Feature film |
| 1978 | Sammy's Super T-Shirt | Woman at door (uncredited) | Film |
| 1981 | History of the World, Part I | Baguette – The French Revolution | Feature film |
| 1995 | It Might Be You | Lady Caller | TV movie |
| 2002 | Fuel | Effie | Short film |
| 2006 | London Hospital | Mrs Hard Up | TV movie |
| 2018 | Dog Day | Evelyn | Short film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1961 | Playbox | Policewoman | TV play series, 1 episode |
| 1961 | Our Mister Ambler | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1961 | Maigret | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1964 | Two of a Kind | Girl | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1964 | The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr | | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1965 | R3 | Wife | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1965 | ITV Play of the Week | Nurse Cary | TV play series, 1 episode |
| 1965 | Undermind | Volunteer at Flu Research Centre (uncredited) | TV series, episode: "Waves of Sound" |
| 1965 | Love Story | Frau Kellerman | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1966 | The Benny Hill Show | Various characters | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1968 | The Wednesday Play | Maid | TV play series, 1 episode |
| 1968 | Detective | Parker | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Softly, Softly | Secretary | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Father, Dear Father | Myrtle | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1968; 1969 | The Troubleshooters | Nurse / Hilda | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1969 | Curry and Chips | Woman | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | Villette | Marie Bruc | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | The Roads to Freedom | Rose | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1970; 1971 | Doomwatch | St. Simons' Islander / Woman | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1971 | Take Three Girls | Annie | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971 | Cousin Bette | Cousin Judici | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1971 | The Goodies | Delia's Dancer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Callan | Prison Officer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Softly, Softly: Task Force | Prison Officer / Police Woman | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1973 | Seven of One | Mrs Beckett | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973 | ...And Mother Makes Three | Woolworths Employee | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973 | Hunters Walk | Mrs Flack | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973 | Sykes | Passenger | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973 | The Tommy Cooper Hour | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970; 1974 | Doctor Who | Kitchen Maid / Nurse | TV series ("Doctor Who and the Silurians", "The Time Warrior") |
| 1965–74 | Z-Cars | Various characters | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1974 | Father Brown | Museum Guide | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974–75 | Man About the House | Traffic Warden / Podge's Mother | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 1976 | Lucky Feller | Woman | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976 | George and Mildred | Woman in Park | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975–76 | Within These Walls | Prison Officer | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1975–77 | Doctor on the Go | Housewife / Miss McArthur | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1977 | Big Boy Now! | Mrs Craig | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1976–77 | Yes, Honestly | Mrs Lawson / Woman in Pub | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1977 | The Tomorrow People | Cleaning Lady | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977 | The Foundation | Traffic Warden | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977 | The Dick Emery Christmas Show: The Texas Connection | Cook | TV special |
| 1978 | Robin's Nest | Dirty Agnes | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Pennies from Heaven | Mrs Corder | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Happy Ever After | Daphne | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | The Birds Fall Down | Catherine | Miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1978–79 | A Sharp Intake of Breath | Doris / Mrs Casey / Mrs Jackson | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1979 | Spooner’s Patch | The Mayor's Wife | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979 | Rings on Their Fingers | Café Waitress | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979 | Testament of Youth | St Jude's Staff Nurse | Miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1980 | Grange Hill | Cleaning Lady | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979–80 | The Dawson Watch | Barbara Streisand / Mastermind Contestant | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1981 | Now for Nookie | Woman | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971–82 | The Benny Hill Show | Various characters | TV series, 15 episodes |
| 1983 | Let There Be Love | Miss Turnbull | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1980–85 | Madhouse | Various characters | TV series, 50 episodes |
| 1987–90 | The Les Dennis Laughter Show | Various characters | TV series, 14 episodes |
| 1991 | Billy Webb’s Amazing Story | Mrs Frisby | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1986–94 | The Russ Abbot Show | Blunderwoman / Various characters | TV series, 66 episodes |
| 1996 | The Ant & Dec Show | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | Ant & Dec Unzipped | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1997 | The Lily Savage Show | Bella the Hun | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1998 | The Zig and Zag Show | Completely Horrible Woman / Serena | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2002 | The Basil Brush Show | Auntie | TV series, episode 1 |
| 2002 | Trial & Retribution | Mrs Fowler | TV series, episode 1 |
| 2006 | Doctor Who | Mrs Croot | TV series, 1 episode: "Love & Monsters" |
| 2008–10 | Bear Behaving Badly | Aunt Barbara | TV series |
| 2015 | Pompidou | Bella | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2017-18 | In the Long Run | Sheila (final role) | TV series, 3 episodes |