The Good Life and To The Manor Born star Dame Penelope Keith dies aged 86

Actress Dame Penelope Keith, best known for sitcoms The Good Life and To The Manor Born, has died aged 86, her family said.

She was best known for her roles a snobbish suburbanite Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, which launched in 1975, and the widowed aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, which first aired in 1979.

A statement on behalf of her family said: “We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey where she had lived for more than 50 years.

“The family is grateful for the care and support she received throughout her treatments, and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.”