Julie Stevens has died aged 87 (Image: BBC)
British actress Julie Stevens has died at the age of 87 following a three-year battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Best known for her roles in the classic spy series The Avengers and the Carry On films, Julie’s remarkable career spanned decades, delighting audiences of all ages.
Julie’s passing comes after it was revealed she had been battling Parkinson’s for the last few years following her diagnosis in 2021.
The news of Julie’s passing was shared by her daughter, Rachel, and subsequently announced on the Legends of Kids TV social media page by a close friend, who poignantly wrote: “Julie Stevens. I received this from her daughter Rachel.
“It’s with great sadness I let you know that Julie died on Thursday, after a difficult 3 years with Parkinson’s. Thankfully it was very peaceful at the end.”
In a heartfelt tribute, Julie’s family reflected on her brave struggle with Parkinson’s, telling The Sun: “[Julie] faced it as she did all challenges, with good humour and great charm.
…
Julie was best known Best known for her roles in The Avengers and the Carry On films (Image: FILE)
“[She] will be remembered for her joyful spirit, her ability to make every child feel seen, and her lasting legacy in the world of children’s television”.
Julie’s breakout role as Venus Smith in six episodes of The Avengers from 1962 to 1963 paved the way for her to become a cherished figure in children’s television throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
She graced screens on the beloved children’s programme Play School back in 1965, and went on to charm youngsters as a storyteller on Watch With Mother in 1967.
Her vibrant career continued through the ’70s with appearances on Girls About Town and Cabbages And Kings, and she went on to star in Look And Read during the ’80s.
She also made a memorable appearance as Gloria in the 1964 film Carry On Cleo, with her on-screen presence enduring until the early 2000s.
Don’t miss…
Julie was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2021 (Image: Wikipedia)
In her most recent acting gig, Julie portrayed Pat Fitzjohn in a single episode of the celebrated medical series Holby City, which aired in 2001.
Reflecting on her time with Play School, Julie revealed to Showreel: “I knew Rick Jones from the Library Theatre in Manchester and the Play School producers asked him if he knew anyone to work on the new programme and he told them that he had this ‘nutty friend’ so I was invited in for an audition.”
“I sang, made something out of a box and read two made-up stories about Billy the Beacon and Zoe the Zebra Crossing. I was heavily pregnant with my first child, Daniel, so watched the very first programme whilst in the maternity ward of the Hammersmith Hospital.”
She continued: “I was due to co-present the third week, but I was not well enough, so didn’t appear until the sixth week. I don’t recall much of that very first week with Rick, apart from the pain I was still encountering from the stitches and the fact that I had to sit on the edge of everything!”