Roberta Taylor, who was perhaps best known for her roles in The Bill and EastEnders, has very sadly died at the age of 76. The actress suffered from lung disease emphysema and contracted an infection after a fall two months ago. She passed away on 6 July.
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Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share tributes to the beloved star, EastEnders story producer Kyri Zindilis wrote: "Devastated to hear this – I adored Irene Raymond. We have this picture printed out and up on the wall in the Story Department, and it always makes me smile. RIP Roberta Taylor."
© Dave HoganActor Nicholas Pegg added: "Beautiful, brilliant Roberta Taylor. Adored by millions for her roles in The Bill and EastEnders. Outstanding in Shakespeare, Inspector Morse, and all points in between. A mighty raconteur, a demon at Scrabble, and a dear friend. Thoughts are with her family and her beloved Pete."
EastEnders' social media account shared a tribute which said: "We’re deeply saddened to hear that Roberta Taylor has passed away. Roberta made an impact on screen from the moment she arrived in Albert Square, as Irene Raymond. Roberta will be remembered fondly by everyone who worked with her. Our love & thoughts go to her family & friends."
© Jon FurnissFull of praise for her role as Gina Gold in The Bill, one person wrote: "Sad news about the passing of Roberta Taylor. Gina Gold was one of my favourite TV characters growing up and I still think of her one-liners, some well-needed comic relief in what could be a pretty heavy episode."
Another person added: "Gina Gold was a formidable, well-rounded character that Roberta Taylor truly brought to life. One of my favourite storylines from her tenure on the show was the Radfords. Roberta and Lynda Bellingham were powerhouses together. Both are gone too soon. RIP #TheBill."
© Andy Butterton - PA ImagesThe star originated the role of Irene Raymond on EastEnders back in 1997, which she starred in until 2000. Speaking about leaving the show, she told the Mirror: " I was always thinking, ‘When can I learn my lines?’ I gave over much of my life to the show and if I was to carry on at such a pace I’d have to continue to put my life on hold.
"I didn’t want to do things at half-cock. I had a lot of fun playing Irene, and Gavin, who plays my screen husband Terry, and I got on brilliantly. Irene was a complicated lady. I never knew what was going to happen next, but that’s what life is like. We worked hard at our characters. People thought we were comical but actually there was a lot of sarcasm."
She is survived by her husband, fellow actor Peter Guinness, her son Elliott, a granddaughter Ellis and stepbrothers Bill and Lionel.
