It is with great sadness that Starburst reports the loss of Kate O’Mara who has passed away aged 74 following a short illness. She was best known for her television work including Triangle, Dynasty, Howard’s Way and a particularly memorable turn as Lucy Lee in  The Two Ronnies’ Charlie Farley and Piggy Malone serial “Stop You’re Killing Me”. She also acquired the singular skill of playing the sisters of established and infamous characters in both Dynasty and Absolutely Fabulous.

But to Starburst readers she’ll probably best known for Doctor Who, playing that renegade Gallifreyan, The Rani, opposite the Sixth and Seventh Doctors as well as the previous three in The Dimensions in Time special for Children in Need in 1993. She even reprised the role for the BBV audio production The Rani Reaps the Whirlwind.

With her stunning cheek bones and general air of glamour it’s of no surprise that she came to Hammer’s attentions in her younger days and, like many British actresses of the time, clocked up a couple of Hammer Horror appearances in The Vampire Lovers (1970) and The Horror of Frankenstein (1970).

She was still working in recent years in both theatre and television with her final screen appearance in Benidorm two years ago.

A talented and beautiful actress, Kate will be sadly missed.

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