EastEnders and Citizen Smith actress Cheryl Hall dies aged 76 as tributes paid to ‘charismatic’ star

AN actress who was known for appearing on EastEnders and The Bill and appeared in several classic movies has tragically passed away. Cheryl Hall, 76, played Shirley Johnson in the BBC sitcom Citizen Smith, which ran from 1977 to 1980. Cheryl Hall in character as Doreen Bissel on the set of sitcom Dear Mother…Love Albert, 1972 Credit: Getty Cheryl Hall in Doctor Who, 1963 She was previously married to fellow actor Robert Lindsay, who played Wolfie Smith in the series. They got married in 1974 at St Andrew’s Church in Richmond, London. Sign up for the Eastenders newsletter Thank you! The actress also dated Robin Askwith in the 70s before her marriage. Paying tribute, he posted on X: “What a force of nature she was… Cheryl Hall made a guest appearance as Christine on EastEnders, 1988 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Throughout the 1970s she made appearances in several films Credit: Shutterstock Editorial “A really innovative working class charismatic actress coming out of the late 60s. “Brave in every way. And now I have the sad news she has passed away… “I am devastated…she was my beginning… RIP Cheryl Hall.” The writer behind Citizen Smith cited Cheryl as the reason he created Just Good Friends, which ran from 1983 to 1986. Most read in Showbiz She accused Sullivan of not writing strong female characters, which he admitted before going on to create the programme. Documentary maker Chris Chapman added: “Sad to hear of the death of Cheryl Hall. “I interviewed her for our Carnival of Monsters doc back in 2009 or so and she was so much fun – immediately likeable and engaging. RIP.” Cheryl had several noteworthy movie credits Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Robert Lindsay marries actress Cheryl Hall at St Andrew’s Church, 1974 Credit: Getty She made a guest appearance on EastEnders as a character called Christine for a few episodes in 1988. The 76-year-old had a recurring role as Sadie in The Bill, appearing in 18 episodes from 1984 until 2007. The actress also appeared in Doctor Who serial Carnival of Monsters in 1973. Cheryl appeared in a slew of other shows and had several noteworthy movie credits, including Casualty, Silent Witness, and Dramarama. In 1976, she starred alongside David Jason in the sitcom Lucky Feller. And, throughout the 1970s she made appearances in the films Deep End, Villain, To Catch a Spy and The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins. She went on to have roles in The Love Ban, The 14, and No Sex Please, We’re British, as well as several other films. Comment now