Su Pollard reveals final phone call before co-star's tragic death and why her marriage really ended

Hi-de-Hi! star Su Pollard first realised she was famous when her name was the answer to a crossword clue. The actress, who played chalet maid Peggy Ollerenshaw in the BBC1 comedy set in the fictional Maplins Holiday Camp in 1950s Essex, says: “I saw the crossword, and did a double take. It read, ‘what was the name of the actress that played Peggy in Hi-de-Hi!?’ And I couldn’t believe it. ‘It’s me, it’s me’!” Now 76, Su has particularly fond memories of acting alongside Ruth Madoc, who played Gladys, a yellowcoat (the hosts and performers) in the series that ran from 1980-1988. She was devastated when Ruth died on December 9, 2022, aged 79, following surgery after a fall she suffered earlier that week. She says of their time on Hi-de-Hi! which at its peak pulled in more than 20 million viewers: “There was no envy between us. None of this, ‘you’ve got more lines than I should have.’ We worked together as a really good team.” Reflecting on Ruth’s death, she continues: “I’m so glad that the day before she had the operation, I rang her and just said, ‘good luck, babe. Hope it goes well and let me know how you get on.’ “Well, you can imagine the shock here when I was told that she’d passed away. It was awful. I think of her all the time. When you’ve worked with people for a long time, they’re not just colleagues. You see their kids grow up, how well they’re doing. We were fortunate to have had that kind of wonderful, extra joy of familial comfort with each other. She liked her whisky and a fag. And, you know, she was a great opera singer.” Su, who got to number 2 in the UK Singles Chart in 1986 with Starting Together, went on to star in BBC1’s You Rang, M’Lord, as well as appearing in West End Musicals and doing 46 pantos over the years. She says: “Pantomimes are pure, unadulterated fun. Joy. The audience is given permission to have a good time. People still yell Hi-di-Hi! at me on stage!” But her favourite part ever was not Peggy, but rather Miss Hannigan, the evil orphanage matron in Annie. She says: “I did it for 10 years off and on - 12 week tours at a time. Add all those tours up and I've been Miss Hannigan for two and a half years straight. She became a part of me. “I always found something different. She’s brilliant. You could really play with her. I tried to make her as real as possible. I hardly wore any makeup, she wore this terrible blue eye shadow, it was up my nose and round my eyes. I could get ready in five minutes. I'd throw my wig across the dressing room and stand on it to make it look like she hadn't had her hair done in five years.” And she prefers playing a baddie. She says: “There’s no competition, especially in a panto. I’d rather get down and dirty with a baddie than play someone squeaky clean.” However, this Christmas, she’s set to play “a good fairy in bovva boots” in Sleeping Beauty at the Crewe Lyceum Theatre. Despite her diverse career, the actress - whose book Su Pollard: Fully Charged is out on August 13 - will always be remembered for Hi-de-Hi! She recalls one hilarious encounter when she was recognised by the lead singer of Queen. She says: “I clearly remember meeting Freddie Mercury on the dancefloor of the Copacabana Club in Earls Court, mid-80s. This man came up to me and said, very politely, ‘Do you mind if I join you?’ I nearly screamed out loud. He was completely relaxed and charming. "He told me how much he loved Hi-de-Hi! and then, to my delight, asked me to say ‘Hi-de-Hi!’, one of the famous catchphrases from the show, properly for him. I obliged loudly, of course, and he immediately replied ‘Ho-de-Ho!’ Then he asked me for a picture.” Sue has also been heckled by a Beatle. She says: “When I came off stage at the Royal Variety Performance I found myself standing next to Paul McCartney and his wife Linda. Suddenly he piped up, ‘Hi-de-Hi!’. He told me how much his mum loved the show and asked if I would sign an autograph for her!”. She also tap danced with Princess Diana at 10 Downing Street, when they were both at a charity event. She says of Princess Di: “She told me she loved my dress, saying ‘it’s like a rainbow’. It had been knitted by a fan - squares of wool, in a patchwork. “She said, ‘I hear you’re doing Me and My Girl . I said, ‘Yes, but I’m struggling with the tapping.’ She told me she’d learned ballet when she was younger, but had recently been learning tap dancing herself and found it difficult to master. “I showed her a couple of steps, and she said, ‘let’s do something together then!’ So we did! It was really fabulous, just off the cuff and great, it was terrific! She was really generous of spirit.” Growing up in Nottingham, Su has an early memory of singing a song at Christmas for her parents Hilda and Don, who worked for Players, the cigarette makers, when she was four. Su says: “Another career path never entered my mind. I was born wanting to perform. They always encouraged me. One of my earliest memories is my mum singing along to the radio, so I always think of her when I do radio.” Still a regular guest on the BBC Radio 4 panel game Just a Minute, she adds: “I get my work ethic from my dad, who took approximately two weeks off in his life.” After cutting her teeth in local theatre, Su’s first appearance on national TV came in 1975, on talent show Opportunity Knocks. And her first foray into sitcoms was in 1979’s Two Up, Two Down, before Hi-de-Hi! came along in 1980. And, despite six decades in showbiz, she has no plans to retire and hopes to take her one-woman show, Su Pollard: Still Fully Charged, to New Zealand soon, having toured the UK for the past two years. “Don’t mention the ‘r’ word! It’s not something I’m even considering - I’m having far too much fun,” she says of retiring. Happily single, Su was previously married to author Peter Keogh from 1984 to 1992 - who was publicly outed as gay soon after their honeymoon, thanks to a highly publicised court trial in which he was acquitted of theft. She says: “I’m great mates with my ex-husband's husband.” Charming and self-deprecating, Su, is a champion of fellow comedy actresses. She says: “I’ve been watching Ann Droid with Sue Johnson. It’s brilliant - I hope they make more.” Her advice to comedy writers is simple. She says: “As long as your dialogue is witty and it’s got heart,you’re on to a winner. That was the formula for the sitcom phenomenon of the 1950s, then the 1980s - and it’s the same today. That’s what people want.” Meanwhile, the best advice she ever received was from director Tudor Davies. She says: “I was 25. He said, ‘don’t be up yourself, Pollard’. I’m pleased to say I’ve stuck to that ever since.” *Su Pollard: Fully Charged (Mirror Books, £22) is on sale August 13th. Pre-order on Amazon now.