Anne Hart, the widow of comedian Ronnie Corbett and star of the West End, has died aged 90

Anne Hart, the former star of West End musicals and the widow of comedian Ronnie Corbett, has died at the age of 90, as confirmed by her family. After 50 years of marriage to Corbett, Hart peacefully departed, surrounded by her loved ones, in the early hours of Sunday, November 5, at the family residence in Scotland.

Actress Sophie Corbett, her youngest daughter, expressed, "We said goodbye to my beloved Mum at one o'clock this morning. She was an extraordinary woman, and my sister Emma and I, along with her four grandchildren, Tom, Tilly, Dylan, and Billy, will continue to cherish her memory forever. We plan to bring her back to Abingdon, near Croydon, where the family resided during my Dad's lifetime."

Hart, the third of six siblings, was born on April 26, 1933, at St Thomas’ Hospital in Lambeth. Her early career in the West End included performances in the Christmas show ‘Where The Rainbow Ends’ and child roles in operas at Covent Garden.

In her twenties, she gained recognition as the leading lady in productions such as ‘Clown Jewels’ and ‘Young In Heart’ alongside the comedic ensemble The Crazy Gang. During the late 1950s, while working in the late-night revues at Danny La Rue’s club at Hanover Square, she met the rising comedian Ronnie Corbett, her future husband.

Prior to her marriage to Corbett at the Brixton registry office, Hart had been wed to John Padley, a singer in The Four Jones Boys group. Tragically, their first child, Andrew, passed away at the age of six weeks due to a heart defect. Despite this heartbreaking loss, the couple went on to have two daughters and four grandchildren.