logo
BBC star who rose to fame in 60s & dated Coupling's Sarah Alexander dies aged 96 as tributes pour in

BBC star who rose to fame in 60s & dated Coupling's Sarah Alexander dies aged 96 as tributes pour in

The Sun13 hours ago
A BBC star who rose to fame in the 60s and dated Sarah Alexander has died aged 96.
Gerald Harper, who made his name on British TV, sadly passed away on Wednesday, his agent confirmed.
3
3
3
CDM Talent Agency posted on social media: "It is with great sadness that Gerald Harper has recently passed away - he was a valued client before he went to Spain to enjoy his retirement."
It is unclear where the actor died or his cause of death.
Gerald is best known for starring as the lead role in the adventure drama Adam Adamant Lives! and then as the main character in Hadleigh.
Following his TV career, he returned to his main passion in theatre.
His classical work includes playing on Broadway with the Old Vic company, playing Iago at the Bristol Old Vic and Benedick at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
Gerald forged an illustrious career on the stage, featuring in various West End shows, including Crucifer of Blood and A Personal Affair at the Haymarket Theatre.
The charismatic performer presented The Sunday Affair for Capital Radio in the 1970s.
Gerald also hosted a series of Saturday afternoon shows for BBC Radio 2 in the early 1990s, in which he played classic songs from the past and gave away bottles of champagne and chocolates.
The star will also be well remembered for his relationship with Coupling and Green Wing star Sarah Alexander.
Sarah, 54, was only 25 when she was first spotted dating Gerald Harper, then 68, in 1996.
Gerald was in his early 70s when Sarah, then aged around 30, became lovers.
Sarah was at the height of her own fame at the time, as she was a regular in sitcom Coupling.
A passer-by told the Sunday People of Gerald and Sarah at the time: "They were super-glued together! They were all over each other and didn't care who saw them.
"Funnily enough, the young lady was making a lot of the running and kept grabbing him to French kiss him – it was quite a display."
Friends said Harper was "absolutely bereft" when Sarah left him for Amandaland star Peter Serafinowicz in 2002.
Before his relationship with Sarah, Gerald was married to Carla Rabaiotti, a former Pan American air stewardess.
The pair, who later divorced in 1983, share a son.
Harper was previously married to actress Jane Downs from 1957 until they divorced in 1975. They share a daughter.
At the height of his fame Harper was TV's most eligible bachelor in ITV's Hadleigh, which ran from 1969 to 1976.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade
LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade

South Wales Guardian

time25 minutes ago

  • South Wales Guardian

LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade

Writer Shon Faye and the lead actor in the BBC drama What It Feels Like For A Girl, Ellis Howard, also criticised the judgment. The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan shouted 'happy pride' and thousands people started to walk through central London, led by a more than a dozen motorcyclists from LGBT groups. There were shouts for 'trans rights now' as the engines roared and rain started to fall on Saturday afternoon. American pop singer Chaka Khan is headlining the event that saw around 500 organisations file from Hyde Park Corner, through Piccadilly Circus, and on to Whitehall Place. Former Years And Years singer Alexander told the PA news agency: 'Trans people right now, they need our support and love more than ever, they're being villainised, demonised in the press, by a lot of the media, and trans people they're just like us… they're you, they're me. 'They deserve the same respect, the same rights, the same privileges, same opportunities, and that's why pride is so important this year.' The solo artist and Eurovision 2024 contestant added: 'There's been a real backlash against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies and that's been going on for years, and I think we're in a bit of a swing, that's going against where we were maybe five years ago. 'We've had the Supreme Court ruling and I feel like a lot of trans people are scared, rightfully scared, they don't understand… what their lives are going to look like.' In April the Supreme Court ruled the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Before the march began Shon Faye, author of Love in Exile and The Transgender Issue, said 'we've just seen an unprecedented attack on queer rights and trans rights across the world'. She told PA: 'For the trans community in particular here in the UK, we've seen an onslaught of misinformation, attacks in the media, and unfortunately the roll back of human rights in the courts. 'I think (pride) is more important than ever – I think a lot of trans people have been made to feel afraid in public space and pride this year is about taking back public space, and showing what we're not going to be silenced, and we're not going to be intimidated.' Asked what she hoped would change, Faye said: 'I feel like it's not a one year change deal… movements move in generations, I think what we have to do now is accept the reality of the situation we're in and we have to work together with other groups, within the LGBT community and outside it, to really start forming strong coalitions in order to fight this stuff. 'I think where we're going in the UK, unfortunately this rightward turn is going to continue for some time. The people together are powerful.' She added: 'I think the reality is what some of these attacks are designed to do is exhaust us… we become very focused and frightened and then sometimes it's easier to retreat in and the reality is we need to do the opposite of that – we need to be willing to work with people who aren't necessarily like us'. Howard played Paris Lees in the BBC dramatisation of her memoir and, like Alexander and Faye, was supporting trans rights charity Not A Phase at the parade. He told PA that 'we're in an incredibly precarious political time' and said pride this year is 'more important than ever'. The actor added: 'I think it's so, so important that we show up as queers, as allies, and we celebrate. Joy is an act of resistance. 'I hope it shows queers of all ages that we stand with you, we are for you, and we love you'. He added: 'The recent Supreme Court ruling concerns me, the lack of proper tangible support from our Government concerns me, the lack of funding to amazing organisations like Not A Phase really, really concerns me. 'But honestly, I look around, I see stuff like this, I see what grassroots activism can do, and the power that that can have'. Sir Sadiq said: 'It was an honour and a privilege to again walk at the front of London's world-famous Pride parade as huge crowds of Londoners and visitors joined together for an incredible show of love, unity and solidarity with our LGBTQI+ communities. 'The fantastic parade and celebrations across central London have shown once again that our capital is a beacon of inclusivity and diversity. 'This year's event was also a defiant reminder that we must keep fighting for equality and take a stand against those seeking to roll back hard-won rights. 'Together, we sent a powerful message to the world that in London you are free to be whoever you want to be and love whoever you want to love, as we continue to build a better, fairer London for everyone.' A YouGov poll released ahead of the event found 67% of people in the UK believe the country is inclusive to LGBTQ+ people, and 60% would not welcome a shift towards more negative attitudes. Simon Blake, chief executive of Stonewall, which commissioned the survey, said despite the findings 'we know many LGBTQ+ people do not feel this in their neighbourhoods and workplaces'. He added: 'In policy terms, the reality is different too. 'The UK has dropped sharply down the global leaderboard for LGBTQ+ rights.' This year the UK fell to its lowest-ever ranking for LGBTI human rights, an annual report found. This was because of the Supreme Court ruling and subsequent UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance, said the ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map, which has run since 2009.

Inside Casa Amor bombshell Yasmin's X Factor past and successful music career
Inside Casa Amor bombshell Yasmin's X Factor past and successful music career

The Sun

time30 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Inside Casa Amor bombshell Yasmin's X Factor past and successful music career

CASA Amor bombshell Yasmin Broom is a secret celebrity who took part in The X Factor and scored a huge record deal. The 26-year-old stunner from Manchester is one of the ladies hoping to turn the boys heads in the Love Island villa. 4 4 But it won't be her first time in the spotlight. Yasmin first rose to fame as a contestant on ITV talent search The X Factor back in 2016. She was a member of girl group Four of Diamonds who reached the live shows of the contest. The girl group did not stop there and went on to enjoy success following the show. Over a year after leaving the programme and performing a series of local gigs, they scored a major worldwide record deal with EMI - the first girl band to sign with the label since Spice Girls. It saw them release their debut track, Name On It, featuring Afrobeats artist, Burna Boy. They went on to release further tracks including Stupid Things featuring Saweetie and Blind. In 2019, the girls supported Rita Ora on her UK arena tour before making TV appearances on Blue Peter and Britain's Got More Talent. Throughout 2019 and 2020, they continued to release more music before signing a new deal with Fascination, the home of girl groups, Girls Aloud and The Saturdays. However, they split shortly after. Since their break-up in 2020, Yasmin has worked as a DJ and has performed at a slew of festivals across the UK. She recently performed at Parklife in Manchester before packing her bags to head into the villa. Yasmin is expected to arrive in the villa on Sunday night's episode. 4

Kneecap chants ‘f*** Keir Starmer' in another foul rant just days after sparking police probe at Glastonbury
Kneecap chants ‘f*** Keir Starmer' in another foul rant just days after sparking police probe at Glastonbury

The Sun

time31 minutes ago

  • The Sun

Kneecap chants ‘f*** Keir Starmer' in another foul rant just days after sparking police probe at Glastonbury

RAPPERS Kneecap called out Keir Starmer for saying the group should be banned from Glastonbury Festival. The hip-hop group, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, spoke at London's Finsbury Park today - a week after performing at Glastonbury Festival. 6 6 6 6 It came after the PM told The Sun on Sunday last month that the Irish trio should be banned from the music festival after a band member was charged with a terror offence. Rapper Liam Og O hAnnaidh told the crowd yesterday: 'Keir Starmer gave an interview with The Sun saying we shouldn't be playing Glastonbury - so f**k Keir Starmer.' 'F**k Keir Starmer - you're just a s**t Jeremy Corbyn.' Bandmate Naoise O Caireallain added: 'We appreciate all of this f*****g mad energy that we are getting in Finsbury Park. 'Look, they tried to stop us playing Glastonbury, and they f*****g couldn't. 'They tried to stop us playing in Cornwall, and they f*****g couldn't stop that either." Sir Keir Starmer told The Sun last month that it was 'not appropriate' for the Irish group to cash in at the festival. Og O hAnnaidh, 27, who goes by the stage name Mo Chara, appeared in court last month, accused of displaying a flag in support of banned terror group Hezbollah at a gig. He was bailed until later in the summer — leaving him free to play at Glastonbury. Asked by The Sun on Sunday if he thought Kneecap should play at Glastonbury, the PM said: 'No I don't. Prime Minister Keir Starmer calls for Glastonbury to axe Kneecap from the line-up 'I think we need to come down really clearly on this. I won't say too much, because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate.' During Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury, the group took to the stage and led a "free Palestine" chant before leading five chants against the Prime Minister. Meanwhile, Bobby Vylan - frontman of English punk-rap duo Bob Vylan - chanted "death, death to the IDF" and other alleged anti-Semitic slurs on the West Holts stage last Saturday. The BBC were slammed for broadcasting performance on live TV, including by PM Keir Starmer himself. Avon and Somerset Police confirmed on Monday that cops are investigating Kneecap and Bob Vylan after video and audio footage was examined. Posting on X, the force said: "Video footage and audio from Bob Vylan and Kneecap's performances at Glastonbury Festival has been reviewed. "Following the completion of that assessment process we have decided further enquiries are required and a criminal investigation is now being undertaken. "A senior detective has been appointed to lead this investigation. "This has been recorded as a public order incident at this time while our enquiries are at an early stage." The force confirmed that it had received a "large amount" of contact from across the world about the controversial performances. The Sun has contacted Avon and Somerset Police. 6 6

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store