AllMovie

Factsheet

• Was the second of six children; the family moved to Britain in 1960.
• Father was a jazz musician and encouraged her to perform with him in local clubs.
• Left school at 16 and studied for her A-levels in night school while working as a clerk at Barclays.
• Performed on stage in Jesus Christ Superstar, Black Mikado and Hair before getting the part on Play School.
• Author of numerous books, including the memoir Coming to England, published in 1995.
• Took up marathons as a hobby when she turned 50, and made good on her vow to run in the London Marathon for 10 consecutive years in support of children's charities.
• In 2010 joined the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat life peer and gained the title Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham in recognition of her charity work.