Kirstie Allsopp has lashed out at BAFTA following the death of ‘national treasure’ Dame Penelope Keith over the weekend, following a battle with cancer
Kirstie Allsopp has hit out at BAFTA over their tribute to Dame Penelope Keith(Image: IWC MEDIA / Channel 4)
Kirstie Allsopp has been left furious over BAFTA’s tribute to Dame Penelope Keith. The Good Life star died “peacefully” at her home aged 86 on June 29, following a battle with cancer.
“We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey where she had lived for more than 50 years,” her family said in a statement, adding they were “grateful” for the care and support she received throughout her treatments.
However, after BAFTA issued a tribute to the late actress, Kirstie Allsopp was unhappy that it had chosen to use the word “passing” in its statement. The organisation said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We’re saddened to learn of the passing of Dame Penelope Keith, aged 86. A familiar face on stage and screen Keith won a BAFTA for her iconic role in the Good Life in 1997 and another for her work in The Norman Conquests and Saving It For Albie in 1978, with a further three BAFTA nominations during her career.”
However, Kirstie was not happy with this tribute. Taking to X in view of her 425,000 followers, she fumed: “It’s ‘death’, Dame Penelope died, she was an absolute national treasure, she lived & worked and was brilliant and then she died. Dame Penelope did not ‘pass’, she was not a car or a bottle of ketchup.”
She later fumed: “When did we move from saying ‘sad to hear of the death of…’ to ‘sad to hear of the passing of’? Is there any way to stop this? We are already bad enough at discussing death in the U.K.”
However, Kirstie’s response was met with mixed responses. One person said: “I think it is a choice of words that different people are comfortable with. You should use what you feel comfortable using and let others use what they prefer. Let’s not judge, it is a personal viewpoint.”
A second added: “Why would you argue with a family about how they express that.” Hitting back at criticism, Kirstie fumed: “The family issued a statement saying that Dame Penelope had ‘died while living with cancer; a particularly elegant way of addressing two issues I felt. I obviously double checked that before telling BAFTA what I felt about their statement.”
She added: “BAFTA is an organisation not a person, and as Dame Penelope’s family statement said she had died, they should have at least reflected their language.” But Jeremy Clarkson was in support of Kirstie, stating: “I loathe ‘passing’. Loathe it’
Paying tribute, Dame Penelope’s family said in full: “We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey where she had lived for more than 50 years.
“The family is grateful for the care and support she received throughout her treatments, and ask that their privacy be respected at this time.” The Good Life followed the couple Tom and Barbara Good, played by Briers and Kendal, who try to escape the rat race in their suburban house in Surbiton. They try to become self-sufficient, turning their gardens into an allotment and introducing farmyard animals, much to the horror of their neighbours – Margo and her hen-pecked husband Jerry, played by Eddington.
In one of her last TV appearances in October 2025, Penelope fronted The Good Life: Inside Out on U&Gold, looking back on the sitcom’s huge success. Dame Penelope won a BAFTA in 1977 for her role in The Good Life.
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