# Jo Kendall

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British actress (1940–2022)

For other people with similar names, see [Joe Kendall](/source/Joe_Kendall_(disambiguation)).

Jo Kendall Born Josephine Mary Robinson (1940-02-17)17 February 1940 Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England Died 29 January 2022(2022-01-29) (aged 81) Northwood, London, England Education Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Occupations Actress writer Years active 1962–1999

**Josephine Mary Robinson**, better known by her stage name **Jo Kendall** (17 February 1940 – 29 January 2022) was a British actress and writer. She was known for her work on the BBC radio comedy show *[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again](/source/I'm_Sorry%2C_I'll_Read_That_Again)*, which debuted in 1964, and for her role as [Peggy Skilbeck](/source/Peggy_Skilbeck) on the ITV soap opera *[Emmerdale](/source/Emmerdale)* (then *Emmerdale Farm*) from 1972 to 1973, in which she also spoke the programme's first line of dialogue in the inaugural episode.

## Early life

Kendall was born Josephine Mary Robinson in [Cleethorpes](/source/Cleethorpes), Lincolnshire, on 17 February 1940.[1] After leaving Leicester she trained at the [Central School of Speech and Drama](/source/Central_School_of_Speech_and_Drama) and gained her [Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music](/source/Licentiate_of_the_Royal_Academy_of_Music) (LRAM).[2]

## Career

While teaching English and drama at a state secondary school for girls at [Cambridge](/source/Cambridge), she acted with the university's dramatic society's productions with roles ranging from [Desdemona](/source/Desdemona) in *[Othello](/source/Othello)* at the [ADC Theatre](/source/ADC_Theatre) in 1962[3] to Maisie King in *[Expresso Bongo](/source/Expresso_Bongo)*. She also trained as a studio manager with the BBC.

In August 1963, she appeared in the [West End](/source/West_End_theatre) in London, New Zealand and [Broadway](/source/Broadway_theatre), in the [Cambridge University](/source/University_of_Cambridge) [revue](/source/Revue) *[Cambridge Circus](/source/Cambridge_Footlights_Revue)* directed by [Humphrey Barclay](/source/Humphrey_Barclay), alongside [Graham Chapman](/source/Graham_Chapman), [John Cleese](/source/John_Cleese), [Bill Oddie](/source/Bill_Oddie), [Tim Brooke-Taylor](/source/Tim_Brooke-Taylor), [David Hatch](/source/David_Hatch) and Chris Stuart-Clark. She was already known to the cast from her experience with the [Footlights](/source/Footlights)' productions and had even been on a date with Chapman – "Should I bring a book with me this time?", she quipped when he asked her for another.[4] Her audition included an impromptu rendition of "[My Funny Valentine](/source/My_Funny_Valentine)". She could not remember the lyrics but Barclay accepted her readily, "... a witty and clever performer. There was no competition, we all very gladly and warmly welcomed her into the cast."[4]

In radio comedy, she was a regular performer in the [BBC](/source/BBC)'s *[I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again](/source/I'm_Sorry%2C_I'll_Read_That_Again)* (with John Cleese, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Bill Oddie, [Graeme Garden](/source/Graeme_Garden) and David Hatch). She then appeared in the first episode of the spinoff panel game *[I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue](/source/I'm_Sorry_I_Haven't_A_Clue)* in 1972, teamed with Garden against Brooke-Taylor and Oddie.[5] From 1976, she was in the radio comedy series *[The Burkiss Way](/source/The_Burkiss_Way)* and played [Lady Cynthia Fitzmelton](/source/Minor_characters_from_The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy#Lady_Cynthia_Fitzmelton) in the opening episode of *[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy](/source/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy_(radio_series))* in 1978. The character never appeared again after the first episode and was omitted completely from subsequent remakes.

In 1978, she appeared in the comedy drama *[The Unvarnished Truth](/source/The_Unvarnished_Truth)* at London's [Phoenix Theatre](/source/Phoenix_Theatre_(London)) with [Royce Ryton](/source/Royce_Ryton), Tim Brooke-Taylor and Graeme Garden.[6] In 1993 and 1994 she played Aunt Maud opposite [Kate Copstick](/source/Kate_Copstick) in the BBC children's series *[Marlene Marlowe Investigates](/source/Marlene_Marlowe_Investigates)*.[7]

Kendall appeared in straight drama. She appeared as Adelaide Palliser in *[The Pallisers](/source/The_Pallisers)* (1974), as the matron Miss Biggs in the film version of *[Scum](/source/Scum_(film))* (1979), as Annie in the film adaptation of *[Howards End](/source/Howards_End_(film))* (1992), directed by [James Ivory](/source/James_Ivory), and as a publican's wife in another [Merchant Ivory film](/source/Merchant_Ivory_Productions) *[The Remains of the Day](/source/The_Remains_of_the_Day_(film))* in 1993.[8] She played [Peggy Skilbeck](/source/Peggy_Skilbeck) in the [ITV](/source/ITV_(TV_network)) series *[Emmerdale](/source/Emmerdale) Farm* and spoke the first ever line of the programme. Among her television roles, she played [Mrs Bardell](/source/Mrs_Bardell_(Pickwick_Papers)) in *[The Pickwick Papers](/source/The_Pickwick_Papers_(TV_series))* (1985), [Anne Stanhope](/source/Anne_Seymour%2C_Duchess_of_Somerset) in *[The Six Wives of Henry VIII](/source/The_Six_Wives_of_Henry_VIII_(BBC_TV_series))* and had a semi-regular part in *[Grange Hill](/source/Grange_Hill)* in the 1980s as the mother of regular character Roland Browning. In addition, she played the abrasive Miss Elizabeth Wait in the BBC's adaptation of the Vivien Alcock book *The Cuckoo Sister* (1986).

## Personal life

Kendall never married. She retired in 1999, though she made occasional appearances as late as 2017, when she took part in a stage tour of *I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again*.[9] As of 2007, she lived in a cottage near [Bury St Edmunds](/source/Bury_St_Edmunds), but towards the end of her life she resided at [Denville Hall](/source/Denville_Hall), a retirement home for actors in London, where she died on 29 January 2022 at the age of 81.[1][9][10]

## Filmography

Year Title Role Notes 1972–1973 Emmerdale Farm Peggy Skilbeck 46 episodes 1979 Scum Matron[11] 1992 Howards End Annie[12] 1993 The Remains of the Day Publican's Wife[12] 1999 Bridge of Dragons Lily[11] (The Maid) (final film role)

## Further reading

Further information about Kendall can be found in:

- [Cleese, John](/source/John_Cleese) (2014). *So, Anyway...: the autobiography*. London: Cornerstone Digital. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781847946966](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781847946966).

- Roberts, Jem (2009). *The Clue Bible: the fully authorised history of 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue' from Footlights to Mornington Crescent*. London: Preface. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9781848091306](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9781848091306).

- Wilmut, Roger (1980). *From Fringe to Flying Circus: celebrating a unique generation of comedy, 1960–1980*. London: Eyre Methuen. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780413469502](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780413469502).

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Tgraphobit_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Tgraphobit_1-1) ["Jo Kendall, actress who made her name on the anarchic radio sketch show I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again – obituary"](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2022/02/02/jo-kendall-actress-made-name-anarchic-radio-sketch-show-sorry/). *The Daily Telegraph*. 2 February 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** *Leicester Mercury*, 30 October 1965.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *The Times*, 9 May 1962.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Roberts_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Roberts_4-1) Roberts, Jem (2010), *The Fully Authorised History of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: The Clue Bible from Footlights to Mornington Crescent*, Penguin Random House, pp. 26–27, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-84809-132-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84809-132-0)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-T72_5-0)** David Wade (22 April 1972), "Radio", *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*, no. 58459

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** The Cambridge Theatre Company (1978). [*The Unvarnished Truth Event Programme*](https://web.archive.org/web/20220211012121/https://www.ebay.com/itm/154570368699). London: Phoenix Theatre. Archived from [the original](https://www.ebay.com/itm/154570368699) on 11 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Lewisohn, Mark (2003). ["Marlene Marlowe Investigates"](https://web.archive.org/web/20050122055526/http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/m/marlenemarlowein_1299002000.shtml). *BBC Comedy Guide*. Archived from [the original](https://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/m/marlenemarlowein_1299002000.shtml) on 22 January 2005.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Jo Kendall"](https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba0420da6). *BFI*.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Hayward_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Hayward_9-1) Hayward, Anthony (3 February 2022). ["Jo Kendall obituary"](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/feb/03/jo-kendall-obituary). *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*. Retrieved 4 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Jo Kendall dead - I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again star dies as John Cleese pays tribute"](https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-jo-kendall-dead-26033218). *Daily Mirror*. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_11-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_11-1) ["Jo Kendall"](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/jo_kendall). *www.rottentomatoes.com*. Retrieved 31 January 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:1_12-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:1_12-1) ["Jo Kendall"](https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba0420da6). *BFI*. Retrieved 31 January 2022.

## External links

- [Jo Kendall](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0447601/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [Jo Kendall](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/99203) at the [Internet Broadway Database](/source/Internet_Broadway_Database)

- [Jo Kendall](https://www.discogs.com/artist/Jo+Kendall) discography at [Discogs](/source/Discogs)

Authority control databases International VIAF WorldCat National United States Norway Artists MusicBrainz

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Jo Kendall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Kendall) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo_Kendall?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.