Trivia

She and her co-stars from the series Are You Being Served? (1972) were all great friends and she remained very close with John Inman, Mollie Sugden, and Trevor Bannister.

She left school when she was 15, and genuinely worked as a junior in the fashions department of Fortnum and Mason, an upscale Piccadilly store.

She appeared in The Beatles' movie Help! (1965), but her scene ended up on the cutting room floor. She appears in a feature on the DVD release of "Help!" discussing the scene, frequently as a voice-over while stills from the scene are shown.

Her marriage to Len Black lasted just 4 months; following their separation Wendy attempted suicide. She credited her role in Are You Being Served? (1972) in helping her to move on.

Owned a very extensive collection of ornamental frogs. She started her collection upon buying a frog statue she thought resembled her Are You Being Served? (1972) co-star Arthur Brough. She maintained that her collection exceeds 1,000 frogs.

Her parents ran a pub in central London. The family lived upstairs above the pub.

She was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the 2000 Birthday Honours List for her services to television drama.

Her funeral (March 9, 2009) was attended by Mollie Sugden and Frank Thornton. Trevor Bannister gave a reading at the service.

As of 2026 she is the sixth longest serving actress in the history of EastEnders (1985) (behind only June Brown, Letitia Dean, Gillian Taylforth, a tied Pam St. Clement and Natalie Cassidy, and Gillian Wright), having played the character Pauline Fowler for 21 years (from 1985 until 2006).

Was a fan of the television programmes Frasier (1993) and Everybody Loves Raymond (1996).

Named cairn terrier "Miss Brahms" after her Are You Being Served? (1972) role.

She studied acting at the Italia Conti Stage Academy in London. She changed her surname to Richard because it was "short and neat".

Told the British Press Association she was informed that she is dying of cancer confirmed on October 4, 2008. She had been told she had several useful years ahead of her but when she got the news she moved up her wedding date to October 10, 2008.

Attended the Royal Masonic School as a schoolgirl.

Her EastEnders (1985) co-star Peter Dean served as witness at her wedding to Paul Glorney.

Diagnosed with breast cancer in the mid-1990s and again in 2002, she learned the disease had spread in 2008.

She was born in the Old Corporation Hotel in Middlesbrough, which her parents ran.

Her EastEnders (1985) character Pauline Fowler became the 1st woman on the soap opera to give birth. Pauline had a son Martin (played by James Alexandrou), born on 30 July 1985.

Was an ardent fan of BBC Radio 4's long-running soap "The Archers", and a life member of its fan club.

Is one of 8 EastEnders (1985) actors to have won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Soap Awards; the others are June Brown, Barbara Windsor, Pam St. Clement, Adam Woodyatt, Steve McFadden, Rudolph Walker and Letitia Dean.

Ranked #5 in the 100 Greatest EastEnders (1985) Characters of All Time for her performance as Pauline Fowler (2010).

Played her first grandmother role on-screen at age 43 on EastEnders (1985).

Contributed a few lines on a number 1 hit single in the UK chart, entitled "Come Outside" featuring Mike Sarne (Michael Sarne). (May 1962)

Ranked #6 in The 100 Greatest EastEnders (1985) Characters of All Time for her performance as Pauline Fowler (2015).

Her EastEnders (1985) character Pauline Fowler was a mother and a grandmother whereas Richard had no children in real life.

Was presented her Lifetime Achievement Award at The British Soap Awards 2007 (2007) by her former EastEnders (1985) co-star Todd Carty. Carty's character Mark Fowler was Richard's character Pauline Fowler's son on the show.

Had two stepdaughters, Shannen Burns and Jade Burns, from her marriage to John Burns.

Daughter of Henry William (1892-1954) and Beatrice Reay (née Cutter) Emerton (1910-1972).

A Heritage Foundation commemorative plaque is on the wall of The Shepherd's Tavern in London in memory of her.

Educated a St George's, Mount Street London, briefly at a boarding school in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, The Royal Masonic School For Girls in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.

Her parents ran the Shepherd's Tavern, in Shepherd's Market off Park Lane, London.

Maternal granddaughter of Robert Alfred (1876-1962) and Isabella Chambers (née Huntley) Cutter (1875-1944).

Her favourite job was the Albert Finney film Gumshoe in which she only had one scene but she found Albert very nice to work with and helpful and unselfish.

She changed her name from Wendy Emerton to Wendy Richard.

Her first film acting role was in a scene with Frankie Howerd in the Beatles film Help but it was completely cut, This meant that her film debut came in the film Doctor in Clover in which she had 4 words.

For No Blade of Grass she had to wear a see through blouse which she fought against but as it happened due to the lighting being wrong you can't see anything,.

Spent 2 and a half years in the tv series The Newcomers.

Is one of 11 EastEnders (1985) actresses who despite their characters giving birth on the show have never become mothers in real life. The others are Susan Tully, Jan Graveson, Shana Swash, Emma Barton, Danielle Harold, Mimi Keene, Rakhee Thakrar, Lorna Fitzgerald, Tilly Keeper and Letitia Dean.

Left Middlesborough when still a baby.

Her third husband, Paul Glorney was a carpet fitter, they married in March1990 and announced their trial separation in January 1994.

Her first acting job was in an episode of Dixon of Dock Green.

On leaving school she took a modeling course and did some advertising work while taking a part time drama course at the Italia Conti Drama School.

For her part in No Blade of Grass she had to wear a see through blouse which she fought against at the time, As it happened the lighting was wrong so nothing could be seen,.

She got a flat fee of £15 for her contribution to Mike Sarne's hit record of Come Outside despite it reaching number one.

Although Wendy Richard recorded several singles, she is not (contrary to some reports) the vocalist on "Johnny Reggae" by the Piglets, or the woman shouting "Bloody well get upstairs and get a wash!" at the start of "Family Life" by Sham 69.

Her mother encouraged her to become a performer and sent her to the Italia Conti Drama School where she wasted a lot of time due to having a short attention span,.

She was in the Newcomers for 2 and a 1/2 years and found it a great experience.

Her birth name was Wendy Emmerton and she changed it to her stage name which was shorter and neater.

She was paid £15 to voice the words Come Outside on a record of he same title by Mike Sarne.

Her father, Henry William Emmerton was known as Harry and with her mother, Beatrice (born in Newcastle) they managed the Corporation Hotel in Middlesborough.