Trivia

Did not work professionally as an actress until age 50, from which point she became one of the most recognizable faces on television and film and was named as the nation's favorite fictional grandmother. Before that she had lived a difficult existence of relative poverty, working in dead-end jobs while raising two children on her own.

Was actually christened Betty, rather than Elizabeth.

Announced that she was retiring in 2009, at age 87, because she had suffered a stroke which left her unable to accept any further acting roles. Nevertheless, she did take on some further minor roles after making a recovery.

Was in three different versions of "A Christmas Carol," twice as the same character, Ms. Dilber, in two TV versions of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol (1984), with George C. Scott and A Christmas Carol (1999) with Patrick Stewart.

She was awarded the MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2009 Queen's New Year Honours List for her services to Drama.

She had roles in two "Oliver Twist" films: the 2005 Roman Polanski adaptation, Oliver Twist (2005), and the 1999 I.T.V. mini-series, Oliver Twist (1999). She portrayed separate characters in both versions.

In 2006 she moved into an assisted living facility in North London. In 2010, she moved to a similar facility in Worthing, West Sussex.

Played the same role of "Peg Sliderskew" in two different adaptations of "Nicholas Nickleby", in 1977 and 2001.

Her final television appearance was in October 2013, at the age of 91, in the second and third episodes of the first series of The Tunnel (2013).

She appeared in nine Charles Dickens adaptations from 1974 to 2005, including three of "A Christmas Carol" alone: David Copperfield (1974), Nicholas Nickleby (1977), A Christmas Carol (1984), Little Dorrit (1987), A Christmas Carol (1999), Oliver Twist (1999), A Christmas Carol (2000), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (2001) and Oliver Twist (2005).

During the war she served in the WRENS and saw service in Scotland, the Middle East and Ceylon.

Daughter of Nellie Foster Gleadle (died 1924) and Wilfred Gleadle (7 May 1901 - 19 September 1973).

Mother of Sarah.

She twice played roles intended for Beryl Reid - Apartment Zero (1988) and High Spirits (1988).

Sister of Leila N. Gleadle (born and died 1924).