On the Buses and EastEnders star Anna Karen dies in house fire
‘Olive’ from On the Buses dies in a house fire: Star of 70s comedy and EastEnders Anna Karen, 85, is killed in horror blaze in Ilford
Firefighters were called to the east London home just after 10.30pm last nightCrews brought the blaze under control in an hour but actress pronounced deadA family friend said: ‘We are absolutely horrified at the news about Anna’
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On The Buses star Anna Karen has died in a house fire in east London.
Firefighters were called to the scene on Windsor Road, Ilford shortly after 10.30pm last night.
It took the crew less than an hour to bring the blaze on the ground floor of a terraced house under control. But the actress had died by then.
Fire chiefs say they are still investigating the cause of the tragic inferno.
The 85-year-old was best known for her role in 70s comedy On The Buses, but also appeared in EastEnders as Aunt Sal, sister of Peggy Mitchell, played by Barbara Windsor.
A family friend told Mail Online: ‘We are absolutely horrified at the news about Anna.’
Anna Karen was best known for her role as Olive in the 1970s sitcom On The Buses
Anna Karen in January 2020 holding a copy of the On The Buses board game
The 85-year-old also appeared in EastEnders as Aunt Sal, sister of Peggy Mitchell, played by Barbara Windsor
Karen was born in Durban, South Africa as Ann McCall to an Irish father and an English mother.
She appeared in productions in South Africa before moving to London aged 17 and enrolling in The London School of Dramatic Art.
As well as a long career in film and television, she was also a theatre star, and regularly appeared in pantomimes across the country.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: ‘Sadly, a woman has died following a house fire on Windsor Road in Ilford.
‘Part of the ground floor of a mid-terrace house was damaged by fire. Sadly a woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
‘The Brigade was called at 2240 and the fire was under control by 2338. Three fire engines and around 20 firefighters from Ilford and Barking fire stations attended the incident. The cause of the fire is under investigation.’
