Comidan Linda Smith has Died at 48 years from Ovarian Cancer.

She was a brilliant Panelist and Wit who featured regularly on BBC radio, and spent many years living in sheffield.

I am shocked, she was brilliant and would have gone on to greater fame.
She had a radio series called History of timewasting, was a regular on the news quiz a radio 4 panel game, and wanted to keep her illness out of the public eye.

She often mentioned her time in sheffield, I have a feeling she was here for university, and even mentioned Henderson's relish on national media!

RIP

I've just heard that Linda Smith, comedienne, has died three years after being diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer.

She appeared on many radio and television comedy programmes and was a regular member on "The News Quiz" on Radio 4 and "Just a Minute" (which is where I know her from).

She chose not to publicise her illness and I'm fairly sure that I have heard her on radio this year.
I am not sure of her age but I would bet that she was less than 50 (sorry if I am way out of line) and I feel quite shocked.

She had been given an accolade with the title of, something like, "the funniest lady on radio".


Can I ask that this hangs around at least for today before being moved? Thanks

Oh that's dreadful :( . What a terrible shame. I'm sure I heard her fairly recently on Radio 4 too. She was incredibly funny, and brilliant on 'The News Quiz'.

I've just read on the BBC News web site that there's going to be a special tribute edition on Friday, hosted by Andy Hamilton.

Story here (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4759968.stm).

She will be sorely missed. A brilliant comedienne and broadcaster, who has lost her life a the tender age of 48. The News Quiz and Just a Minute will be all the poorer without her.

That's terrible news, she was ace. I had no idea.

She apparently gave Henderson's Relish a panic attack when she name-checked it on the News Quiz as being free from Sudan 1 unlike its better known cousin, Worster Sauce. It's rumoured that there's only three people who work at Hendos (and two of those in admin) and they can only fill two bottles a time. What's more, they like it that way.

Probably complete hearsay and gossip (think i read it in the Star), but anyway, I think she'd have found it funny.

i never knew she was ill. REally sad, she was great. I hope there's some good tribute to her on telly although being someone who ususally played a supporting role I don't know if they will... I assume R4 will do something.

I have known that she was very seriously ill for some time. I know someone who knows her and speaks very highly of her as a person (not just a celebrity). In my opinion, she was the wittiest and sharpest comedienne. RIP Linda.

Radio 4 won't be the same :(
I believe she lived in Sheffield for a few years, Jeremy Hardy suggested on R4 PM that this is where she picked up her dryness and her "Yorkshire" like wit, comparing her to Alan Bennett.

Radio 4 won't be the same :(
I believe she lived in Sheffield for a few years, Jeremy Hardy suggested on R4 PM that this is where she picked up her dryness and her "Yorkshire" like wit, comparing her to Alan Bennett.

This is correct. She maintained her links with Sheffield through friends she made here at the beginning of her career.

I remember heckling her, years ago, at the University. She was supporting Betty Spital (!), and was brilliant.

RIP, Linda

I am so sorry. She was a wit and a cleaver one

I shall miss her on radio 4

has she a web site or anything like that? it ould be nice to send it or her family these comments

I remember going to see her doing stand up at Crookes Working Mens Club in the very early 90's. She was so funny, poking fun at everything but never being cruel. She used to come into our shop to get her lunch, always with Warren her partner, and would have a witty one liner for every situation. Linda had that rare quality of making everyone feel as though they were a great friend and quite special. We used to look forward to hearing her on 'Just A Minute' and will miss her.

Yes, that would have been the Route 52 club - named after the bus route of course! - at which I think she was resident compere for a while. Or else she made regular appearances, not quite sure.

Because it was held in a working men's club, there were no end of arcane membership rules that attendees were supposed to adhere to in order to watch the show - you couldn't just buy a ticket and turn up. I remember Linda loudly extracting the urine from this process, which wasn't helped by representatives of the council's licensing committee deliberately trying to gain entry in untoward ways in order to enforce various bureaucratic restrictions.

It's funny that someone mentioned Betty Spital - of the 'Sheffield Pensioners Liberation Army Faction' lest we forget - as for a long time I always thought of Linda Smith as a similar kind of 'local' comedian with strong roots in the city, even though she was clearly from elsewhere. I was very pleasantly surprised when she started appearing on the national media - her 'News Quiz' and 'Just A Minute' appearances were the ones that will stay with me I think.

Sad.

Very sad news. RIP

I have surprised myself today at how sad I am at this news ( not usually one to get upset when someone I personally don't know passes away) and how much I will miss her.

Radio 4 comedy will seem much less brighter now. She had that wonderful balance of humour - so quick and sharp without being offensive.

RIP. I will miss your banter with Andy Hamiliton and Jeremy on the News Quiz. You were just brilliant.

Tonight's "News Quiz" was a "Special" tribute programme made of her 'best bits' and comments from team members & presenters.

Well worth listening to. It should be on the BBC 'Listen Again' pages.



Yes. It's here (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/newsquiz.shtml)

What a shock to come across this thread.
I used to work with Linda back in the early eighties when she moved to Sheffield - she was just starting to do standup at that time and quite nervous about it.
she was a genuinely nice person.

So sad and such a shock....

What a shock to come across this thread.
I used to work with Linda back in the early eighties when she moved to Sheffield - she was just starting to do standup at that time and quite nervous about it.
she was a genuinely nice person.

So sad and such a shock....

Draggletail,
I never knew her but felt a genuine affection for her as she regularly mentioned sheffield while on radio 4. Did she come here because she was a student at the university, or was it a work thing?

Draggletail,
I never knew her but felt a genuine affection for her as she regularly mentioned sheffield while on radio 4. Did she come here because she was a student at the university, or was it a work thing?
It's so long ago, I'm not sure muddy - quite possibly. English literature rings a bell but I could be wrong.

Linda was involved occasionally at the place I worked on The Wicker (Sheffield Resources Assn. AKA Commonground) I seem to remember she was part of a community/arts/theatre group for a while, along with her partner Warren.
We had funding one summer to run events in local community centres around South Yorks, and Linda and Warren were part of that for a while.

They used to drink in The Lescar (tap room) on Sharrowvale Rd quite regularly.

She was always open, friendly and easy to talk to.

I havent seen her for years now. Still a shock.

Just to get things right, friends in The Lescar last night reminded me that Linda moved to Sheffield to study English and drama (not eng. lit. as I thought)
The theatre group she was part of was the 'Sheffield Popular Theatre'

Comidan Linda Smith has Died at 48 years from Ovarian Cancer.

She was a brilliant Panelist and Wit who featured regularly on BBC radio, and spent many years living in sheffield.

I am shocked, she was brilliant and would have gone on to greater fame.
She had a radio series called History of timewasting, was a regular on the news quiz a radio 4 panel game, and wanted to keep her illness out of the public eye.

She often mentioned her time in sheffield, I have a feeling she was here for university, and even mentioned Henderson's relish on national media!

RIP

Yes she was and often spoke about being asked if she wanted her half of beer in 'a ladies glass' when visiting Sheffield pubs.

Top lady, sadly missed

There will be a charity concert in Linda's memory on Sunday, May 14th 7:30pm at the Lyceum. It's called "In Praise of an English Radical. A Celebration of Linda Smith"

Proceeds go to Macmillan Cancer Relief, Marie Curie Cancer Care and the British Humanist Association.

According to last week's Sheffield Telegraph*, performers include Jeremy Hardy, John Hegley, Sandi Russell, Steve Gribbin, Betty Spital, The Chuffinelles and probably Don Valley and the Rotherhithes.

Tickets cost between £12 and £22 and are available from Sheffield Theatres box office (http://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/index.cfm?fuseaction=content.view&CategoryID=3&ContentID=19) on 2496000.

*Sorry, I haven't found any online info about this yet.