Beloved BBC actress and comedian, Hylda Baker, tragically died penniless despite her decades of fame and a successful run on the hit ITV sitcom Nearest and Dearest.
The gifted Hylda first took to the stage at the tender age of 10 and was already producing her own shows by the time she was 14.
She became a household name after featuring on the BBC show Good Old Days in 1955, which paved the way for her own television series, Be Soon, in 1957. This was followed by her own sitcom, The Best of Friends, in 1963.
Hylda emerged as one of the most successful female comics in Britain during an era dominated by male comedians. However, she is perhaps best remembered for her portrayal of Nellie Pledge in Nearest and Dearest from 1968 until 1973.
Despite her incredible fame, which included roles in films like Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and the musical Oliver!, reports the Mirror.
Hylda sadly didn't have a penny to her name when she passed away. Known for bringing joy to others through her performances, her personal life was unfortunately filled with hardship, reports the Daily Record.
Hylda married Ben Pearson in 1929, but their marriage fell apart after Hylda suffered two ectopic pregnancies. The couple legally separated four years later in 1933, according to the Express.
Tragedy struck again for the actress when she was hit by a passing car in 1961, leaving her injured. After suing the driver for damages, she was awarded just over £4,000 in 1965.
In 1971, six years on, her driver pinched £2,500 of her dosh and scarpered, only to be collared three months later with a paltry £45 remaining of the stolen loot.
At the ripe age of 67, Hylda started showing signs of cognitive deterioration.
She had to depend on cue cards to recall her lines for the later series of Nearest and Dearest, and her acting career ground to a halt when she fractured her leg after a tumble on set and opted to sue production company LWT following the mishap.
Hylda was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and moved into Brinsworth House retirement home in 1981 at the age of 76.
She passed away in 1986 at Horton Psychiatric Hospital in Surrey from bronchial pneumonia.
Despite all her fame and fortune, she tragically spent her final years skint and "lonely and forgotten", as per Pride of Manchester, with fewer than 10 people reported to have attended her funeral.