Lady Penelope dies: Sylvia Anderson who voiced Thunderbirds character created by her husband passes away aged 88

  • Ms Anderson created famous puppet series with her late husband Gerry
  • She voiced Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward from its debut in 1965 until 1968
  • Her daughter said she had a 'creativity and genuine love for her characters'
  • She died at her home in Bray, Buckinghamshire, following a short illness 

By Steph Cockroft for MailOnline

Published: 03:09 EST, 16 March 2016 | Updated: 12:51 EST, 16 March 2016

Sylvia Anderson, who was best known for voicing Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds, has died aged 88. She is pictured with the puppet of her character 

Sylvia Anderson, who was best known for voicing Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds, has died aged 88. She is pictured with the puppet of her character 

Sylvia Anderson, who was best known for voicing Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds, has died aged 88.

Ms Anderson, a producer and writer, created the Supermarionation puppet series with husband Gerry.

As well as voicing Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward in Thunderbirds from its debut in 1965 until 1968, she also worked on Joe 90, Captain Scarlet and Stingray.

She died at her home in Bray, Buckinghamshire, following a short illness.

Announcing her death, Ms Anderson's daughter Dee Anderson described her mother as a 'a force in every way'.

'Sylvia was a mother and a legend - her intelligence was phenomenal but her creativity and tenacity unchallenged,' her daughter said.

'She was a force in every way, and will be sadly missed.'

She added that her mother had a 'creativity and genuine love for her characters' that touched fans around the world. 

Gerry Anderson died in 2012 aged 83 after suffering with Alzheimer's disease. 

Born in south London to a boxing champion and a dressmaker, Ms Anderson went on to have a career in television spanning five decades.

Behind the camera, she took on many roles for Thunderbirds, including character development and costume design. 

She recently worked as head of programming for HBO in the UK and had been writing a show with her daughter entitled The Last Station. 

The pair had planned a charity ball for Breast Cancer Care, which will now go ahead in May in her memory.

Dee Anderson said that her mother 'would always find time to take care of people who were suffering or in need of support'.

Ms Anderson, a producer and writer, created the Supermarionation puppet series with husband Gerry. They are pictured with a model of Troy Tempest in 1966 

Ms Anderson, a producer and writer, created the Supermarionation puppet series with husband Gerry. They are pictured with a model of Troy Tempest in 1966 

The producer, pictured with her puppet, died at her home in Bray, Buckinghamshire, following a short illness
Ms Anderson created the Supermarionation puppet series with husband Gerry in 1965

Ms Anderson (pictured left in the 60s) died at her home in Bray, Buckinghamshire, following a short. Her husband Gerry Anderson (with whom she is pictured right in 1965) died in 2012 after suffering with Alzheimer's

Behind the camera, Ms Anderson (pictured on set with her husband in the 1960s) took on many roles for Thunderbirds, including character development and costume design

Behind the camera, Ms Anderson (pictured on set with her husband in the 1960s) took on many roles for Thunderbirds, including character development and costume design

Speaking last September, Mrs Anderson said she had had 'fun' playing a great aunt to her original character, voiced by Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike, in ITV reboot Thunderbirds Are Go. 

When asked if she saw herself as a pioneer for women in television during the 1960s, Mrs Anderson was modest.

'I never waved the flag or anything about being a woman, but I was a woman with a group of men.

'Now and again I would get a director and I would go on set, one in particular, no names of course, and he was very, very huffy because I was a woman giving him notes on what he had shot the previous day, and I tried to do it very carefully,' she said. 

Ms Anderson is survived by her daughter, who is a singer-songwriter, son Gerry Anderson Junior, an anaesthetist, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. 

Ms Andersons's daughter Dee Anderson described her mother (pictured on set with her husband and Barbara Bain in 1999) as 'a force in every way'. She said she had a 'creativity and genuine love for her characters'

Ms Andersons's daughter Dee Anderson described her mother (pictured on set with her husband and Barbara Bain in 1999) as 'a force in every way'. She said she had a 'creativity and genuine love for her characters'

Ms Anderson is pictured with Sophia Myles, who played Lady Penelope in the Thunderbirds film, at the premiere of the film in 2004 
She is pictured in 2013 on a Channel 5 programme about children's shows.

Ms Anderson is pictured with Sophia Myles, who played Lady Penelope in the Thunderbirds film, at the premiere of the film in 2004. She is pictured right in 2013 on a Channel 5 programme about children's shows

Comments (60)

Share what you think

 View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

 View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Add your comment

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.

Who is this week's top commenter? Find out now