Buses star Anna, 85 dies in house blaze
By John Twomey
STUNNED celebrities and friends of On The Buses and EastEnders star Anna Karen yesterday paid tribute to the actress who has died in a house fire aged 85.
Firefighters battled the blaze for an hour after neighbours spotted smoke pouring from Anna’s front door on Tuesday night.
Singer Cheryl Baker said: “I have just heard the awful news that my fabulous mate, Anna Karen, has died in a house fire.
“What a horrific way to die, I can’t bear to think about it. I adored her. She was an absolute treasure.”
Anna was best known for playing Olive Rudge in the hit 1970s sitcom On The Buses.
She joined EastEnders in 1996 as Aunt Sal, the sister of Peggy Mitchell, played by her close pal, the late Dame Barbara Windsor, who died in December 2020. They first met in 1969, on the set of Carry On Camping. Barbara’s widower Scott Mitchell described Anna as his wife’s “only real girlfriend”.
He added: “Anna and I had kept in regular contact since Barbara’s passing... We spoke a couple of weeks ago.
“It was a fun chat and I thought how upbeat she sounded. I will remember her straight talking, great humour and intelligence.”
Former EastEnders stars also paid tributes. Danniella Westbrook, who played Sam Mitchell, tweeted: “I’m devastated.” Rita Simons, who played Roxy Mitchell, described Anna as “one of the best”. A BBC source said: “We are deeply saddened.”
South African-born Anna moved to London as a teenager. Early in her career, she was a striptease dancer. The actress hit the big time as dowdy conductress Olive alongside Michael Robbins as her grumpy husband, Arthur.
She was married to actor and comedian Terry Duggan, from 1967 until his death in 2008. The Fire Brigade is probing the blaze at her Ilford, east London, home. It is not thought to be suspicious.