Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Whole Grot of love
Tributes as ‘bestest witch’ of children’s TV, who joked kids were ‘horrible little brats’, dies at 74
SHE was once described as “hideous” by Russell Brand during an interview. But Grotbags actress Carol Lee Scott, who has died at 74, wasn’t having any of it. “Less of the hideous,” she told him. “I was the most beautiful, talented, wonderful, colourful lady in the whole, wide world. I was the bestest witch that you’ve ever met, sunshine.” As the wicked witch of children’s ITV, the comic actress terrified kids with her green face, blacked-out tooth and screechy voice. She first appeared in the 1980s in Emu’s World alongside Rod Hull, where she developed her habit of calling all children “horrible little brats”. When Hull’s show was axed, the character landed her own programme, which ran for three series in the early 1990s. Carol’s niece Gina Mear yesterday confirmed that the TV star had “lost her brave fight against cancer”. She added: “To many of you she was Grotbags – a legend! To me, she was just Aunty Carol. I shall miss her hugely, rest in peace, Carol.” On the official fan site for Grotbags, a message said that Carol wanted people to celebrate her life rather than mourn her passing. It read: “A larger-than-life lady with a much larger heart of comedy, kindness and generosity. It was Carol’s request that there be no sadness, but music and laughter.” Comic actor Rufus Hound described her as “an icon for folk of my generation” as former fans of the show flooded social media with fond memories of being frightened by her as Grotbags. Before playing the witch, the Somerset-born actress did stints as a cabaret performer in the north of England and later spent 19 years working as a Pontins blue coat, where she met Rod Hull. The pair created Grotbags, along with the Pink Windmill Club, while performing a summer season in Cleethorpes.
It was her request there be no sadness, but music & laughter
GROTBAGS FAN SITE ON SCOTT’S FINAL WISHES