Jean Boht, famous for her role as Nellie Boswell in the BBC sitcom Bread,’ has passed away at the age of 91. According to her family, she passed away on Tuesday, while staying at Denville Hall in London, a home for actors and other artists. Boht was well-known for playing the iron-fisted matriarch for the entirety of the series’ 1986-91 run-time, and was highly loved among viewers.
What was the cause of Jean Boht’s death?
The actress’ family announced her passing on Tuesday, saying that she “had been battling vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s disease with the indefatigable spirit for which she was both beloved and renowned.” Boht is survived by her daughters Hannah and Jessie, as well as three grandchildren. Carl Davis, her husband of 52 years, died six weeks earlier of a cerebral hemorrhage and was well-known for composing the soundtracks for The French Lieutenant’s Woman and Abel Gance’s epic 1927 silent film Napoléon.
Jean Boht’s wonderful legacy in film:
The lovely actress played the sardonic Nellie on Bread for 74 episodes over seven seasons, showing a cash-strapped Liverpool family consisting of her husband (who has a mistress), three boys, and a daughter. Boht also appeared in the ITV comedy Brighton Belles, which was inspired on the American classic The Golden Girls, in 1993-94. She portrayed Sophia, the character played by Estelle Getty. Boht’s resume also included the 1985-86 sitcom I Woke Up One Morning; the 1982 TV drama Boys From the Blackstuff; the films The Girl in a Swing (1988), Mothers & Daughters (2004), and Bad Night for the Blues (2010); and the 2006 West End play Embers, in which she starred opposite Jeremy Irons.