Dame June Whitfield had a remarkably prolific seven-decade career spanning radio, television and film. She gained early prominence as Eth in the BBC radio comedy Take It from Here, appeared in four Carry On films, and starred opposite Terry Scott in the long-running sitcoms Happy Ever After and Terry and June. Her most enduring role came late in her career as Mother in Jennifer Saunders's Absolutely Fabulous, which she played from 1992 to 2012, becoming a comedy icon who, by her own account, never wanted the lead role yet remained in constant demand throughout her working life.