Dame Penelope Keith dies aged 86

British actress Penelope Keith has died at the age of 86.

The Good Life and To the Manor Born actress passed away at her home in Surrey, England after a battle with cancer.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that Dame Penelope Keith died peacefully whilst living with cancer at her home in Surrey where she had lived for more than 50 years," reads a statement issued on Monday on behalf of Keith's family.

"The family is grateful for the care and support she received throughout her treatments, and ask that their privacy be respected at this time."

Keith first found fame with British audiences when she was cast as the disapproving neighbour Margo Leadbetter in the sitcom The Good Life, which ran from 1975 to 1978. For the role, Keith won the 1977 BAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance.

Soon after the show ended, she followed it up with To the Manor Born in 1979, playing bereaved aristocrat Audrey fforbes-Hamilton. The sitcom ran for three seasons until 1981 and returned for a one-off special in 2007.

Her other TV appearances included The Avengers, Executive Stress, No Job for a Lady, Next of Kin and her 2026 series Saving Country Houses with Penelope Keith. She won her second BAFTA TV Award in 1978 for The Norman Conquests.

Keith was also a prolific stage actress, performing in theatre productions including The Importance of Being Earnest, Blithe Spirit and The Rivals. She won an Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance in 1976 for her work in Donkeys' Years.

The actress and presenter also succeeded Laurence Olivier as the president of the Actors' Benevolent Fund charity after his death in 1989.

Keith was made a Dame for her services to the arts and charity in 2014.