Dame Sheila Hancock is offering a £500 reward for the return of her “more treasured possession” – a necklace that contains wedding rings belonging to both her parents and her late husbands.
The EastEnders star, 90, revealed over the weekend that she lost the jewellery after going to see Accidental Death of an Anarchist at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain on Monday (3 July), Dame Sheila said: “It’s the only thing I have of my father, because he didn’t have any other possessions.”
She said that the reward reflects how much the items mean to her and added: “If somebody wouldn’t want the money themselves, they can give it to a charity.”
Dame Sheila continued: “The awful thing is it’s my fault and I feel a bit embarrassed because there’s so many dreadful things going on in the world.
“People can’t be bothered with me losing a necklace, but it does mean a lot to me and I would really love to get it back – it’s my mum and my dad and my husbands.”
She asked fans to get in touch with ITV, the BBC or on social media if they find it.
Dame Sheila’s official Twitter account tweeted on Saturday that the actor was “heartbroken” to have lost the gold chain holding four wedding rings.
The account said she was “absolutely desperate for its return”.
One of the rings in the necklace was from Dame Sheila’s marriage to the late John Thaw, and the other from her marriage to the late Alec Ross.
She was married to Ross until he died in 1971, and later to Thaw from 1973 until his death in 2002.
The other two belonged to her mother and father. Her official Twitter account offered a reward to anyone who found and returned the necklace as the Metropolitan Police “no longer deal with lost items”.
“CCTV suggests this necklace with the four wedding rings was lost around Haymarket W1,” it said in a series of tweets. “The police no longer deal with lost items so even if someone went to hand it in there is no central system to find it.
“She is desperate to have this personal treasure back.”
It added in another tweet: “Sheila is so grateful to everyone sharing the posts about her lost chain with the wedding rings… It hasn’t been found yet but she sends heartfelt thanks to everyone trying to share news for her.
“If anyone does find it, it is of such huge personal importance to her… Please contact us.”
Dame Sheila holds an OBE, CBE and DBE for services to drama and charity. She became known for her role in the 1960s BBC sitcom The Rag Trade, and went on to play lead roles in Mr Digby Darling, Now Take My Wife, and other sitcoms. She has also appeared in Doctor Who, The Catherine Tate Show and Kavanagh QC, among other shows.
In 2012, she took part in the Christmas special of Strictly Come Dancing. Dame Sheila is also a presenter and co-presented Channel 4’s Great Canal Journeys with Gyles Brandreth in 2020.
Additional reporting by PA
