Keeping Up Appearances and Last of the Summer Wine star Josephine Tewson has died at age 91, her agent has confirmed.
The British sitcom actress died 'peacefully' at Denville Hall on Thursday night.
Her agent, Jean Diamond of Diamond Management, said: "It is with great sadness that I can confirm the passing of Josephine Tewson.
"Josephine passed away peacefully last night at Denville Hall at the age of 91."
Josephine had a glittering TV career after she began acting in the early 1950s.
The talented actress regularly performed alongside Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker on David Frost on Sunday and Hark at Barker.
She teamed up with Ronnie Barker once again in 1988 to play Jane Tracers in his sitcom Clarence, which was his last starring TV role before the comedian's retirement.
Speaking about the role in 2008 with The Independent, Josephine gushed: "If you're Julia Roberts or Judi Dench you expect people to write parts for you, but not little old me."
In the late 1980s to 1990s she played a school teacher in Sugar Puffs' I Want My Money advert.
However, her role as Elizabeth 'Liz' Warden – Hyacinth Bucket's long-suffering neighbour – saw her become a household name.
Josephine's role in the sitcom saw her star in almost every episode – as nervous Liz who trembled each time she held Hyacinth's precious crockery – for the five series of the sitcom, from 1990 until 1995.
From 2003 until 2010 she starred as Miss Davenport in Last of the Summer Wine, written by Keeping Up Appearances creator Roy Clarke.
Other television credits include an episode of Heartbeat in 2002, Midsomer Murders and Doctors and Shelley, in which she played Edna Hawkins.
In 2012, Josephine took to the stage for a one-woman show Still Keeping Up Appearances, touring across the UK for seven years.
Josephine was married twice; firstly to actor Leonard Rossiter and then to Henry Newman, who died in 1980.
Tributes to the actress have already begun pouring in on social media as one fan wrote: "She’s shaken her last teacup in Hyacinth’s kitchen. RIP Josephine Tewson."
Carol Challis, the wife of late Only Fools and Horses star John Challis, added: "Farewell to Josephine Tewson.John loved working with her on Last of the Summer Wine. Another one gone."
While another fan added: "RIP Josephine Tewson, thank you for so many laughs! #Elizabeth #KeepingUpAppearances".
Josephine previously opened up about her decision to start acting and credited Ronnie Barker for giving her the opportunity to pursue her dream.
She previously told The Express: "I owe my TV career to Ronnie Barker; he was always a lovely, generous, good man.
"Around the time of The Two Ronnies, I was bending down looking into a supermarket freezer, when a woman suddenly appeared trying to see my face.
"I asked her why she didn’t wait until I’d finished with the freezer and she said, ‘Well, I don’t have much time.’ That’s fame for you."
