‘Two Fat Ladies’ Star Dies At Age 66

Two Fat Ladies star Clarissa Dickson Wright has died at age 66. Wright and her co-star Jennifer Paterson appeared and cooked together in the BBC series, which ran for four seasons. The beloved chef passed away in Edinburgh on Saturday. A representative confirmed Wright was ill for several months preceding her death.

At the age of 21, Wright became the youngest person to pass the Bar examination in England. Although she worked as an attorney for several years, she eventually went on to manage a catering company. Unfortunately, she soon developed a drinking problem that threatened her health and career.

In 1982, Wright was disbarred from practicing law. Although she inherited millions following her mother’s death, she was destitute and homeless by 1983. Following an arrest for drunk driving, she eventually sought treatment for her alcoholism.

As reported by CBS News, the newly sober Wright found a job working for a book store/eatery. Her knowledge and talent eventually gained the attention of BBC, who recruited her for their new reality program. Wright joined Jennifer Paterson, traveling throughout Britain to cook lavish meals in the hit series Two Fat Ladies.

The two women traveled to numerous locations on a Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle, with Paterson driving and Clarissa Dickson Wright riding in the sidecar. Their personalities and cooking methods made the program an instant success.

Although it was originally broadcast by the BBC, Two Fat Ladies was eventually featured on the Food Network, Cooking Channel, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The entertaining series ran from 1996 to 1999. The series’ fourth season was cut short by the death of Paterson in August 1999.

Following Paterson’s death, wright went on to appear in several other cooking programs, including Clarissa and the Countryman and Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Clarissa Dickson Wright also wrote several books, which detailed her life, career, and adventures. Within a period of five years she write four books, including Spilling the Beans, Rifling Through My Drawers: My Life in a Year, Potty!, and Clarissa’s England.

Wright was well known for her talented cooking, her sense of humor, and her strong opinions, which she was not afraid to share with her viewers. Two Fat Ladies Producer Patricia Llewellyn remembers Wright as “a marvelous cook and hugely knowledgeable about food and food history. She was a force of nature and a true character, someone who knew how to tell a great story and had a fabulous sense of humor.”

New York Times reports that Clarissa Dickson Wright is survived by her sisters Heather and June. Although she had a long and successful career, Wright will be best remembered for her appearance in Two Fat Ladies.

[Image via The Times]