Glynis Johns, best known for starring as Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins, has died
Glynis Johns, the actress who played Mrs Banks in 1964 film Mary Poppins, has died.
The British actress, born in South Africa, was 100 years old.
Her manager said she died on Thursday at an assisted living home in Los Angeles of natural causes.
Mitch Clem said: “Today’s a sad day for Hollywood. She is the last of the last of old Hollywood.”
Johns is best known for appearing in Mary Poppins, in which she played suffragette Mrs Banks, the mother who reconnects with her children thanks to Julie Andrews’ magical nanny.
Her star turn in the classic film included a performance of the rousing song “Sister Suffragette”.
Wearing a blue dress with white gloves, a straw a hat and a ‘Votes for Women’ sash, Johns sings: “We’re clearly soldiers in petticoats and dauntless crusaders for women’s votes.”
Glynis Johns in Mary Poppins in 1964. Pic: Rex/Glasshouse Images/Shutterstock
Mary Poppins won five Oscars from 13 nominations and remains one of the most enduringly popular movies made by Walt Disney.
Throughout her decades-spanning career, she took on multi-faceted roles and became known for being a perfectionist.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m not interested in playing the role on only one level,” she said in 1990. “The whole point of first-class acting is to make a reality of it. To be real. And I have to make sense of it in my own mind in order to be real.”
Johns played Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music, for which she won a Tony in 1973 for Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns” – but lost the part in the film version to Elizabeth Taylor.
Glynis Johns in 1982. Pic: AP
Sondheim wrote “Send in the Clowns” to suit Johns’ distinctive, husky voice and she later said: “I’ve had other songs written for me, but nothing like that.
“It’s the greatest gift I’ve ever been given in the theatre.”
In 1960, she was nominated for an Oscar for the film The Sundowners.
Her final acting role was in the 1999 film Superstar, starring Molly Shannon and Will Ferrell.
Johns had one son, who died in 2007.
Entertainment
Gregg Wallace: Over half of allegations against MasterChef presenter substantiated, including one of unwanted physical contact
An investigation into Gregg Wallace’s “inappropriate behaviour” on MasterChef has found that more than half of the allegations against him have been substantiated, including one of “unwanted physical contact”.
MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK shared a summary of its report into historical allegations of misconduct against the 60-year-old presenter, carried out by independent law firm Lewis Silkin over seven months.
The report also said the number of sustained allegations made Wallace’s return to MasterChef “untenable”.
The investigation heard evidence from 78 witnesses, including 41 complainants.
There were 83 allegations against Wallace, and 45 of them were substantiated. All were related to MasterChef.
While the majority of the substantiated allegations related to inappropriate sexual language and humour, a smaller number of allegations of other inappropriate language and being in a state of undress were also substantiated.
One allegation of unwanted physical contact was substantiated.
Nearly all the allegations against Wallace were related to behaviour which is said to have occurred between 2005 and 2018, with just one substantiated allegation taking place post-2018.
Wallace and Anne-Marie Sterpini in 2014
Ahead of the publication of the summary, Wallace had said he had been “cleared of the most serious and sensational accusations” made against him.
Additionally, the report summary found that there were also 10 standalone allegations about other people between 2012 and 2018/2019, two of which were substantiated. Those people were not named in the summary.
The investigation found that complaints had previously been raised with the production company between 2005 and 2024.
Gregg Wallace on MasterChef. Pic: BBC/ Shine TV 2024
While the report flagged inadequate reporting procedures prior to 2016, when Endemol merged with Shine ahead of Banijay acquiring Endemol Shine in 2020, it said there were significant improvements to HR processes and training after 2016.
While the investigation said some formal action was taken by the BBC in 2017, it also noted the corporation held no information regarding concerns raised over Wallace centrally, resulting in issues being addressed as a first offence.
Sky News has tried to contact Gregg Wallace for contact today.
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