Sarah Jane Parkinson (6 June 1962 – 23 September 2003) was an English producer and

writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...

radio Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...

and

television program A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via Terrestrial television, over-the-air, Satellite television, satellite, and cable te ...

mes,Comic Paul Merton's wife dies
BBC News, 24 September 2003. Accessed 20 March 2009. as well as an occasional

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

. She was a regular performer on ''

Week Ending ''Week Ending'' was a satirical radio current affairs sketch show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1970 and 1998. It was devised by writer-producers Simon Brett and David Hatch and was originally hosted by '' Nationwide'' presenter Michael B ...

'' in the final years of its run. She was the daughter of actor

Robin Parkinson Christopher Robin Parkinson (25 October 1929 – 7 May 2022) was an English actor known for his comedy roles. He was the second actor to portray Monsieur Ernest Leclerc in Allo 'Allo!'' (22 episodes: series 7 to 9), after the death of Dere ...

and the second wife of

comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...

and writer

Paul Merton Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), known by the stage name Paul Merton, is an English comedian who is best known as one of the two regular panellists on the television show '' Have I Got News for You''. Known for his improvisation skill, M ...

. Parkinson was diagnosed with

breast cancer Breast cancer is a cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a Breast lump, lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, Milk-rejection sign, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipp ...

in February 2002. She and Merton had an unofficial marriage in the

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

in October 2000 before marrying at

Rye Town Hall, East Sussex Rye Town Hall is a municipal building in Market Street, Rye, East Sussex, England. The building, which is the meeting place of Rye Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building. History The first town hall was a medieval structure which was burn ...

, in June 2003. After her death, Merton released the following statement through his agent: "After her initial devastating diagnosis of cancer in February 2002 Sarah successfully lived with the disease for the next 19 months. She refused chemotherapy because she knew it would finish her off. Instead, she boosted her immune system with a mixture of nutritional therapy, yoga, meditation, positive thinking and laughter. Consequently she led a full and active life right up to the last couple of weeks when her condition suddenly worsened."

References

External links

*
BBC Guide To Comedy

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parkinson, Sarah 1962 births 2003 deaths Deaths from breast cancer in England English radio producers English television producers English television writers British women television writers Place of birth missing British women television producers 20th-century English screenwriters British women radio producers