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Putting on the pink: Dinnerladies actress Anne Reid to play late novelist Dame Barbara Cartland

Updated 11:36am on 12 Sep 2008




She was famous for her flamboyant pink outfits and her flat-faced Pekinese dog.

But now late novelist Dame Barbara Cartland will feature on the small screen in a dramatisation of her life story.

Dinnerladies actress Anne Reid has glammed up to play the queen of romance in the BBC drama Men Are Wonderful.

Anne Reid
Barbara Cartland,

In the pink: Anne Reid (left) will play romantic novelist Dame Barbara Cartland

Dame Barbara wrote 723 books with estimated sales of one billion copies in 36 languages and was a champion for pure, idealistic love.

Often pictured with her Pekinese dog Mai Mai, she was one of the nation's most well-loved figures up until her death in 2000 at the age of 98.

The 'affectionate and emotionally charged' dramatisation of Dame Barbara's life and loves makes up part of BBC4's autumn/winter schedule which was outlined today.

Anne Reid

Queen of romance: Anne gets glammed up to play Dame Barbara in the series Men Are Wonderful

Reid is best known for her role as Ken Barlow's Valerie Tatlock in Coronation Street,

She left the soap in 1971 after her character was electrocuted by a hairdryer.

The 73-year-old also played Jean in BBC's sitcom Dinnerladies and has had roles in Doctor Who, The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Benny Hill Show, Boon, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates and Midsomer Murders.

Dinnerladies

Anne Reid (left) with the cast of BBC sitcom Dinnerladies



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