Julie Stevens, Play School Presenter and Carry On Actress, Dies at 87

Julie Stevens, recognized for her roles as a Play School presenter and a Carry On actress, has passed away at the age of 87. Her daughter confirmed the news. Ms. Stevens, a children’s television presenter who received a Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in 2019, died on 5 December, as stated in an announcement by her daughter Rachel New on Monday. Rachel New, who is a radio presenter and podcast host, issued a statement saying: “Julie Stevens will be remembered for her joyful spirit, her ability to make every child feel seen, and her lasting legacy in the world of children’s television.” She is survived by two children, four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Born in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, on 20 December 1936, Stevens secured a contract with the former broadcaster ABC Television Limited after winning a talent contest when she was 20 years old. In 1962, she became part of the cast of the spy series The Avengers, portraying Venus Smith, a nightclub singer who assisted Patrick Macnee’s character, John Steed, with his assignments. Subsequently, she was chosen for the role of Gloria in the 1960s comedy movie Carry On Cleo. Her daughter stated that in 1964, Stevens was heavily pregnant with her first child, Daniel, when she auditioned for the children’s program Play School. This well-known program premiered in April 1964 during the launch of BBC Two and continued until March 1988. It influenced the upbringing of millions and launched many of its presenters into prominence, including Rick Jones, Brian Cant, Johnny Ball, Toni Arthur, and Floella Benjamin, who is a presenter, actress, writer, and currently a Liberal Democrat peer. Stevens’s work also included the comedy series Girls About Town and the children’s comedy program Cabbages And Kings. Additionally, she was featured in Play Away, a series aimed at older children, and made appearances on Holby City. Furthermore, she served as a personal assistant and subsequently as the manager for Sir Harry Secombe, the former Goon Show comedian and Oliver! actor. Stevens, whose residences spanned Provence, France, and London, was married to presenter John White until their divorce in 1974. She later married actor and theatre director Michael Hucks in 1980, a marriage that lasted until 2001. In 2016, she relocated back to the UK to be closer to her daughter. Her daughter commented that the final years were challenging, “but she faced it as she did all challenges, with good humour and great charm.”