Sandy Ratcliff

Born: 1948-10-02

Born on October 2, 1950 in London, England, Sandy Ratcliff originally worked as a model and was touted by photographer Lord Snowden as 'The Face of the 70s' before she turned her attention to acting. She took the lead role in Ken Loach's 1971 film Family Life, and later appeared in the 1979 film Radio On, but she was best known for being one of the original cast members in the BBC soap EastEnders. As Sue Osman, Ratcliff appeared in the very first episode in 1985 and played the part of the cafe owner until 1989 when she was sacked due to her addiction to heroin. Ill health and personal problems dogged Ratcliff ever since she left the soap, including battling cancer and hitting the headlines for providing a false alibi for her boyfriend Michael Shorey, who was subsequently sentenced to two life sentences for the murder of two women. At some stage, Ratcliff retrained as a counsellor but had retired by 2010. In her final years she lived in sheltered accommodation and it was here that her body was found on the morning of 7th April, 2019. She was 70 years old.


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Family Life

as Janice Baildon
Released: 1971-11-17

A young woman, Janice, is living with her restrictive and conservative parents, who lead a dull...

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The Final Programme

as Jenny
Released: 1973-10-04

After the death of his Nobel Prize-winning father, billionaire physicist Jerry Cornelius becomes...

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Hussy

as Olympia
Released: 1980-05-01

Beaty, a prostitute, and Emory, a lighting/sound technician, fall in love while working at the...

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Radio On

as Kathy
Released: 1979-11-30

A London radio DJ receives news of his brother's suicide and travels west to Bristol to find out...

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Yesterday's Hero

as Rita
Released: 1979-04-24

Successful soccer player Rod Turner spirals into drunken self-pity until he develops a...

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Men of the Month

as Meg
Released: 1994-05-25

Tracey, a hyperactive, inarticulate bicycle courier who unsuccessfully woos his girlfriend,...

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Doll’s Eye

as Maggie
Released: 1983-02-23

Examines contradictory male attitudes towards women in 1980's Britain

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The After Dinner Joke

as Mum
Released: 1978-02-14

A comic extravaganza about a young woman's adventures in the world of big business charity.

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Play Things

as Alice
Released: 1976-05-07

A young man volunteers to work with a children's play group in a deprived London area. Adapted...

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Story Without a Hero

as Muriel
Released: 1979-12-13

When Hell's Angels hit Muriel's seaside town she grabs daughter Karen and follows. Years ago her...

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The Workshop

as Mimi
Released: 1982-02-19

It is 1945 - just a year since the allied troops entered Paris - and Simone arrives for her...

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EastEnders

as Sue Osman
First aired: 1985-02-19

The everyday lives of working-class residents of Albert Square, a traditional Victorian square...

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Minder

as Barbara
First aired: 1979-10-29

This comedy drama series featured Terry McCann, a former boxer with a conviction for G.B.H., and...

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The Sweeney

as Liz Jenner
First aired: 1975-01-02

Jack Regan, an unethical officer of the Flying Squad, uses unorthodox methods to pursue...

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Danger UXB

as Rosalyn
First aired: 1979-01-08

Danger UXB is a 1979 British ITV television series about World War II developed by John...

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