Cuka (pronounced Chewka) was born in London, England, the daughter of Letitia Alice Annie (née Francis), a tailor, and Joseph Cuka, a process engraver. Frances trained at the Guildhall school of music and drama and made her stage debut in 1995 as Effie in Meet Mr Callaghan, a murder thriller at the Royal Court, Warrington. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). She also appeared as Doll Tearsheet in a BBC TV version of Henry IV, Part II. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Frances played the recurring role of a troublesome tramp called Mrs Bassey in BBC medical drama Casualty from 2006 and 2019 when her character died from severe burns after being involved in an explosion at a shopping centre. Frances Cuka (21 August 1936 – 16 February 2020)[1] was an English actress, principally on television, whose career spanned over sixty years. Paying tribute to Frances, Robert Popper, creator of Friday Night Dinner, penned: "Terribly sad that our wonderful Friday Night Dinner Grandma, Frances Cuka, has passed away.". Her subsequent television roles included the 1971 BBC miniseries adaption of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, Adam Adamant Lives, Hammer House of Horror (the episode "Charlie Boy"), The Champions and Minder. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Frances starred in several West End shows and also had recurring roles in the soap operas Crossroads and Coronation Street. 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Most recently, she played Grandma Nelly Buller in Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner alongside Inbetweeners star Simon Bird and Tamsin Greig. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, then made her stage debut in … For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click here. Channel 4 Frances Cuka, who starred in the Channel 4 comedy Friday Night Dinner, has died aged 83. Classic Wilson's 2nd Hand stew licking, I could go on, so much laughter, great actress. Her final appearance was in September 2009, when her character died from severe burns after being involved in an explosion at a shopping centre. ", Actor and comedian Sanjeev Bhaskar also wrote: "Sad to hear of the passing of #FrancesCuka always such a welcome, warm and hilarious presence in #Fridaynightdinner#ripnicegrandma. The cause of Frances' death is yet to be confirmed. So sad but she gave us so many laughs as Grandma. 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Her subsequent television roles included the 1971 BBC miniseries adaption of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, Adam Adamant Lives, Hammer House of Horror (the episode "Charlie Boy"), The Champions and Minder. I'll never forget the bikini. You can unsubscribe at any time. Despite filming several scenes, she ended up being replaced by Jo Warne, who played the Walford landlady in 10 episodes before Barbara Windsor made the role her own in 1994. We pay for videos too. 4. Would you be brave enough to try the tongue-tingling treat this Halloween? 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