BBC Vicar of Dibley cast now from unrecognisable star to tragic early deaths

The Vicar of Dibley is a Christmas classic and down the country, but behind the scenes lies heartbreaking tragedy for some of the cast.

Dawn French stars as a vicar who injects new life into a sleepy village. And while the conservative parish council aren't overly pleased with the new female appointment at first, snooty David Horton and his comrades soon fall in love with Geraldine Granger.

From foul-mouthed farmer Owen Nesbitt to gormless verger Alice Tinker, the 1990s show is packed with memorable characters and hilarious moments, from comedy falls to quick witted quips. The legendary programme began in 1994 and ran for four seasons, with countless Christmas specials still aired each time the festive season comes around.

Sadly, many of the real men and women behind the iconic characters of The Vicar of Dibley are no longer with us. We take a look at what happened to the cast after the show ended...

Trevor Peacock - Jim Trott

'No no no no... yes' was loveable, bumbling Trevor's catchphrase which was much imitated and made him one of the show's most popular characters. Actor Jim made his name performing Shakespeare in the theatre and went onto enjoy a successful career in television and film.

Talented Jim, who was 89 when he died in March 2021, was an accomplished songwriter too, penning the Herman's Hermits 1960s pop hit Mrs Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter, which topped the US Billboard Hot 100. Married twice, he had sons Daniel and Harry and daughters Sally and Maudie.

Sadly, Trevor was diagnosed with dementia in 2009, but he appeared in the 2015 Vicar of Dibley Comic Relief Special. However, by 2017 the illness was advanced, so he retired from acting and was living in a nursing home in Yeovil. He later died on 8 March 2021, aged 89. When the news of his death was announced, Dawn French paid this simple tribute: "Night Trev. I love you."

Gary Waldhorn - David Horton

Born and raised in Dibley, Councillor David proved to be a brilliant sparring partner for vicar Geraldine. Actor Gary also appeared in comedy classic Brush Stroke, playing Lionel Bainbridge from 1986 until 1991.

Gary died in January 2022, aged 78. His son Josh said: "Classically trained, it was the theatre where he truly flourished and he leaves a legacy of entertainment that saw him frequent the boards of Broadway, the West End and our living rooms on the telly! He leaves behind his two grandsons, Cooper and Bayley and his son Josh. We will all miss him terribly."

John Bluthal - Frank Pickle

Villager Frank was known for telling very, very long stories and in one touching storyline, he came out as gay on the radio, only to find out that hardly anyone had tuned in because they thought he would have droned on too much.

Actor John, was born in Poland in 1929 and was forced to flee to Australia with his Jewish family in 1938 to escape the Nazi regime. He later moved to England in 1956, where he began an acting career both on screen and on stage. He landed his first big role in Citizen James as Sid James in the 1960s.

The actor, who had daughters Nava and Lisa, appeared in a number of Carry On and Pink Panther films, in a glittering career spanning 60 years. Following his death in November 2018 at the age of 89, Dawn French called her former co-star 'cheeky, naughty and hilarious'.

Emma Chambers - Alice Tinker

Actress Emma played dippy Alice to perfection, winning her the British Comedy Award for Best Actress in 1998. She was also well-known for playing Honey Thacker in classic romcom Notting Hill, alongside Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.

Emma was just 53 when she died in February 2018, thought to be from a heart attack. She was married to actor Ian Dunn. "Emma was a very bright spark and the most loyal & loving friend anyone could wish for," said Dawn French, whose vicar Geraldine was Alice's best pal on the show. "I will miss her very much."

James Fleet - Hugo Horton

Naive Hugo is the son of haughty council leader David in the hit series. Geraldine matchmakes him with her best pal Alice Tinker but David is furious at his son and heir's plan to marry the dippy verger.

Actor James, who is married with a son, Hamish, is also well known for playing Tom in classic Brit flick Four Weddings and a Funeral. A star of stage, radio and TV, James has also appeared in Grange Hill, The Bill and starred in the Kevin & Perry Go Large move in 2000 and 2018 film The Spy Who Loved Me.

He also appeared in BBC Three comedy Bad Education and his Coronation Street character, Robbie Sloane, was shot dead after kidnapping Carla Connor in 2010. James made a big return to the show for a Christmas special - The Vicar Of Dibley in Lockdown. Now in his 70s, he was recently seen in Netflix's prequel Queen Charlotte, where he played King George III.

Roger Lloyd-Pack - Owen Newitt

Farmer Owen isn't the brightest and is often late to parish meetings with a different, absurd excuse every time. Owen famously attempts to woo vicar Geraldine, who once allows him to kiss her and regrets it due to his terrible hygiene.

The man behind the character, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Roger Lloyd Pack, was known for playing Trigger in classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses, a dim but likeable road sweeper. He was married twice, with three sons and a daughter, the actress Emily Lloyd.

The popular actor tragically died from pancreatic cancer in January 2014 at the age of 69, with Only Fools co-stars David Jason and Nicholas Lyndhurst attending his funeral. Dawn hosted a special 10-minute tribute to her co-star on the BBC, telling viewers he was "a really lovely, interesting, complicated man", before adding that there could be no better tribute than the repeat of the first ever episode of Only Fools and Horses.

Dawn French - Geraldine Granger

Reverend Geraldine Granger is the down-to-earth vicar who ruffled a few feathers when she arrived in the village. Despite some initial hesitations, Geraldine quickly became a popular member of the community, although her outrageous behaviour and the odd bit of rude language did turn heads.

Geraldine got married to Harry Kennedy (Richard Armitage) in the show's final episode. The star of the show, Dawn French is best known for writing and starring in French and Saunders with best friend Jennifer Saunders.

Dawn has done it all, appearing in the theatre, TV series and big budget films, as well as presenting shows such as ITV's Little Big Shots. Dawn has appeared as Vicky Pollard's mum in Little Britain, Lark Rise to Candleford and in Sky One's Delicious.

She's also been on the big screen, playing the Fat Lady portrait in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, starring in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie and doing voicework on The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Coraline. Dawn's best-selling autobiography, Dear Fatty, was named because that is pal Jennifer's nickname for her. In 2023, the author released a new memoir, named The T**t Files.

She was married to comedian Lenny Henry when The Vicar of Dibley first aired, but they separated after 26 years of marriage in April 2010. Dawn then married charity executive Mark Bignell in 2013 after two years together.

Her more recent work includes being leading star in this years' M&S Christmas advert. The clip, featuring Elton John hit Step Into Christmas, shows Dawn, 67, trudging through the snow, weighed down with presents and bah humbug spirit, moaning about being exhausted. At home, the house is a mess, she is in her pyjamas and the neighbours are due any minute for a festive party. Fortunately, Dawn the Fairy is there to wave her magic wand, put up the decorations, lay out the food and give actual Dawn a makeover.

Elsewhere, Dawn has been very open about her weight loss journey over the years after making the decision to overhaul her lifestyle in 2011. A cancer scare prompted the star to lose 7.5 stone for surgery, and she has since said it was a completely 'practical' choice and not one based on her appearance.

However in 2020, Dawn said she was "back to being an entire barrel" and didn't "give a f**k". She didn't reveal how much weight she had gained but said she refuses to dislike herself as she said in her podcast French and Saunders: T**ting About: "I've gone back to being an entire barrel but do you know what, I'm going to be 63 this year, I don't give a f**k, I really don't, so long as I can walk.

"I'm not going to be stingy to myself anymore. I never did dislike anything about my body, even when I was very, very fat. I refuse to be forced to dislike myself. I used to get really angry when I did lose weight, people going, 'You look so well,' as if you looked awful before - rewarding you for managing it, which is not easy, I accept that. But I didn't want people to give me approval. It's so patronising."

The 67-year-old actress has embraced her natural hair and has put an end to dyeing her locks brunette. "It's just hair, we spend so much time and money on it, I'm ready for this now and not to be dyeing it anymore," she confessed.

Liz Smith - Letitia Cropley

Actress Liz started late in the profession - she was 49 when she appeared in a Mike Leigh film. The Vicar of Dibley went onto make her a household name as Letitia or Mrs Cropley, who was best known for her creative cooking. The librarian appeared for seven episodes and died in the 1996 Easter Special.

Liz, who had a son and a daughter, went onto star in The Royle Family as Nana, the unforgettable, eccentric matriarch of the show. Nana died in an episode of the show called The Queen of Sheba which Liz called the most emotionally draining of her career. This had been aired as a repeat just days before the actress died in December 2016, aged 95.