Tonight the BBC will air the first in a series dedicated to Victoria Wood, who died aged 62 after suffering from cancer. Our Friend Victoria is a six part series in which Celia Imrie, Julie Walters and other friends will celebrate the life and work of the comedian.
Victoria kept her cancer diagnosis from the press, so it was a great shock to her fans and colleagues when she died suddenly last year. There is no doubt that comedy lost a powerhouse of talent who has left behind an archive of unforgettable sketches, songs, jokes and scripts. Michael Ball revealed to The Mirror that in fact at the time of Victoria’s death she was still writing strong material, which was discovered when TV producers went though her archive, though it will never be produced: “They found so much they didn’t know existed, particularly stand-up. She just had this vast wealth of material.”
Michael Ball will be presenting an episode in the series which focuses on Victoria’s comic take on the subject of sex, saying: “It felt very personal but I leapt at the chance to do it. It was very emotional but also a privilege.”
Our Friend Victoria starts tonight at 9.30pm on BBC One
