Overview
- Her death was announced by Intermission magazine and has been reported by national outlets, which described her as one of Britain’s longest-serving performers.
- Mathews was present at ITV’s 1955 launch and immediately fronted the short musical programme Friday's Girl, which obituaries and profiles say reached about 12 million viewers at its peak.
- She began performing as a child and made her West End debut aged 16 in Strike A New Note in 1943, where she danced with a young Eric Morecambe.
- Her career moved between stage and television for decades, with later appearances in shows such as Crossroads, Emmerdale, Shelley, Minder and The Good Old Days.
- She was married to director Charles Reading (died 1999) and is survived by two daughters, Sally and Jane, and her death has prompted public tributes though no funeral arrangements have been announced.