RUTH Madoc is best known and loved for her role as Gladys Pugh in Hi-De-Hi, and anyone who saw the show will remember her broad Welsh accent fondly.

So when a much softer, lilting voice answered the phone when she took time out of her busy schedule to talk to the Adver about her upcoming role in the touring production of Last of the Summer Wine, it was a bit of a shock.

In the show, which is a new story written by the creator, Roy Clarke, the role of Meg was especially created for Ruth.

“It reminds me very much of the earlier days of Last of the Summer Wine when everyone was much more physical,” said the grandmother-of-four.

“It moves much more quickly than it does on TV, but you have to appreciate that the people that are playing these parts are not young people any more. They are in their 70s and not as agile as they were at the beginning.

“It’s a very funny piece and has no expletives, so is very much family entertainment.”

From musicals to plays, classics to modern, Ruth has turned her talents to most things during a career that has spanned nearly five decades.

“I’ve been in the business for a long time now, it’s 50 years next year,” she said. “I think part of it is down to being versatile, that’s the name of the game.

“I’ve found everything I’ve done interesting and it’s all been rewarding, but I did like doing Hi-De-Hi. It was the 30th anniversary of the show this year and we had a reunion at Dovercourt, where most of the series was filmed.

“It was lovely to see David Croft, Paul Shane and lots of the old group again, although sadly there were some faces missing as we have lost them over the years.”

Those who have missed seeing Ruth on our TV screens are in for a treat, as she is back on the box in the New Year in Big Top. The show, which also stars Amanda Holden, is set in a circus.