June Whitfield.

June Rosemary Whitfield

Born 11 Nov 1925 Streatham, United Kingdom

Died 28 Dec 2018 London, United Kingdom

Citizenship United Kingdom

Would Be 100 yr If Living

9 min read

Reading time

1,659

Words

Oct 3, 2026

Published

Awards

TL;DR

June Whitfield started on radio in 1953 with Take It From Here and later played Mother in Absolutely Fabulous 1992. She appeared in three Carry On films and was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2017. Her career lasted over 75 years, from musical theatre to television and film.

Identity & family.

KIN · 3

Names, aliases, and relatives of June Whitfield — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name June Rosemary Whitfield

Aliases June Whitfield CBE, June Whitfield O.B.E., June Whitfield OBE

Parents: John Herbert Whitfield
Spouses: Tim Aitchison
Children: Suzy Aitchison

At a glance.

STATS

June Whitfield by the numbers — life, work, and family.

93 Years lived

3 Awards

1 Marriage

1 Child

Who was June Whitfield?

BIOGRAPHY

June Whitfield — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

June Rosemary Whitfield was born in Streatham, London, on 11 November 1925. Her mother took part in amateur dramatics, and June took elocution and dancing lessons from an early age. She attended Streatham and Clapham High School and later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art from 1942 to 1944. During World War II, she played the second grave digger in a production of Hamlet and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Career

Whitfield first gained recognition in 1953 playing Eth in The Glum Family sketches on the radio comedy Take It From Here. She moved to television and worked with comedians including Tony Hancock, Benny Hill, and Frankie Howerd. From 1974 she starred opposite Terry Scott in Happy Ever After, later retitled Terry and June. She appeared in three Carry On films: Carry on Nurse 1959, Carry on Abroad 1972, and Carry on Girls 1973. In 1992 she joined Absolutely Fabulous as Mother, winning new audiences and becoming a regular on the series.

Personal life

June Whitfield married chartered surveyor and later antiques dealer Tim Aitchison in 1955. They had a daughter, Suzy Aitchison, born on 4 June 1960. The family lived in Wimbledon, southwest London for many years before she moved to sheltered accommodation in Kingston-upon-Thames in 2015. She gave up smoking in 1976. She was critical of the amount of sex, violence, and swearing in modern television programmes.

Legacy

June Whitfield received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1985, Commander in 1998, and Dame Commander in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. A memorial service was held at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden on 27 November 2019. Her career stretched from wartime Shakespeare to modern sitcoms like Absolutely Fabulous.

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 3

Every award, honor, and recognition received by June Whitfield — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 2

A wall of memorable lines from June Whitfield — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

The Carry Ons Were a Nudging Sort of Humour, Like Seaside Postcards, Not at All Politically Correct Which Was Always a Good Thing. They Were a Sort of Innocent Kind of Humour. I Think Today’s Kind of Humour Is Far Less Innocent and Sometimes Very Vulgar.
In the Past Few Years I’ve Probably Worked More Than in Any of the Years Since Terry and June Finished in 1988 – as Joanna Lumley Says, Ab Fab Made Us Born-again Actresses.

Did you know?

FACTS · 27

Little-known facts about June Whitfield — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

Whitfield stated she was content in a supporting role alongside comedians, as she believed the stress of headlining a show had contributed to the illnesses and deaths of many of her colleagues.
She was awarded the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to Drama and Entertainment in London, England.
Resided for many years in Wimbledon, southwest London, before moving to sheltered accommodation in Kingston-upon-Thames in 2015.
Played Miss Marple in BBC Radio 4 adaptations between 1993 and 2001.
Gave up smoking in 1976.
She played the Queen of Spain in Carry on Columbus 1992 after both Barbara Windsor and Joan Sims turned down the role.
Original voice of Eth in the radio version of The Glums 1978.
Gave birth to her only child at age 34, a daughter Susan Jane Aitchison, known as Suzy Aitchison, on 4 June 1960. The child’s father was her husband, Tim Aitchison.
She was awarded the OBE Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1985 Queen’s Birthday Honours List and the CBE Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1998 Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.
She was critical of the amount of sex, violence and swearing in modern television programmes.
Her husband was a chartered surveyor.
During World War II, she played the second grave digger in a production of Hamlet and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Her husband became an antiques dealer in his retirement.
First found fame playing Eth to Dick Bentley’s Ron in The Glum Family sketches in the radio comedy show Take It from Here 1953.
A memorial service was held for her at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden on 27th November 2019.
In the radio series Take It from Here 1953, she voiced the character Eth with Dick Bentley voicing Ron in The Glum Family sketches and recreated their voices in the film Double Bunk 1961.
She started acting in 1943.
Wanted to be another Judy Garland.
Daughter of John Herbert 1894-1955 and Bertha Georgina née Flett Whitfield 1895-1982.
She was married to Tim, an antiques dealer and they had a daughter, Suzy.
Maternal granddaughter of Alexander 1865-1941, born in Wick, Scotland, and Alice née Wadham Flett 1876-1938, born in Rochester, Kent.
Maternal great granddaughter of Alexander 1816-1897 and Isabella née Coghill Flett 1821-1892. Both were born and raised in Wick, Scotland.
Whitfield got her first chance in show business from Bob Monkhouse’s show Fast and Loose in 1954.
She got her first chance in 1954 in the television show Fast and Loose which was written by Bob Monkhouse.
Younger sister of John Whitfield b. 1922.
Actor David Horne arranged for her to be an ASM at London’s Duke of Yorks Theatre.
June studied at RADA between 1942 and 1944.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 32

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about June Whitfield.

When was June Whitfield born?

June Whitfield was born on 11 November 1925. Her birth name was June Rosemary Whitfield.
Where was June Whitfield born?

She was born in Streatham, London, England. This area is part of the United Kingdom.
When did June Whitfield die?

June Whitfield died on 28 December 2018. She was 93 years old at the time of her death.
Where did June Whitfield die?

She died in London, England. The cause was natural causes.
How did June Whitfield die?

June Whitfield died of natural causes. She passed away in London on 28 December 2018.
How old was June Whitfield when she died?

June Whitfield was 93 years old when she died. She was born in 1925 and passed away in 2018.
What was June Whitfield's real name?

Her full birth name was June Rosemary Whitfield. She was known professionally as June Whitfield.
What was June Whitfield's nationality?

She was British. She held citizenship in the United Kingdom.
What did June Whitfield do for a living?

June Whitfield was an actor and soundtrack artist. She worked in radio, television, film, and theatre.
Who were June Whitfield's parents?

Her parents were John Herbert Whitfield and Bertha Georgina Whitfield née Flett. Her father was John Herbert 1894-1955 and her mother Bertha 1895-1982.
Did June Whitfield have siblings?

She had an older brother named John Whitfield, who was born in 1922. She was the younger sister.
Who was June Whitfield married to?

She was married to Tim Aitchison. He was a chartered surveyor who later became an antiques dealer.
When did June Whitfield get married?

June Whitfield married Tim Aitchison on 24 October 1955. They remained married until his death in 2001.
Did June Whitfield have children?

Yes, she had one child, a daughter named Suzy Aitchison. Suzy was born on 4 June 1960.
What was the name of June Whitfield's daughter?

Her daughter’s name is Suzy Aitchison, born Susan Jane Aitchison. She is the only child of June and Tim.
Where did June Whitfield go to school?

She attended Streatham and Clapham High School. She later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art RADA from 1942 to 1944.
What awards did June Whitfield win?

She received three major honours: Officer of the Order of the British Empire OBE in 1985, Commander CBE in 1998, and Dame Commander DBE in 2017.
How many awards did June Whitfield win?

She was awarded three major honours from the British monarchy. These were the OBE, CBE, and DBE.
What was June Whitfield best known for?

She was best known for her role as Mother in the sitcom Absolutely Fabulous 1992. She also starred in Terry and June and the Carry On films.
How tall was June Whitfield?

June Whitfield was 5 feet 1 inch tall, which is approximately 1.55 meters. Her height was often noted in profiles.
What were June Whitfield's aliases?

She was known as June Whitfield CBE, June Whitfield O.B.E., and June Whitfield OBE. These reflect her honours.
How many award nominations did June Whitfield receive?

According to available records, she received one award nomination. This was for her work in entertainment.
What was June Whitfield's first acting role?

She started acting in 1943. During World War II, she played the second grave digger in Hamlet and Peter Quince in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
What radio show made June Whitfield famous?

She first found fame on the radio comedy Take It from Here in 1953. She played Eth in The Glum Family sketches.
What character did June Whitfield play in Absolutely Fabulous?

She played the character simply known as Mother. She was the mother of Jennifer Saunders’ character, Edina Monsoon.
What year did June Whitfield become a Dame?

She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Queen’s Birthday Honours List. She was 91 at the time.
Did June Whitfield smoke?

She gave up smoking in 1976. This was a personal decision later in her life.
Where did June Whitfield live?

She resided for many years in Wimbledon, southwest London. In 2015, she moved to sheltered accommodation in Kingston-upon-Thames.
What was June Whitfield's role in Carry on Columbus?

She played the Queen of Spain in the 1992 film. Both Barbara Windsor and Joan Sims had turned down the role before she accepted it.
Did June Whitfield ever star in her own show?

No, she preferred being a supporting actress. She said the stress of starring in shows caused the illnesses and deaths of many comedians she worked with.
What was June Whitfield's husband's occupation?

Her husband Tim Aitchison was a chartered surveyor. After retiring, he became an antiques dealer.
How did June Whitfield start in show business?

She got her first chance from Bob Monkhouse’s show Fast and Loose in 1954. Actor David Horne also helped arrange her first job as an assistant stage manager at the Duke of Yorks Theatre.

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Audited & updated by

Sophia has 4 years of editorial experience and a habit of becoming the person any team leans on when they need to know where something stands. At Famousy, she manages the content pipeline, coordinates reviews, and handles the detail work that keeps a large editorial operation from falling apart. She reads a lot of profiles in the process and she's developed a sharp instinct for when something doesn't feel right. She flags it. It usually is.

Published on October 3, 2026

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