TV presenter and actress Annabel Giles has died after being diagnosed with a brain tumour in July. She starred in children’s show Razzmatazz, the 1993 film Riders and was a model for cosmetics brand Max Factor. Confirming the death of their “incredible mother”, her children said she had undergone brain surgery and radiotherapy treatment. Daughter Molly and son Tedd said on X she was “one of a kind”. Giles, 64, was also known for her 2013 stint in the I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! camp and ITV’s Posh Frocks And New Trousers with Sarah Greene. She was born in Griffithstown, near Pontypool. In their social media tribute, her children said their mother died at Martlets Hospice in Hove after four months of “remarkable resilience and strength”.
“Mum was truly one of a kind, an enigma to those privileged to share her life. True to her nature, she kept spirits high and maintained her quick wit until the very end. “Her humour and laughter will leave us inspired to live life to the fullest, just as she always did.”
They said she had been diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma, and said that in her final weeks she had been passionate about raising awareness of this type of tumour, “embodying her lifelong commitment to helping others”. Giles later retrained as a counsellor before becoming the resident agony aunt on BBC Wales’s Eleri Sion radio show. The radio presenter paid tribute on X, saying Giles was “warm, wise, wicked and witty” and said she recalled her trying to “learn Welsh live” on the radio. Channel 4 presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy worked alongside Giles on ITV’s Posh Frocks And New Trousers and said he was “in awe” of one of his “first TV partners in crime”. Broadcaster and writer Sue Perkins called her a “beautiful human” and comedian Jenny Eclair said she had “the fondest” memories of “beautiful, funny and clever” Annabel. Giles was married in the 1980s to Midge Ure – lead singer of Ultravox and founder of Band Aid and Live Aid.