Two Fat Ladies television chef Clarissa Dickson Wright dead at 66

One half of the famed TV food duo, Clarissa Dickson Wright died in Edinburgh her agent has now confirmed

By Dave Lancaster |

12:03 17 March 2014

Clarissa Dickson Wright, the television chef and presenter best known for being one half of the celebrated TV food duo Two Fat Ladies, has died aged 66.

The star (pictured on the left), whose career began at the age of 21 when she became England's youngest ever barrister before a switch to cookery, died on Saturday in Edinburgh’s Royal Infirmary but her representatives confirmed the news on Monday.

Her agents, Heather Holden-Brown and Elly James, released a statement: 'In recent years, Clarissa often said: "I’ve had a fantastic life and I’ve done everything I could have wanted to do and more".

'During her time in hospital, she was endlessly touched and impressed by the care of the doctors, nurses and support staff, aware of the pressure under which they worked and the fact that sometimes their work was not as valued as it should have been.

'Only a couple of weeks before her death, she was ringing friends asking them to check the (very occasional) general knowledge crossword clue she was struggling with.

'Loved dearly by her friends and many fans all over the world, Clarissa was utterly non-PC and fought for what she believed in, always, with no thought to her own personal cost.

'Her fun and laughter, extraordinary learning and intelligence, will be missed always, by so many of us.'

While no cause of death has yet been given, Dickson Wright had a long history of alcoholism but was reportedly due to celebrate her 27th of giving up alcohol on her birthday coming up in June.

Jennifer Paterson was the other half of Two Fat Ladies. She died in 1999 aged 71, signalling the end of the show which ran from 1996.