13 British TV Actresses Who Were Absolutely Out of Control

On screen they were the faces Britain welcomed into its living rooms. Off screen, nobody could stop them. A libel trial that ended with a collapse in court. A bottle of Asti Spumante written into the budget of a hit TV show. A heroin charge, a celebration, a car crash and a broken neck. These are the true stories of British actresses whose real lives were wilder than any part they ever played: the drinking, the rows, the court cases, the scandals and the price they paid. From Vivien Merchant, Yootha Joyce, Gillian Taylforth, Denise Welch and Jessie Wallace to Jennifer Moss, Jane Birkin, Sarah Miles and Caroline Aherne, and on to Vivien Leigh, Judy Carne, Marianne Faithfull and Elizabeth Taylor: thirteen actresses, told fairly, from the record and in their own words. Which story shocked you most? And which British actress belongs in a Part 2? Tell us in the comments. Like and subscribe for more true stories from British television and film. Note: A documentary retrospective made for historical, educational and entertainment purposes. All accounts are based on court reports, published obituaries, interviews and the subjects' own words. Where illness lay behind the behaviour, it is described with respect. This is an independent channel, not connected to the BBC, ITV or any broadcaster.