Tributes have been pouring in after it was announced that actress Mona Hammond has died at the age of 91. The Jamaican-British actress was best known for her role playing Blossom Jackson in EastEnders.
She joined the BBC One soap as Blossom in 1994 and played the character until her exit in 1997. She later reprised her role as the much-loved character in 2010 for two episodes. Mona was also famed for her stint as Susu in Desmond's during the early nineties.
Marcus Ryder MBE, the head of external consultancies at the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity and chair RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art) shared the news on social media on Tuesday morning (July 5).
He said: "It is with sadness that I wake up to the news Mona Hammond has died. Among her numerous achievements, she co-founded Talawa Theatre Company in 1985. She was also a @RADA_London graduate and received an honorary RADA Fellowship in 2019."
Loose Women and ITV News presenter Charlene White also took to Twitter to share her own tribute. She simply wrote: "Mona Hammond, a trailblazer in every way. Thank-you."
Actor Danny John-Jules, best known for playing Cat in the sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf, tweeted: "Yesterday we lost a #WindrushLegend #MonaHammond All praise to Ladies of the #VisitMona Group (Led by #SuzetteLlewellyn) Who tirelessly made sure that Mona was well looked after from the moment she went into care, her 'Final Curtain'. RIP".
Paky Blinders star Nick Holder shared: "So sorry to hear of the passing of Mona Hammond. Had such fun working with her back in 1991. A beautifully kind and generous actor. R.I.P."
Walford Weekly podcast shared: "Really sad to hear of Mona Hammond passing. Blossom was a great character during the early years of #EastEnders and was a great family figure for the Jackson family in their early days. R.I.P."
While she may be remembered for her TV role, Mona also had a well-established stage career and ran her own company, the Talawa Theatre Company, which she founded in 1985. The actress spent two years at the Royal National Theatre before moving into television work, appearing in shows such as The Sweeney, Juliet Bravo.
She even a cameo on Coronation Street before moving on to soap rival EastEnders. As well as Desmond's, Mona appeared in its spin-off Porkpie from 1995 to 1996.
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