Roberta Taylor, known for her roles as Irene Raymond in 'EastEnders' and Inspector Gina Gold in 'The Bill,' had a distinguished career in television and theatre.

When offered the role of Irene Raymond, she only requested not to wear a cardigan.

She played Irene from 1997 to 2000, portraying an ex-wife and estranged mother with a toyboy lover, a grocery store, and a penchant for new age fads like feng shui and aromatherapy.

After leaving 'EastEnders,' she took on the role of Inspector Gina Gold in 'The Bill' from 2002 to 2008.

Taylor, who passed away at 76, had a long and successful theatrical career.

She worked with the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow from 1976 to 1995 and performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Exchange in Manchester, the Birmingham Rep, and in the West End.

Her last major TV series was 'Shakespeare & Hathaway' (2018-22), where she played Gloria Fonteyn, a theatrical costumier.

Taylor's final stage show was the jukebox musical 'Dusty' (2018), which closed after a short tour.

She was known for her emotional truth, warm and expressive voice, and large brown eyes.

Taylor's work was rooted in her family life, which she vividly described in her memoir, 'Too Many Mothers' (2005).

Born in Plaistow, East London, Taylor grew up in a small house on the Isle of Dogs with her mother, grandmother, and several aunts.

She attended St.

Luke’s primary school and Sir Humphrey Gilbert secondary school, leaving without qualifications to take secretarial jobs.

While training to be a dental nurse, she took drama classes and eventually attended drama school, where she met her future husband, Peter Guinness.

Taylor joined the Citizens Theatre in 1976 and performed in various productions, including 'The Seven Deadly Sins' and 'Masquerade.

' She was known for her performances in Noël Coward’s 'Private Lives' and Oscar Wilde’s 'An Ideal Husband.

' Taylor also appeared in films like 'The Witches' (1990) and 'Tom and Viv' (1994).

A dedicated smoker, Taylor suffered from emphysema and passed away due to pneumonia.

She divorced her first husband in 1975 and later married Peter Guinness in 1996.