Best known as the lovable rogue in the ITV series, he was also in Carry On films and The Royal

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

The Heartbeat actor Bill Maynard has died at the age of 89, his family has confirmed.

Maynard died in hospital in Leicestershire shortly after breaking his hip in a fall from his mobility scooter, his daughter-in-law said.

Jacqueline Reddin, who is also an actor, said: “He was larger than life and he just loved showbiz. He was so proud of the fact that he had been working for 81 years.”

Maynard played the lovable rogue Claude Jeremiah Greengrass in ITV’s Heartbeat for eight years.

He leaves a son and daughter, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.



Maynard, whose real name was Walter Williams, chose his stage name as a reference to the confectionery company Maynards, Reddin said.

The actor also played the title role in the ITV comedy Oh No, It’s Selwyn Froggitt, and starred in the Carry On films Carry On at Your Convenience, Carry On Matron and Carry On Dick.

ITV's Heartbeat in pictures Read more

In 1980 he played Sgt Beetroot in the TV series Worzel Gummidge and more recently made appearances in the Heartbeat spinoff The Royal and The Moorside.

Reddin said he had recently visited her and her husband in France and had also filmed an episode of the gameshow Pointless, which he had been looking forward to watching when it aired.

In 2013 Maynard celebrated 60 years since his first TV appearance by releasing a version of the song What a Wonderful World.