Linda Regan (born 5 November 1949),<ref name="IMDB" /, born Linda Mary Drinkwater, is a British actress and author, who has appeared on television, film, radio and on stage. She is best known for her role as yellowcoat April Wingate in the British holiday camp sitcom Hi-de-Hi!.
Early life Born in Brixton, London, Regan is a daughter of bandleader and agent Peter Regan (born Peter Albert Drinkwater) and Phyllis McCormack, an Irish nurse; Regan's older sister is the actress and writer Carol Drinkwater. They moved to Rochester, before settling in Bromley when Regan was five. Regan often helped her father while entertaining, such as helping with Punch and Judy and balloon modelling. After leaving school, Regan attended the Worcester Repertory Company.
Career
Regan made her television debut in 1970, in an episode of the ITV sitcom On the Buses. Shortly after, she appeared in the film version of the same name. Sha also had a role in the festive Carry On Christmas special opposite Sid James. This was followed by roles in programmes such as Doctor at Large, Softly, Softly: Task Force, Special Branch and Dixon of Dock Green. She was also the stunt double for Katy Manning's Jo Grant in the Doctor Who episode "Carnival of Monsters" in 1973. In the mid-1970s, Regan appeared in several sex comedy films including Confessions of a Pop Performer (1975), Carry On England (1976) and Adventures of a Private Eye (1977). She also appeared in the films A Private Enterprise (1974), The Hiding Place (1975) and Quadrophenia (1979) and had a main role in the hospital drama General Hospital from 1976 to 1977. Regan appeared in the first episode of the drama series Minder in 1979 starring George Cole and Dennis Waterman and played a Swedish pop star in Bergerac, before having a role in the film The Hit (1984) with John Hurt and Terence Stamp. She followed this with a main role in the holiday camp sitcom Hi-de-Hi! as April, a character she would play from 1984 until the show's end in 1988, appearing in a total of twenty-four episodes.
After appearances in Birds of a Feather, thriller Framed and the crime drama The Knock, Regan starred in five episodes of The Bill before appearing as Harry's mother in all 4 series of children's drama series Harry and Cosh from 1999 to 2003. She continues her career on both stage and screen, including Holby City, Doctors and Run for Your Wife, as well as appearing in several short films and commercials, and writing award-winning crime novels. Regan was in two episodes of podcast sitcom Barmy Dale in 2023 and played alongside her husband Brian Murphy as the mayor of Barmy Dale Felicity Palmer.
Personal life Regan was married to actor Brian Murphy from 1995 until his death in 2025. She had two stepsons from his previous marriage.
She is dyslexic and was not encouraged at school but wrote stories from a young age. Just before her first book was published, in 2005, Regan was kidnapped at knifepoint and forced into a car, later jumping from the vehicle to escape. Soon after, she was diagnosed with cancer, which she believes was caused by her kidnap ordeal; she overcame the disease.
A dog lover since childhood, Regan runs her own blog in which she communicates with other dog owners.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1971 On the Buses Pretty Girl on Bus 1973 Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall Girl at Dance 1974 Keep It Up, Jack Gloria A Private Enterprise Eve 1975 The Hiding Place Prostitute Confessions of a Pop Performer Brenda Climax 1976 Carry On England A.T.S. Private Taylor 1977 Hardcore Secretary Adventures of a Private Eye Clarissa 1979 Quadrophenia Chief Rocker Girl 1984 The Hit Madame Isabella 1999 Janice Beard Unknown Holding On Pru 2003 The Last Horror Movie Terri 2004 Let Go Susan Short film2012 Blitz and Bananas Emily Spratt Run for Your Wife Allotment woman Cameo2016 After Hours Shirley Short film2018 The Vampire of Soho Beryl
Television Year Title Role Notes1970 Z Cars Factory Girl Episode: "Stop Over: Part 1" Carry On Christmas Island Girl TV film On the Buses Edna Episode: "Christmas Duty"1971 Doctor at Large Schoolgirl Episode: "Doctor Dish" Softly, Softly: Task Force Girl in Lorry Episode: "Copper Wire"1972 Engelbert with the Young Generation Girl in Film Sequence Episode: #1.11 Doctor in Charge Girl at Dance Episode: "The Taming of the Wolf" Villains Young Woman Episode: "Belinda" Sacha's Back in Town Belly Dancer Episode: #1.41973 Special Branch Episode: "Red Herring"1974 Seven Faces of Woman Barbara Episode: "Polly Put the Kettle On"1975 Dixon of Dock Green Liz Rowley Episode: "On a Moody Complaint" Scene Polly Episode: "Because I Said So"1976 Barney's Last Battle Lily Ayres TV film1976–1977 General Hospital Susan 3 episodes1977 ITV Playhouse Valerie Episode: "The Proofing Session"1978 Z Cars Woman at Bus Stop Episode: "A Woman's Place"1979 Minder Liz Episode: "Gunfight at the O.K. Laundrette"1980 The Gentle Touch Marilyn Episode: "Break-In"1982 Kelly Monteith Various Episode: #4.11984 Bergerac Gudrun Olfsberg Episode: "A Cry in the Night"1984–1988 Hi-de-Hi! April 24 episodes1985 Dempsey and Makepeace Gloria Episode: "Blind Eye" C.A.T.S. Eyes Naval Computer Operator Episode: "Something Nasty Down Below" Lost in London Rosey TV film1986 C.A.T.S. Eyes Amber Episode: "Hit List"1988 Comic Relief Hospital Patient TV special The Bill Burnside's Girlfriend Episode: "Snout"1991 Birds of a Feather Annie Episode: "We'll Always Have Majorca"1992 The Bill Building Society Manageress Episode: "Sympathy for the Devil" Framed Mrs Minton Episode: #1.2 Crime Monthly Linda Calvey Episode: "The Black Widow" Fool's Gold: The Story of the Brink's-Mat Robbery Brenda Noye TV film1993 Over the Rainbow Jenny Episode: "The House of the Rising Sun"1994 The Detectives Barmaid Episode: "Witness" The Bill Pub Manageress Episode: "Pals" The Knock June 3 episodes Hale and Pace Wife in Hospital 2 episodes1995 Ghostbusters of East Finchley Prostitute Episode: #1.11997 The Bill Lizzie Byrne Episode: "Age Gaps"1998 Barmaid Episode: "Like Family"1999–2003 Harry and Cosh Harry's Mother All 45 episodes2000 London's Burning Ivy Episode: #12.62001 Men Only Aerobics Teacher TV film2004 Doctors Noreen Topper Episode: "What the Doctor Saw" Billie: Girl of the Future Barbara Episode: #1.42005 Tittybangbang Various Episode: "Pilot"2007 Holby City Polly Hunter Episode: "Past Imperfect"2014 Doctors Hilary Cavendish Episode: "Good Guys"2020 Bruised Sky Linda Episode: "A Mother's Love"2023–2025 Barmy Dale Felicity Palmer 2 episodes
Writing Behind You!. (2006 or 2007). Creme de La Crime. . . Dead Like Her. (5 February 2007). Creme de La Crime. . . Passion Killers. (2008). Creme de La Crime. . . Brotherhood of Blades. (28 July 2011). Creme de La Crime. . . Street Girls. (28 March 2012). Creme De La Crime. Guts for Garters. (March 2015). Accent Press. SisterHoods. (December 2016). Accent Press. The Terror Within. (December 2019). Accent Press.
Theatre roles Plays (incomplete) Year Title Role Venue1975 Straight Up Lila Swan Theatre, Worcester1976 Dirty Linen Maddie UK Tour1976 Seven Girls Lisa Open Space Theatre, Tottenham1977 Get Some In! Maureen Princess Theatre, Torquay1979 Dirty Linen Miss Gotobed West End, London1980 Once in a Lifetime Florabel Leigh Piccadilly Theatre, West End, London1980 Legend Marilyn Monroe Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke1981 Last of the Red Hot Lovers Bobbi Michele Venn Street Arts Centre, York1981 Boeing-Boeing Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate1981 What the Butler Saw Geraldine Barclay Horncastle1982 Jumpers Theatre Royal, York1982 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Theatre Royal, York1982 The Mating Game Honey Lyceum Theatre, Crewe1982 Once a Catholic Mary McGinty Churchill Theatre, Bromley1983 My Friend Miss Flint Lucy Theatre Royal, Windsor1983 Henry IV, Part 1 Lady Percy UK Tour with RSC1983 Macbeth Lady Macbeth UK Tour with RSC1985 Steaming Josie Mercury Theatre, Colchester1986 Hi-de-Hi Spirits April Wingate UK Tour1987 The Mating Game Julia Babbacombe Theatre, Torquay1987 Veronica's Room The Girl Chelmsford 1988 Wife Begins at Forty Linda Harper Chelmsford Civic Centre, Chelmsford 1988 Extremeties Marjorie Chelmsford Civic Centre, Chelmsford 1988 Noises Off Brooke Ashton UK Tour1989 A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Sheila Chelmsford Civic Centre, Chelmsford 1989 One for the Road Pauline Chelmsford Civic Centre, Chelmsford1989 You’ll Do for Me! Diane UK Tour1990 My Wife Whatsername Chelmsford Civic Centre, Chelmsford1990 Steaming Josie UK Tour1991 Go Back for Murder Chelmsford Civic Centre, Chelmsford1991 Bedroom Farce Chelmsford Civic Centre, Chelmsford1991 Wife Begins at Forty Linda Harper Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne1992 Run for Your Wife Mary Smith Chelmsford Civic Centre, Chelmsford1994 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Cannizaro Park Open Air Theatre, Wimbledon1996 Stepping Out Sylvia The Mill at Sonning, London 1997 Bartrum Bearcat Sitcom Club, St Margaret’s 1997 That’s Showbiz! Loretta Wimbledon Theatre, Wimbledon 1998 You’re Only Young Twice Sue Poole Arts Centre, Poole1999 Round and Round the Garden Grand Theatre, Swansea2001 You’re Only Young Twice Sue UK Tour2012 Goodwood Murder Mystery Goodwood House2016 A Day in the Lives of Frankie Abbott Marion UK Tour
Pantomime Year Title Role Venue1974–1975 Puss in Boots Princess Pearl Assembly Hall Theatre, Tunbridge Wells1976–1977 Puss in Boots Puss Royal Victoria Hall, Southborough1986–1987 Jack and the Beanstalk The Fairy New Wimbledon Theatre, Wimbledon 1987–1988 Cinderella Cinderella Octagon Theatre, Yeovil 1988–1989 Dick Whittington The Good Fairy Loughborough Town Hall, Loughborough 1989–1990 Jack and the Beanstalk Vegetable Fairy Tameside Theatre, Ashton under Lyne 1990–1991 Cinderella Cinderella Library Theatre, Solihull 1991–1992 Dick Whittington Fairy Nuff Beck Theatre, Hayes1992–1993 The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe Fairy Seaspray Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone 1993–1994 Dick Whittington Fairy Bowbells Spa Centre, Leamington1994–1995 Cinderella Cinderella Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone 1996–1997 Sleeping Beauty Good Fairy Dreamawhile Wyllyotts Theatre, Potters Bar1999–2000 Cinderella Fairy Godmother Horsham Arts Centre, Horsham
References
External links
Linda Regan Online Canines in Kent