Alexandra Lendon Bastedo was a British actress, best known for her role as secret agent Sharron Macready in the 1968 British espionage/science fiction adventure series The Champions. She has been cited as a sex symbol of the 1960s and 1970s. Bastedo was a vegetarian and animal welfare advocate, and wrote a number of books on both subjects.
Early life
Bastedo was born in Hove, England. Her mother was of French, German and Italian descent, while her Canadian-born father was of Spanish, Dutch, Scottish and native American extraction. She attended Brighton and Hove High School and Brighton School of Drama.
Professional career
She made her film debut as one of the title characters in William Castle's poorly received 13 Frightened Girls. Bastedo received notice on the European continent, earning her the nickname, "La Bastedo". Although most familiar to viewers of 1960s TV, she was also known for her multilingual skills, speaking Italian, Spanish, French and German. This skill brought her to the attention of 10 Downing Street to assist with translations, and landed her the role of co-presenter of Miss World competitions with Peter Marshall in the 1980s. In 1979, she played in the series The Aphrodite Inheritance. In 1988, Bastedo was the cover star for Rank, a live album by British band The Smiths that charted at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart. In 1991, she appeared in a notable production of the psychological thriller Dangerous Obsession by N. J. Crisp, opposite Marc Sinden and John Challis, at the Mill at Sonning. In 1992, she appeared in "Fat" – the second broadcast episode of Absolutely Fabulous, playing a 1960s model associate of Edina and Patsy. She was seen in two episodes of The Saint series, alongside Roger Moore. In 2006, Bastedo was reunited for the first time with her co-stars from The Champions to provide commentaries and an interview for a DVD release of the show. Still working as an actress, she appeared in Batman Begins, and touring theatres in 2006 with a production of Beyond Reasonable Doubt alongside Leslie Grantham and Simon Ward. In 2008, she joined the cast of EastEnders, playing Cynthia. In January 2008, she appeared as co-presenter of "The Magic of Mantovani" at Lighthouse, Poole. The success of this concert led, the following year, to a second concert at the same venue, with the Mantovani Orchestra, which she again co-presented.
Personal life
She dated David Frost and Omar Sharif, but turned down the advances of Steve McQueen who, she recalled, propositioned her with the line "My wife doesn't understand me". In the case of Sharif, the liaison lasted only a few weeks because of the actor's bridge-playing habit, his odd hours and that he took telephone numbers from other women. Mike Tomkies, the Fleet Street journalist who abandoned the life of a celebrity reporter to live alone in the wilderness, lived with her for a while in Canada, and they talked of marriage, but she was prohibited from marrying by a contract for The Champions. He said that she was the "most stunningly beautiful creature" he had ever seen. In 1980, Alexandra married Patrick Garland, a director, writer and actor, at Chichester Cathedral; he became a long-serving director of the Chichester Festival Theatre. Bastedo wrote a memoir, Beware Dobermanns, Donkeys and Ducks, as well as several books on caring for cats and dogs. Her husband died on 19 April 2013.
Animal welfare
Bastedo was a vegetarian and is the founder of Alexandra Bastedo Champions Animal Sanctuary. In an interview for the BBC television series Where Are They Now? Bastedo provided a glimpse into her private life. She used to be the president of her local RSPCA branch but gave up her position in 2008, to dedicate more time to her fast-growing animal sanctuary at her home in West Chiltington, West Sussex. A journalist who interviewed her husband in 2010 described their domestic surroundings: She was also a patron to a number of animal welfare organisations including Compassion in World Farming, Wildlife Aid Foundation, National Animal Welfare Trust, Greyhounds in Need and Naturewatch.
Death
Bastado died from cancer on 12 January 2014, aged 67, in hospital in Worthing, England. She was buried next to her husband Patrick Garland at St. Mary's Church, Sullington, West Sussex. The service was conducted by her local vicar and friend, Revd. Derek Spencer, who had overseen the funeral of her husband Patrick less than one year earlier.
