Ian Lavender: The last of the Dad’s Army cast has tragically died aged 77

After the death of Rocky franchise star Carl Weathers and Star Trek icon Gary Graham, the TV world has experienced another huge loss today. Ian Lavender, who played Private Frank Pike in the BCC’s iconic Dad’s Army has sadly passed away at the age of 77. He died on Friday 2 February.

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Lavender was the last surviving star of the sitcom, following the death of Frank Williams, who played Reverend Timothy Farthing, in 2022. Let’s take a look at his personal life and long-lasting career.

Ian Lavender's early life

Lavender was born in Birmingham to a father passionate about cricket and a mother who loved music. Lavender went to Bournville Boys Technical School, and it was there that he was first exposed to the delights of comedy on a trip to see the Buster Keaton film The General. He wasted little time in getting into acting, heading to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. After graduating, he went into regional theatre before landing his first television role in the TV play Half Hour Story: Flowers at My Feet.

When his agent rang him to tell him he’s secured a role in Dad’s Army, he had no idea the significance that this would bring to his life and career. The comedy hit, written by comedy legends Jimmy Perry and David Croft, starred a band of ageing, respected comics. The story goes that when the cast and crew gathered, 22-year-old Lavender didn’t realise they wouldn’t be going back home to sleep.

I was so green, I didn't even know we weren't coming home that night. I had to nip home quickly and pack a bag; I'd never stayed in a hotel before.

The cast, which included the likes of Arthur Lowe, John Le Mesurier and John Laurie, took Lavender under their wing:

They looked after me… literally I would sit at their feet.

Ian Lavender's career

Dad’s Army was actually not an immediate success: initially, the reviews were pretty damning. However, it gradually grew in popularity until it had garnered a viewership of 18 million. Lavender went on to have an exceedingly successful career as the hilariously useless Pike. Talking about the role and its impact on his career, he recognised that he’d ‘certainly been typecast’ but that that didn’t stop him from being proud of his work. To The Guardian in 2014, he said:

If you asked me, 'Would you like to be in a sitcom that was watched by 18 million people, was on screen for 10 years, and will create lots of work for you and provide not just for you but for your children for the next 40-odd years'… I'd be a fool to have regrets.

Ian Lavender’s health issues

Lavender was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 1993, and underwent successful surgery to remove the tumour. He was diagnosed just six days before his wedding to his second wife Miki Hardy in 1993. He said:

We had been living together for 16 years and it was something I should have done a long time before, these things change you, they help you to see what is important in life.

Lavender was previously married to actress Suzanne Kerchiss from 1967 to 1973, when they got a divorce. The actor also suffered a heart attack in 2004, while reading an EastEnders script. He explained that in the middle of looking through the text:

I just knew there was something very, very wrong. All I can say is I have never felt so dreadfully ill, and all in a few seconds.

Thankfully, he recognised there was something wrong, and survived the terrifying experience. Lavender had two sons, Sam and Daniel, from his first marriage. His family, friends and fan are devastated by his passing, and the Dad's Army's social media account had some warm words to say about the star when they announced his death: