Hollywood's 'Queen of Hammer' Barbara Shelley dies at 88

Shelley had contracted Covid-19 in December but had subsequently recovered from the disease. According to dailystar.co.uk, her agent Thomas Bowington confirmed the death to PA Media, saying: "It wasn't the Covid that took her, she had underlying issues." 

The actress, who shot to stardom in the 1950s, was referred to as 'Technicolor Queen of Hammer', owing to her numerous successful outings in horror films made by Hammer Film Productions. 

She was known for her roles in films such as "The Gorgon" (1964), "Dracula" (1958), "Prince Of Darkness" (1987) and "Rasputin: The Mad Monk" (1966). 

Born as Barbara Kowin, she also shared a glamorous presence in American television shows. She was known for her roles in TV series such as "The Saint", "The Avengers", "The Borgias", "Blake's 7" and "Crown Court", and later played Hester Samuels in "EastEnders".