Valerie Van Ost (25 July 1944 – 10 September 2019)^[1] was an English actress.^[2]

Acting career

At school, Van Ost became the youngest adult dancer at the London Palladium before moving into films and television at age 18. She appeared in four Carry On films - Carry On Cabby (1963), Carry On Don't Lose Your Head (1967), Carry On Doctor (also 1967) and Carry On Again Doctor (1969). Her other film roles included The Beauty Jungle (1964), Mister Ten Per Cent (1967), Casino Royale (1967), Corruption (1968), The Smashing Bird I Used to Know (1969), Incense for the Damned (1971), and the Hammer horror film The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973). She appeared as the dim-witted Penny in an episode of The Avengers entitled "Dead Man's Treasure" (1967), and a year later was considered for the part of Diana Rigg's replacement as Steed's sidekick.^[3][4] She also appeared in the 1966 mini-episode of the same series entitled "The Case of the Missing Corpse" (broadcast in the U.S. but not in the U.K.) made to advertise the change to colour of the previously black and white production. In addition she appeared in the ITV series, Mrs Thursday (1966),in the second episode of the first series as Sandra Willing, a potential secretary.

Post-acting

Van Ost retired from performing in 1982 to form a casting company with her husband, Andrew Millington.^[5][2]

Death

Van Ost died from liver cancer on 10 September 2019 at the age of 75.^[6][7]

Filmography