Ian Lavender illness: EastEnders actor's health history explored after his death at 77

Ian Lavender, the 77-year-old TV and stage actor who played Derek Harkinson in BBC’s EastEnders, passed away on Friday, February 2.

The Birmingham-based actor was most fondly recognized as Private Pike, a character he played in BBC’s sitcom Dad’s Army for a decade. Lavender was first cast for the role in 1968 when he was merely 22.

Lavender joined the soap opera EastEnders in 2001, and played the character of Harkinson, the gay friend of Pauline Fowler, in it. Most of Lavender’s appearances in the BBC show revolved around the Fowler family in the next four years, until the actor bid goodbye to it in 2005. About 10 years later, in 2016, Lavender’s brief return was announced on the show.

Although the cause of Lavender’s death has not been revealed yet, the actor has battled some tough bouts of illnesses during his lifetime.

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Ian Lavender was a survivor of bladder cancer and heart attack

Ian Lavender was born on February 16, 1946, in Birmingham, where he attended the Bournville Boys Technical School. Lavender had developed a knack for acting early in life, where he participated in several school dramatic productions.

Following school, Lavender received a grant from the City of Birmingham to join the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. He graduated in 1967 and made his first TV appearance in 1968 in a play titled Half Hour Story: Flowers at My Feet.

Lavender was married twice; once to actress Suzzane Kerchiss, in 1967, with whom he had two children. The couple got divorced nine years later, in 1976. More than 15 years later, Lavender married Michelle Hardy, who remained his wife till the end.

Lavender encountered his first major illness at the age of 47 when he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. The Dad’s Army actor underwent an operation soon after, in 1993, which was successful and rid him of cancer.

Over a decade later, Lavender had a heart attack in 2004 and was admitted to the West Suffolk Hospital, where he recovered.

Following his recovery, Lavender had a huge respect for the hospital’s staff for saving his life and donated £3.5 million to open e refurbished radiology department in the hospital two years later.

In the opening ceremony, Lavender stated:

“It is an honour and a privilege to be here as I have been treated by this hospital several times.”

As the news of Ian Lavender’s passing was disclosed, countless Dad’s Army fans took to social media to pay their tributes to the legendary actor.

Here are some of the tributes from X:

With his life cut short at 77, Ian Lavender happens to be the last of the seven leading characters of Dad’s Army to have passed away.