| Sheila Bernette | |
| Birth Name: | Sheila Poncini |
| Birth Date: | 1931 3, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Marylebone, London, England |
| Nationality: | British |
| Occupation: | Actress |
Sheila Bernette (occasionally Burnette; born 30 March 1931) is an English singer and character actress on film, television and radio.
Bernette also appeared as herself in many television productions, and is remembered as one of the regular practical jokers in the UK version of Candid Camera.[1]
Very petite, she usually wore her hair up to increase her height. A competent singer she was a regular on variety shows such as the Good Old Days and The Black and White Minstrel Show and appeared in the Royal Variety Performance show of 1970.[2]
Bernette was born Sheila Poncini on 30 March 1931 in the Marylebone district of London. Her parents were of Italian descent.[3]
Bernette entered television in 1955 and was popular and appeared as herself from 1968 in multiple UK television shows. Largely appearing in comedy roles she was a regular sidekick to many stars including Dick Emery and Leslie Crowther.
Over and above her film and television roles she was a regular performer at the Players' Theatre in Covent Garden.
In her Royal Variety Performance she was introduced by Leslie Crowther as a Russian defector ballerina "Natalia Nokemova" and performed the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy with Crowther playing a ballet/cricketer Freddie Trumanov.[4]
Her final film role was in Driving Aphrodite in 2009, ironically repeated her 1961 role as the goddess Dorcas.[5] Her final TV role was in Hotel Trubble in 2011. In the latter she appeared in every episode from 2008 to 2011 as the long-term hotel resident, Mrs Poshington.[6]
Bernette lives in North London.
see[9]