Kevin Lloyd
Kevin Lloyd | |
---|---|
Born | Kevin Reardon Lloyd 28 March 1949 |
Died | 2 May 1998 | (aged 49)
Spouse | Lesley Lloyd[1] (1973-1998 - estranged since 1995)[2] |
Partner | Rita Hudson (1995–1998)[3] |
Children | 7[1] |
Kevin Reardon Lloyd (28 March 1949 – 2 May 1998) was an English actor, best known for portraying DC Alfred "Tosh" Lines in Thames Television's The Bill.
Born in Derby, Lloyd trained at East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex. Prior to appearing in The Bill he had already played the high-profile role of nightclub owner, Don Watkins, in the soap opera Coronation Street. He also made appearances in a number of other TV shows, including the first series of Starting Out, Boon, Minder, Dear John, Farrington of the F.O., Dempsey and Makepeace, Z-Cars, Andy Capp, Auf Wiedersehen Pet, Blake's 7 and Casualty. His film credits included roles in Trial by Combat (1976), Britannia Hospital (1982), Don't Open till Christmas (1984) and Link (1986).
Lloyd was one of the most popular members of the television show, The Bill. In 1996, the show won the award for "Best TV Drama" at the National Television Awards and it was Lloyd who collected it on behalf of the cast and crew. His Welsh-born father, Ellis Aled Lloyd, was himself a police officer who was killed in an accident while answering an emergency call aged 46 in 1970.[4]
A chronic alcoholic, he played "Tosh" continuously from 1988 until he was sacked from The Bill on 27 April 1998 for turning up drunk and failing to learn his lines. Within days, he was admitted to a clinic in Burton upon Trent for detoxification and was administered Antabuse (Disulfiram), but then left the premises to drink alcohol. He returned to the clinic in an intoxicated state, retired to bed, fell asleep, then choked on his vomit.[3] Lloyd died just one week after recording his last scenes for The Bill, and the character of Tosh was still appearing on screen for more than a month after Lloyd's death. Tosh's final appearance was on 9 June 1998.
He had been so popular on The Bill that on 26 February 1992, within four years of joining the show, he was selected as special guest for the TV guest show This Is Your Life.[5]
He was the brother of ITN reporter Terry Lloyd who was killed in the Iraq War in 2003.[6] His son, James Lloyd, is an actor who also appeared on The Bill between 2004 and 2006.
References
- ^ a b "Tosh's widow waits for court decision". BBC News. 19 September 2003. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ [1], Sunday Mirror, May 3, 1998.
- ^ a b "Tosh 'crumbled' before drink death". BBC News. 7 October 1998. Retrieved December 25, 2012.
- ^ "Ellis Lloyd : Obituary". Retrieved 2011-02-18.
- ^ "This Is Your Life (1969–1993)". The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television. Retrieved 2011-02-18.
- ^ "Profile: Terry Lloyd". BBC News. 13 October 2006. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
External links
- Kevin Lloyd at IMDb
- The Lloyd Brothers biography at the CommuniGate
- Kevin Lloyd - Obituary
- - Obituary in the Independent