Diane Shirley Maria Langton (31 May 1944 – 15 January 2025) was a British actress, singer and dancer whose career on stage and screen spanned six decades. After beginning her career in theatre, she went on to appear in television shows, portraying roles such as Kathy Roberts in The Rag Trade and June Snell in Only Fools and Horses, Ruby Rowan in Heartbeat and Bev Williams in EastEnders. Her most notable role, however, was her portrayal of Marlena "Nana" McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, which she played sporadically between 2007 to 2009 and from 2012 until her death.
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Early life
Diane Shirley Maria Langton was born on 31 May 1944 in Cranmore, Somerset, and grew up in Fulham, London. She was the daughter of William Langton, a merchant seaman, and his wife Bridie (née Monahan). Langton began her career as a dancer with several ballet companies on European tours, and trained at the Corona Academy in Hammersmith.
Career
Langton's first credited role was as a schoolgirl in the comedy film Carry On Teacher, she subsequently embarked on her career in theatre, starting with an appearance in the musical Hair in 1968. She played Private Alice Easy in the 1976 film Carry On England. She went on to appear in television shows throughout the 1970's, most notably her role in The Rag Trade as Kathy Roberts in 1975, and again from 1977 to 1978. She appeared in various West End musicals, including A Chorus Line, A Little Night Music, Chicago and Mary Poppins. In September 1979, Langton's debut solo single, "Climbin'", was released on vinyl via Pye Records. In 1982, she appeared in the Royal Variety Performance, performing a song from Show Boat.
