Jill Gascoine dead – British actress and The Gentle Touch star dies age 83 at LA care home after Alzheimer’s battle

BRITISH actress Jill Gascoine, known for her roles in such TV dramas as The Gentle Touch and The Onedin Line, has died at the age of 83 after battling Alzheimer’s disease.

The actress – best-known for playing DI Maggie Forbes in The Gentle Touch in the 1980s and spin-off show C.A.T.S Eyes in the Eighties – went public with her illness at a Beverly Hills fundraiser for victims of dementia in 2013.

Her husband Alfred, 60, achieved success in smash movies Spider-Man 2, The Da Vinci Code, Chocolat and Frida.

He wed Jill – who has two children from a previous marriage – in 1986 and they moved to the US in the Nineties when Alfred’s Hollywood career was beginning to take off.

In recent times, the actor has turned down work to be by his ailing wife’s side.

A source said: "He is her rock. She gave up a lot for him in the early days of their marriage because she was the bigger star and she moved to Hollywood to allow him to pursue his dreams."

Born in London in 1937, Gascoine began her acting career in theatre before landing roles in such TV series as Z Cars, Dixon of Dock Green and Rooms.

She also appeared in saucy comedy Confessions of a Pop Performer opposite Robin Askwith, who remembered her on Twitter as being "terrific in every way".

Gascoine’s son Adam confirmed the news of his mother’s death in a , saying: “She suffered from Alzheimer’s for 10 years, so today was a thankful release. 

“The family is all well, and relieved that she’s not suffering any more.”