Beloved British actress Felicity Kendal has shown remarkable bravery, transforming from national treasure to have-a-go hero after confronting phone thieves in her upscale Chelsea neighbourhood.
The 79-year-old star, famous for her roles in The Good Life and Rosemary & Thyme, took action following a disturbing crime spree in the London borough she has called home since the 1960s.
A Spate of 'Appalling' Crimes
Kendal revealed her growing alarm at the escalating street crime, stating that the situation was unprecedented in her long residence there. 'Crime was never like this before. The phone-snatching is appalling,' she told local news outlet The Chelsea Citizen.
The actress witnessed three separate incidents in just three days, a frequency that left her deeply unsettled. The final straw came when she saw a young woman being targeted.
'I was driving down Draycott Avenue the next day when I saw a young woman walking and suddenly a few bikes swarmed around her. It was like Spaghetti Junction,' Kendal recounted. 'They grabbed her phone and they started to speed off.'
The Moment She Fought Back
It was at this critical moment that something inside the actress changed. 'Something in me snapped,' she explained, describing her reaction as pure instinct.
Without a second thought, Kendal leaned on her car horn and began shouting, creating a sudden and unexpected disturbance. The decisive action had an immediate effect, startling one of the thieves so much that he dropped the stolen mobile phone.
Thanks to her quick thinking, the victim was able to retrieve her property. This act of defiance against the gang of thieves highlighted a community's frustration with the wave of opportunistic crime.
Life in Chelsea and Personal Reflections
Beyond the crime, Kendal also opened up about her personal life in Chelsea, touching on the profound loss of her husband, Michael Rudman, who died in 2023. She described the experience of his death with raw honesty, stating, 'People say, are you OK? Of course I’m not. He just f***ing died on me.'
The actress revealed she is considering selling the four-storey house they shared, though her attachment to the area remains strong. 'I’m happy to move on when the time is right,' she said, adding, 'I have always loved living in Chelsea, so I can’t imagine being anywhere else.'
She also reflected on the traumatic period in 2021 when Michael was hospitalised with Coronavirus and spent a fortnight in intensive care on a ventilator, an ordeal that she said was a 'scary time' for everyone with loved ones in hospital during the pandemic.
Felicity Kendal's story is more than a celebrity anecdote; it is a snapshot of the challenges facing London neighbourhoods and a powerful reminder of the impact one person's courage can have.
