Sheila Reid, the actress who played Madge Harvey in ITV's Benidorm, was previously married to actor Julian Curry, best known for his role in Rumpole of the Bailey. The marriage ended in sorrow, as Reid reflected in 1992.
Madge Harvey's rise to fame
Reid joined the cast of Benidorm in its first series in 2007, playing Madge, the matriarch of the Garvey family. The show, which was axed in 2018, followed a group of Brits heading to the all-inclusive Solana Resort. Madge appeared alongside daughter Janice (Siobhan Finneran), son-in-law Mick (Steve Pemberton), and grandchildren Michael (Oliver Stokes) and Chantelle (Hannah Hobley).
The character remained on the show from series one to seven, and again in series eight. Madge quickly became a hit with fans and one of TV's most recognisable characters.
Reid's career and marriage to Julian Curry
Reid's career spans over 60 years, with roles in Call the Midwife, Big Boys, Casualty and BBC soap Doctors. In real life, she was married to actor Julian Curry, who died in 2020. Curry was known for playing Claude Erskine-Browne in ITV's Rumpole of the Bailey. His other TV credits include Midsomer Murders, Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Morse, and he appeared in films Loch Ness, Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny and Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.
Reid and Curry split, and in 1992, Reid told Herald Scotland that their marriage "ended more in sorrow than in anger".
Finding love again
Reid later found love with body therapist Terry Bullen. In 2008, after 32 years together, they married in a ceremony watched by 12 close friends in London. Reid told The Mirror: "Terry and I had talked about it many times, but were always happy as we were. We've been living together for 30 years so probably waited long enough to find out if we were right for each other."
Describing the day, she said: "On April 11 we got married and had the most wonderful day. I wore a lilac, lacy dress with a silvery jacket, and I carried a horseshoe covered in flowers. Terry looked dashing in a summer suit. The guests all came back to our house to have a lovely meal. As soon as we arrived and enjoyed a champagne toast, there was a tremendous clap of thunder, the heavens opened and rain came crashing down. Someone said that was God throwing His rice down on us from heaven. Then the sun came up again. It was perfect."
