Dame Jilly Cooper, the celebrated author of the Rutshire Chronicles, has died at the age of 88. Her agent confirmed on Monday that she passed away on Sunday morning following a fall. In a statement, her children Felix and Emily said: "Mum was the shining light in all of our lives. Her love for all of her family and friends knew no bounds."
The BBC's The One Show paid tribute to the writer during Monday evening's broadcast. Presenters Alex Jones and Roman Kemp were joined by guests Ruth Jones, James Cordon, Tamsin Greig and Lorraine Ashbourne, with the programme pausing to remember Dame Jilly's life and career.
Alex Jones noted that Dame Jilly was best known for Riders and Rivals, and recalled a special tour of her garden in 2010, during which the author spoke of her love of being outdoors. The presenter also acknowledged the writers celebrated on the show before turning to the sad news.
Gavin and Stacey writer Ruth Jones, who met Dame Jilly at the Queen's Jubilee pageant, described her as "hugely inspiring". She added: "I used to love her books, especially when I was younger actually. Weirdly my dad used to love Jilly Cooper books. She was incredible and Rivals was just superb." Roman Kemp said: "Our thoughts are with her family and friends."
Dame Jilly's 11-book "bonkbuster" series began with Riders in 1985 and concluded with Tackle! in 2023. Her most famous novel, Rivals, was adapted into a Disney+ series featuring David Tennant, Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson. A second season, which Dame Jilly executive produced, is currently in production ahead of a 2026 premiere.
