Minder star Dennis Waterman dies aged 74

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Dennis Waterman’s ex-wife Patricia Maynard has announced the Minder and The Sweeney star died of lung cancer, after secretly fighting the illness for two years. Dennis died on Sunday aged 74. 

Patricia, who was married to Dennis from 1977–1987, said he had been “really quite poorly”. 

“I’m terribly sad that he’s gone but I’m really pleased that he did not suffer and died peacefully,” she revealed. 

“He had lung cancer and was really quite poorly for the last couple of years. The girls are very upset,”  she added, referring to his daughters Hannah, 46, and Julia, 43. 

“The years that Dennis and I were together were happy. Obviously, it didn’t work out but lots of marriages don’t work out for whatever reason,” Patricia continued to MailOnline. 

“But I’m so glad he had found the right woman at the end. I think he was very happy with Pam and she was with him when he passed.”

Dennis died at his home in Spain, where he had retired to, his family said in a statement. 

“We are deeply saddened to announce that our beloved Dennis, passed away very peacefully at home,” they announced. 

They added that his wife Pam Flint, who he wed in 2011, was at his side.

“The family kindly ask that our privacy is respected at this very difficult time,” they ended the statement.

Dennis’ acting career spanned six decades after starting with childhood roles in film and theatre.

As an adult, he went on to land parts on TV, film and in the West End.

He was known for his versatility, which included everything from horror to comedy and drama to sports.

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Dennis appeared in 29 films throughout his lifetime.

His first acting role was in Night Train for Inverness in 1960 and he went on to star in two small stage roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company that same year.

He rose to fame after starring as DS George Carter in The Sweeney in the 1970s and went on to star as Terry McCann in Minder.

The star also sang the theme song I Could Be So Good for you, which was a top three hit in the 1980s.

Dennis was a regular cast member in every season of New Tricks which ran from 2003 to 2014.

In later years, he found new popularity as Gerry Standing in BBC’s New Tricks, but admitted since moving to Spain in around 2015 acting had taken a backseat and he had done little but play golf.

The final project of his acting career came in 2020 in the form of was Australian drama-comedy film Never Too Late.

In 2006, he nursed his fourth wife Pam as she battled and then beat bladder cancer. His mother Rose died of bladder cancer also at the age of 74.

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