Valerie James, wife of Sid James who stuck by him during his Barbara Windsor affair, dies aged 93
Valerie James, the third wife of Carry On legend Sid James who stuck by him during his ten-year affair with Barbara Windsor, has died.
The actress, who was married to Sid for 23 years, passed away on her late husband’s birthday on May 8 this year, her family have confirmed.
Her family have been grieving privately before the sad news was announced on a Sid James tribute page on Sunday evening, which posted black and white photos of the couple together.
Tributes and condolences have poured in for the performer, who outlived Sid by 46 years after he died of a heart attack on stage in 1976.
Valerie James, who was married to Carry On legend Sid James for 23 years and was a performer in her own right, has died at the age of 93
Tributes have poured in for Mrs James, who outlived her late husband by 46 years. Here the couple are pictured together at the film premiere of Spring And Port Wine in 1970
She appeared alongside her husband in the Sid James Show and had a career in her own right
In a statement released on social media through the Sid’s Place Twitter account, her family said: ‘In very sad news, Valerie James, lovely wife of Sid and a performer in her own right in her early days, has died aged 93.
‘Val and Sid’s family have given me their blessing to post this and I’m sure you will all join me in sending them the very best of wishes.’
Fans of the couple paid tribute saying they had been ‘reunited at last’.
One person said: ‘Such sad news, met her many years ago, lovely, lovely lady’.
Another added: ‘Condolences to the remaining family. She was a lovely, smart and patient woman.’
One well-wisher wrote: ‘Sad to hear. Sending all the family prayers and hugs at this difficult time. Sid will be welcoming her with his cheeky smile no doubt though.’
In a follow-up statement later, Sid’s Place wrote: ‘Sid & Valerie’s family have asked me to pass on how touched they have been by the response & kind thoughts of everyone.
‘Valerie passed away on 8th May (Sid’s birthday) and the family needed time to grieve privately.’
Mrs James, who was born Valerie Elizabeth Patsy Assan in 1928, used Ashton as her stage name.
She had a career as a performer before meeting her future husband, and featured alongside him on The Sid James show, the Mirror reports.
The couple married in 1952 and went on to have two children together. Here they are pictured circa 1965
Mrs James lived in Buckinghamshire with her husband during the later years of their 23-year marriage. Here they are pictured at the premiere for the film Love Story at Leicester Square in 1971
She started dating comedy legend Sid in 1950, before becoming Sid’s third wife when they married on August 21, 1952.
The couple went on to have two children together – daughter Sue who became TV producer and son Steve went on to be a music producer – and were thought to live in Buckinghamshire in the final years of their marriage.
Despite having a career of her own, Mrs James was perhaps best known for her relationship with Sid.
The South African-born Brit was one of the most recognisable comedic actors of the 50s and 60s.
Coming to prominence performing lovable rogues in TV and radio series, he found his greatest success in Carry On films.
He appeared in 19 movies in the series, usually portraying wise-cracking, lecherous characters, most of whom had his trademark laugh.
At the age of 54 he had a severe heart attack, something that led him to give up cigarettes, cut back on his meals and limit himself to three alcoholic drinks a night.
Valerie and Sid James, pictured together at the Film Awards Celebrations in 1974, two years before his death
Mrs James, pictured here at Sid’s funeral in 1976, had a career as a professional performer of her own, but was perhaps best known for her relationship with him
In 1976 Sid was on tour in a revival production of The Mating Season, when he had a heart attack on stage at the Sunderland Empire Theatre on April 26.
His co-star Olga Lowe initially though he was messing around when he failing to reply to her dialogue, but sought help when he didn’t respond to her ad-libs.
The curtain was closed and a doctor called, while the audience laughed, thinking it was part of the show. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
During their time together Sid had a highly public affair with Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor, a relationship which ended 16 months before his death.
Despite his philandering Mrs James stuck by her husband and said she thought Ms Windsor had seduced him, claiming that she was ‘pushy and Sid was frightened of her and of her husband Ronnie Knight’.
Sid was a notorious womaniser, having seen his first marriage with Berthe Sadie Delmont collapse after four years due to his relationships with other women, while Ms Windsor described him as a ‘ladies man’.
Speaking after her life was dramatised for BBC biopic Babs in 2017 and she released her memoir, All Of Me, Ms Windsor described how Sid attempted to seduce her.
Mrs James (pictured) stuck by her husband despite his infidelities, and claimed Barbara Windsor had seduced him
During his marriage with Mrs James, Sid has a high profile affair with Carry On co-star Barbara Windsor (pictured with him here in Carry On Christmas)
We’d just filmed a scene for Carry On Henry and Sid handed me what looked like a prune,’ she writes, adding that it was in fact a passion fruit.
Sid told Windsor that he had ‘bought her a present’ before ‘sticking his tongue into the passion fruit and licking it, slowly and suggestively’.
She went on: ‘Next we were at dinner while working on Carry On London, when he whispered: “Do you know something, Barbara, they’re not as big as they look on screen – your bosoms.”
‘”It’s called acting, darling,” I replied.’
Sid James had a high profile affair with Barbara Windsor during his marriage with Valeria Ashton. Pictured: Sid and Ms Windsor in Carry On Girls
She goes on to call their affair ‘inevitable’.
‘One night after dinner – he said: “Oh, Barbara, I wish you were seeing me as I used to be.” Sid was crazily, madly, in love with me.
‘When it ended he told me he would last only one year without me. Sixteen months later he died.’
It’s said that James had said to her at one time: ‘If I can’t have you, I want to die.’
She added that when he did die 16 months later she ‘sat in my front room and sobbed my heart out until my eyes stung and my throat ached’.
