Kirstie Allsopp has criticised Bafta over its tribute to Dame Penelope Keith, who died on Sunday aged 86 after living with cancer.
The Location, Location, Location presenter was left angered after the organisation used the word “passing” instead of “death” in its message honouring the much-loved actress.
Posting on X, Allsopp wrote: “It’s ‘death’. Dame Penelope died, she was an absolute national treasure, she lived and worked and was brilliant and then she died.
“Dame Penelope did not ‘pass’, she was not a car or a bottle of ketchup.”
She also questioned why British culture has become so reluctant to use direct language around death.
Allsopp said she had checked the family’s own statement before commenting, noting that they described the actress as having “died peacefully whilst living with cancer” at her Surrey home, which she called “a particularly elegant way of addressing two issues.”
She stressed that Bafta, as an organisation rather than an individual, should have followed the family’s wording.
“When did we move from saying ‘sad to hear of the death of…’ to ‘sad to hear of the passing of’?” she added.
The comments sparked a wider debate online, with opinions split.
Some defended softer phrasing, arguing language around death is personal and people should be free to use what feels right to them.
Others shared more personal reactions, including one user who said that after losing their 18-year-old daughter in a car crash, words like “died” and “dead” felt like “another stab to my heart.”
Allsopp also received support from Jeremy Clarkson, who posted on X: “I loathe ‘passing’. Loathe it.”
Dame Penelope was one of Britain’s best-loved actresses, remembered especially for her role as Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life, which made her a household name.
She won a Bafta for that role in 1977, followed by another the next year for The Norman Conquests and Saving It For Albie.
Her career went on to include To the Manor Born, alongside extensive work across theatre, television and documentaries.
She was later made a Dame in recognition of her services to drama and charity.
In one of her final TV appearances in October 2025, she presented The Good Life: Inside Out on U&Gold, reflecting on the sitcom’s lasting success.
Her co-star Felicity Kendal was among those who paid tribute, saying she was deeply saddened by the news and describing Keith as a joy to work with, praising her “comic genius” and sending condolences to her family.
