Blackadder 'Nursie' actress Patsy Byrne dies aged 80

British actress Patsy Byrne, best known for playing Nursie in Blackadder II, has died aged 80.

She died on Tuesday at Denville Hall, a retirement home for actors, in Hillingdon, north-west London.

The Kent-born actress joined the Royal Shakespeare Company after drama school and took on TV and theatre roles.

She played Nursie - a kind but dim-witted nursemaid to Elizabeth I - in the second series of BBC comedy Blackadder in 1986.

Byrne joined the RSC after studying drama at the Rose Bruford College in Kent.

Her other roles included the ITV sitcom Watching and the classic police series Z Cars. She also made appearances in Holby City and I, Claudius, and played Mrs Nubbles in the BBC's 1979 adaption of The Old Curiosity Shop.

Byrne's death came just over a week after Rik Mayall, who shared screen time with her as Lord Flashheart in Blackadder, died suddenly at his home in London.

Blackadder ran for four series between 1983 and 1989. The first series was written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, while subsequent series were by Curtis and Ben Elton.

It followed the exploits of Rowan Atkinson's Blackadder character through various historical periods.

Blackadder producer John Lloyd paid tribute to Byrne, saying she and Miranda Richardson, who played Queen Elizabeth I, were a "fantastic double act".

"It's ironic that she will be remembered for that lovable, slightly idiotic person with that ludicrous drawl, but she was a proper actress: with the RSC, she played Chekhov opposite Rex Harrison, was incredibly well spoken, but she would put up with our little ways," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

"The rehearsals on Blackadder were interminable, with us changing our minds all the time and she was always on top of it and she never complained. We had famous actors walk out of rehearsals because it was such a nightmare and shambles. But with Patsy there was never a peep of complaint."

Tony Robinson, who played dim-witted sidekick Baldrick in the show and cast Byrne in his Maid Marion and Her Merry Men series, paid tribute to the actress and her influence on the set.

"I was so fond of her as a person and so in awe of her capabilities that when I decided I wanted to introduce a mother to Maid Marion, my first choice was Patsy," he told 5 live.

"I was thrilled that she took it. Even though she has done such grand work she came down to Minehead and rolled her sleeves up and was just one of the lads, as she always was, and did a great performance."