Anecdotes

Her career as a cook on TV programmes was ended after she appeared on a BBC programme Gwen Troake's Banquet (1976) in 1976, giving professional advice to an amateur cook Gwen Troake who had won a cookery competition and was preparing a dinner menu to serve to Prime Minister Edward Heath and Lord Louis Mountbatten. Fanny was objectionable, condescending and rude, pretending to be on the point of retching at some of Mrs Troake's suggestions, and generally belittling her efforts. Many viewers complained and two weeks later the BBC terminated Fanny's contract.

Broadcaster Terry Wogan dubbed her "the lethal combination of Margaret Thatcher and Vlad the Impaler".

Was married four times, twice bigamously.

Journalist, novelist, Lecturer on food, wine, travel, and fashion

Worked on television and radio under the name Phyllis Cradock from 1950 to around 1954, when she became Fanny

Began studying cookery abroad at the age of 10, then took a few years out as a dress designer before returning to cookery

Began her journalist career in 1948, writing under five different names

The daughter of novelist-dramatist Arthur Valentine aka Valentine, she wrote nine novels, ten childrens books and three travel and cookery books under the name Frances Dale

Although she adopted the surname of her cooking partner all through her professional career they weren't actually married until 1977.

She passed away at an East Sussex nursing home.

Her husband, Johnny died of lung cancer about Xmas 1986.

She changed her surname to Cradock by deed poll in 1942.