Lynda Baron is an English stage, film and television actress, best known for playing Nurse Gladys Emmanuel in the BBC comedy series Open All Hours.
Early television roles included small parts in Crossroads (1964), Up Pompeii (1970), Z Cars(1971), and the British horror film Hands of the Ripper (1971). She appeared in the satirical programme That Was The Week That Was, and alternated with Annie Ross as the resident singer on Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life (1965).
Her first Doctor Who role was out of vision as the singer of the ballad in the 1966 story The Gunfighters. She returned the the series in 1983 playing Captain Wrack in Enlightenment. She returned to the series in 2011 playing Val Cane in the story Closing Time.
In the 1990s Baron played Auntie Pat in five episodes of the ITV sitcom The Upper Hand (1992�93), she starred in the children's television series Come Outside (1994) and voiced the character of Nanny Ogg in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of the Terry Pratchett Discworld novel Wyrd Sisters. In 1997 Baron played Renee Turnball in Coronation Street and took guest roles in Dinnerladies (1998), The Mrs Bradley Mysteries (1998), Sunburn (1999), Nancherrow(1999), and Goodnight Sweetheart (1999). She had small parts in Minder and Last of the Summer Wine and appeared in the 1987 Christmas special ofThe Two Ronnies. Other credits include Fat Friends (2000�2005), The Bill (2000), Doctors (2000, 2006 and 2010), Peak Practice (2001), Holby City (2002 and 2006), Down to Earth (2005), Rome (2005) and Casualty (2009). In September 2010, Baron played the actress Violet Carson in a biopic about the formation of Coronation Street.
In the West End Baron has starred in the London production of the musical Follies . Other roles include An Inspector Calls, Stepping Out, Entertaining Mr Sloane and The Full Monty and When We Are Married by J B Priestley.