the actress ruth madoc has died, aged 79. she found fame playing gladys pugh in the hit tv comedy hi de hi in the 1980s. it was one of the first bbc shows to capitalise on the merchandise market, with products such as board games, albums, books, toys and t shirts available to buy. lizo mzimba looks back at her life. playsjingle. laughter. hello, campers. hi de-hi! campers: hi-de-ho! the ever cheerful gladys pugh, the chief yellowcoat with a passion for the camp s entertainment manager. yummy yum yum. laughter. you re all heart! laughter. so sensitive. with so much feeling. it s no surprise to me i can tell it by the way you use your hands. laughter. co starjeffrey holland, who played spike, has fond memories of her. it was a joy to work with someone like her. we had such laughs, you know? i was very lucky to work with that comedy crew, and we just we never stopped