Alexandra Bastedo (9 March 1946 – 12 January 2014) was a British actress and public figure whose profile rose in the late 1960s. She achieved widespread recognition for portraying secret agent Sharron Macready in the television series The Champions (1968), a role that combined glamour with the spy-fi action popular at the time. Over several decades she worked in film, television and modelling and became equally noted for her commitment to animal welfare.
Career
Bastedo's professional life spanned several media. After early work in modelling and guest appearances on television, she secured the lead role that brought her international visibility. Her on-screen persona in the late 1960s and 1970s mixed dramatic work with appearances in genre programmes, and she remained a familiar face at events and interviews through later years. Colleagues and fans often described her as an actor whose presence helped define a particular era of British television.
Notable roles and appearances
- Sharron Macready — the secret agent role in The Champions, which remains her best-known part.
- Various guest and supporting roles across television and film that sustained a steady acting career beyond her headline role.
Activism and beliefs
Outside acting, Bastedo became a public advocate for animal welfare. She was a long-time vegetarian and spoke publicly about diet and compassionate treatment of animals; many accounts of her life highlight this personal commitment. She supported and campaigned for animal welfare causes and worked with organisations and supporters to raise awareness of rescue, shelter and conservation issues. Her advocacy was an important part of her public identity alongside her screen work.
Her combination of celebrity and activism meant she often used interviews, appearances and writing to promote causes she cared about. These activities helped keep animal welfare in the public conversation during years when celebrity campaigning was becoming more common.
Legacy and death
Bastedo remained a remembered figure for both her television work and her campaigning on behalf of animals. She died in hospital on 12 January 2014 after a battle with breast cancer; contemporary reports recorded the cause and noted her contributions to entertainment and animal welfare. Reports of her death acknowledged both aspects of her public life.
For further background on her career and public activities see contemporary profiles and archives that chart late-20th-century British television and celebrity activism. Career overview and discussions of her views on diet and animals are also available in period interviews and articles. Vegetarian and animal-welfare sources offer additional context about the causes she supported.