Oxford News
Buffy and Ted Lasso stars lead tributes to Anthony Head
The actor, best known for his role as Rupert Giles in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, has died from complications related to pneumonia.
His daughters, actresses Emily and Daisy Head, said in a statement: “His legacy will live on, in the shows he was a part of, and in the audiences that love them.”
Michelle Gellar, who played the title role in Buffy, led tributes on social media, posting a photo of herself with Head, his daughters, and their Buffy co-star Seth Green.
Gellar said: “Tell Giles I figured it out and I’m OK. Well, I don’t have it figured out and I’m not OK.
“But I know I’m the lucky one because I knew you.
“Thank you to Daisy and Emily who not only shared their dad with me, but with the world.”
David Boreanaz (Angel) called Head a “kind and generous soul,” while James Marsters (Spike) said his death left a “hole in the world.”
Emma Caulfield (Anya) reflected on 27 years of friendship, describing him as “kind, wise and a guide in troubled times.”
Charisma Carpenter, who played Cordelia Chase, recalled her surprise at meeting Head in person: “He had an earring, Converse high-tops and a pair of loose-fitting, boldly striped pants.
“There wasn’t a trace of Giles to be found, which was a testament to his gifts.”
Head’s career also spanned notable roles in Ted Lasso, where he played former Richmond FC owner Rupert Mannion.
Brett Goldstein, a co-star and writer on the show, said, “Anthony Head was a brilliant actor who played the worst person in the world, which was an incredible skill because he was the best person.
“He will be sorely missed.”
Head also appeared as the Prime Minister in Little Britain.
The show’s co-creator Matt Lucas wrote on X: “Anthony Head was unfailingly brilliant, and always so kind and warm.”
In addition to his screen roles, Mr Head played King Uther Pendragon in Merlin.
Screenwriter and producer Russell T Davies said, “He spoke always about his daughters with such love and joy, what a wonderful dad.
“Love and sympathy to Emily, Daisy, family and friends, he’ll be missed and remembered across the world.
“Good night, sir.”
Head first rose to prominence in the UK through the Nescafe Gold Blend television adverts of the late 1980s and early 1990s, starring alongside Sharon Maughan.
Beyond acting, he was also a singer and performer.
He played Dr Frank-N-Furter in the 1990 West End revival of The Rocky Horror Show and recorded music, including the album of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer musical episode.
His other credits included Motherland, Manchild, Silent Witness, Spooks, Doctor Who, and My Family.
In July 2018, he joined the cast of BBC Radio 4’s long-running drama The Archers.
Head’s long-time partner, animal welfare campaigner Sarah Fisher, died in December 2025 aged 61.
Fisher was a patron of Holly Hedge Animal Sanctuary and an ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.
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He was also deeply involved in supporting animal charities.
Peter Laurie, chief executive of Battersea, said: “Anthony, alongside his late partner Sarah Fisher, gave so much to our charity, fostering dogs, raising awareness of our work, and supporting our events and fundraisers.
“A true champion for all rescue animals, he will be dearly missed by all of us.”
The Prime Minister is prepared to “explore every option” to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers in jail, a Government source told the Telegraph on Friday.
The Government has so far resisted pressure to exempt the two killers from its early release scheme, which starts in October in a bid to tackle prison overcrowding.
Mr Burnham said earlier this week he had “pushed to the very limits of what is possible to do without risking the prison system reaching capacity and collapsing” by excluding sentences for “rape, serious child sex offences and other grooming offences” from eligibility.
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Some 5,000 people are expected to be released early under sentencing changes, down from 6,000 after the exemptions announced as part of an urgent review of the scheme.
But under current plans, Cole and Bowers remain eligible to be freed halfway through their 13-year sentences after they were convicted of manslaughter in 2020 following Pc Harper’s death in 2019.
Downing Street has been contacted for comment about Mr Burnham reportedly weighing up options to block their release.
PC Harper was 28 when he sustained fatal injuries while responding to a quad bike theft in Sulhamstead, Berkshire, in August 2019.
He died after getting caught in a strap attached to the back of a car and dragged down a country road as three teenage suspects fled the scene of the burglary.
The driver of the vehicle, Henry Long, received a 16-year sentence and would not be eligible for release.
Dame Mary Berry has lived in Henley‑on‑Thames, Oxfordshire, with her husband Paul Hunnings since 2019.
She joined the BBC show as a judge alongside Paul Hollywood when it launched back in 2010 and stayed until 2016, before the programme moved to Channel 4.
Now, the 91‑year‑old food writer and presenter has been discussing work on the garden at her Henley home during an appearance on the Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange podcast.
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Dame Mary explained that she and Mr Hunnings had decided to buy larger yew trees rather than wait years for smaller plants to grow.
The former Great British Bake Off judge said: “Evergreens, a yew is, we put hedges in a yew. And obviously you should buy evergreens like a yew. I suppose about two foot high and wait.”
Dame Mary then made clear why waiting was not a realistic option for her.
“Well, I’ll be in heaven then, so we had to buy them fairly big, I suppose they were about four foot because we needed them to get to the top of the tennis court netting,” she said.
The TV star and her husband moved to Henley to be closer to family after downsizing from their former home in Buckinghamshire.
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In a previous interview, Dame Mary said of her decision to move: “We didn’t want to move too far from our friends, and Henley is only a 35-minute drive.”
She added: “The town is beautiful. It has the river, and there are lots of interesting walks to do. As the years go, we will be able to walk into the town, and it will be nice to not have to get the car out.”
Dame Mary remains a familiar face on television and has continued to share her love of gardening as well as cooking.
Speaking at the Hay Festival earlier this year, she encouraged young people to “work hard and follow your dreams”.
Her garden in Henley includes a greenhouse, pond, beds and roses, while she has said she grows produce including red onions, lettuce and carrots.
Fire services were dispatched to Cowley Road just before 6pm yesterday evening to tackle the blaze.
Photos show the fire behind residential gardens, with black smoke billowing high.
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At least two fire engines were dispatched to the scene with multiple firefighters working to put out the blaze.
Photos sent to this newspaper show fire engines moving into position and the blaze itself seen from behind a garden.
It’s currently not known how the fire started or its exact location.
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has been contacted for more information.
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