Gillian Taylforth, 70, drew attention at the National Television Awards on Wednesday as viewers commented on her youthful appearance after she arrived on the red carpet in a one-shoulder purple gown.
Taylforth, best known for playing Kathy Beale on the BBC soap EastEnders, is the on-screen mother of Ian Beale, portrayed by Adam Woodyatt, 57. Fans on X reacted to photos from the event, with several users marveling at what they described as her "ageless" look and noting the relatively small age gap between the actors.
Taylforth's Kathy is one of EastEnders' longest-running characters, first appearing in the soap's premiere episode in 1985. The character was written out in 1998 when Taylforth left the programme, made brief returns and was later killed off in a 2006 storyline. In a surprise twist, Kathy was revealed to have faked her death and returned to the series in 2015; Taylforth has remained a regular presence on the show since that comeback.
On social media, viewers referenced Kathy's longevity on screen and Taylforth's continued resemblance to earlier appearances. One X user wrote, "The ageless Gillian Taylforth — she truly gets younger every year," while another said, "She always looks so stunning." Some comments noted that other long-running cast members appeared to have aged more noticeably in comparison.
Taylforth has previously spoken about her affection for EastEnders, saying the show played a major role in her career and describing it as her "favourite place to work." She has also discussed close relationships with cast members; she has said that Woodyatt calls her "mum" off-screen and that the pair support one another during performances, occasionally prompting on-set emotion when the character returned.
The actress has described her approach to appearance as self-care done for herself rather than for public approval. Ahead of her 60th birthday in 2015, Taylforth underwent a non-surgical facelift using dissolvable polylactic acid threads at a London clinic. Media reports at the time said the procedure took about half an hour and cost roughly £2,000.
Within the series, Kathy's age was written as around 75 after a 70th birthday storyline aired in 2020. Outside the show, Taylforth continues to be a prominent figure in British television, with her red-carpet appearance at the NTAs prompting renewed attention to both her career and longevity in the role.