Lynda Bellingham, OBE (born Meredith Lee Hughes; 31st May 1948 - 19th October 2014) was a Canadian-born English actress, broadcaster and author, who played the role of the mother in the long-running series of "Oxo Family" British TV adverts between 1983 and 1999. She was a panellist on the ITV lunchtime chat show Loose Women between 2007 and 2011.