Tragedies behind Grange Hill as star George Armstrong dies after long illness
Former Grange Hill star George Armstrong died on July 11 at the age of 60 following a 'long battle with Leukaemia'.
The actor, who played Alan Humphries, was a key character between 1978 and 1982 for the first five series of the show, before he joined Todd Carty's character Tucker Jenkins for the spin-off series, Tucker's Luck. He eventually left acting to become a Technical Theatre Manager at a public school.
News of his death was shared on Twitter by a fan account, who posted: "I've just heard the very sad news that George Armstrong aka Alan Humphries passed away yesterday. RIP George. A true Grange Hill legend xxxx."
But George isn't the only tragedy that has plagued the former cast of Grange Hill, with another star sadly passing away in 2016 at the age of 53.
Mark Farmer
Mark Farmer passed away in April 2016 at the age of 53 after reportedly battling cancer. The actor, who was best known for playing football-loving Gary Hargreaves on the show in seasons two to four.
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News of his death was announced on a Grange Hill Twitter account, which posted: "It is with great sadness we report that Mark Farmer aka Gary Hargreaves died earlier today. RIP."
Fans of the show flocked to social media to share their messages of grief, with one person writing: "Sad news Mark Farmer AKA Gary Hargreaves in Grange Hill has died aged just 53. Grange Hill football captain fancied by all the girls."
Another said: "@GrangeHillGold sad news Mark Farmer aka Gary Hargreaves sadly passed away this morning. .R.I.P. X"
Mark Farmer as Gary Hargreaves in Grange Hill (BBC)Terry Sue-Patt
Terry, who played Benny Green for four years on the show, was found dead at his London home in May 2015. His family released a statement shortly after, claiming he'd been fighting demons before his death.
"Like every artist and creative soul in history, he drew from his demons and they sometimes got the better of him," it read.
"Terry had his own crosses to bear and he became gripped by a depression he never fully recovered from.
"Terry's successful and eventful life was tragically cut short. He was our cherished son, brother, uncle, and friend and will be sadly missed."
Terry (right) played Benny Green for four years on the show (bbc grab)Michelle Herbert
Michelle played bad girl Trisha Yates on Grange Hill for four years but stepped away from the limelight after her stint on the show, but made a brief return as Trisha, in the final episode of Tucker's Luck. After this, she quit acting completely and started working for a sweet manufacturer.
She later battled breast cancer after finding a dimple on her breast in May 2015. An ultrasound and biopsy found that she had a medium-growth tumour "which was 6mm in size."
Michelle had to endure a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy in August to remove the cancer, but following the procedure her health took a turn for the worse as she suffered from a haematoma - a blood clot caused by a ruptured blood vessel inside the breast tissue.
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Michelle played Trisha Yates on the show (Mirrorpix)Michelle told The Mirror at the time: "I was really ill and they had to drain blood from my breast. There was even talk of me needing a blood transfusion, but thankfully I recovered."
The former actress has since been given the all-clear.
Donald Waugh
From 1978 to 1980, Donald joined Grange Hill as Joseph 'Hughsey' Hughes. However, after he left the show his life spiralled out of control due to a struggle with alcoholism and he ended up homeless and living on the streets.
He claims the experience "opened his eyes" and he has spent a lot of time helping the homeless. Speaking about the enterprise Pavement to Catwalk, Donald previously said: "Working with and being homeless for a period of time has opened my eyes to the potential and talent within this un-tapped society.
"In this, I have learned that the secret to helping yourself is to help others. I still hold this very close to my heart today."
Donald Waugh battled alcoholism and ended up homeless after leaving the show (YTV)Lee MacDonald
Lee was just 12 years old when he joined Grange Hill as Zammo Maguire in 1982 and he remained as the character until 1987. Along the way, his role involved some of the heaviest storylines on the show, including heroin addiction.
After leaving the show he then tried to become a professional boxer, but tragically things didn't work out as he was involved in a horrific car accident that saw him thrown through the window screen. Lee had to have 40 stitches in his head and was told by doctors that it could take a year to recover his memory.
Lee MacDonald played Zammo Maguire in Grange Hill (BBC)
Lee's dreams of becoming a professional boxer were dashed (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)But the worst part of it all was that he was banned from boxing for life and understandably he was "devastated". Speaking to The Guardian in 2009, he said: "After the celebrity of being in Grange Hill and the excitement of the boxing, here I was, aged 21, working in a wholesaler.
"I remember thinking, 'I can't box any more, I'm not acting and I'm here putting keys in a bag' and my early 20s were really dark because of that. It took me a bit of time to sort myself out."
Amanda Mealing
In season two of the show, the character of Tracy Edwards was introduced, played by Amanda Mealing, however, she didn't remain for very long. The 56-year-old actress went on to have longer stints on shows such as Casualty and Holby City.
Amanda was diagnosed with breast cancer after welcoming her second child (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)However, in 2002 when she was 34, she was diagnosed with breast cancer just days after giving birth to her second child. Keen to get better as soon as possible for the sake of her kids, Amanda quickly underwent an urgent mastectomy.
She previously told The Express: "I didn't wallow in self-pity, the anger I felt made me very proactive. I decided I would do everything I needed to do to fight the cancer and I wouldn't let it take over my life.
"It had taken my health and my time but that was it. In the seven months of chemo, plus three weeks of daily radiotherapy, I tried to live as normally as I could." Thankfully Amanda was eventually given the all-clear and she has since become an ambassador for Breast Cancer Care.
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