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Sister Wendy Beckett, a nun who lived out much of her life as a recluse in a caravan in Norfolk, became an unlikely BBC television star in the 1990s. Achieving international fame and success through BBC arts documentaries watched by millions, Wendy Beckett generously donated all of her money to charitable causes when she died in 2018. Born on February 25 1930 in Johannesburg, South Africa, Wendy Mary Beckett was the daughter of a doctor. She earned a teaching diploma from Notre Dame College of Education in Liverpool in 1954 before returning to South Africa. There, she taught English and Latin at convent schools in Cape Town and Johannesburg, later going on to lecture at the University of the Witwatersrand. Sister Wendy sadly had to abandon teaching by 1970 as she suffered with poor health. With papal permission, she left the Notre Dame order and became a consecrated virgin and hermit, relocating back to England, the Express reports. She initially resided in a caravan and later in a small mobile home on the grounds of the Carmelite Monastery at Quidenham, Norfolk. However, one fateful encounter soon transformed her life. After overhearing her commentary at an exhibition, a film crew requested to record her speaking about art. This led to the BBC commissioning her first programme, Sister Wendy's Odyssey, in 1992. Sister Wendy surprised everyone, including herself, with her natural ability to speak on camera. Her subsequent programme, Sister Wendy's Grand Tour (1994), witnessed her make a trip across Europe to admire the continent's magnificent galleries and artistic treasures. By the late 1990s, Wendy had become one of the BBC 's most triumphant presenters. During the height of her success, her shows commanded a 25 per cent share of the British viewing public. In 1997 she cracked the American market with Sister Wendy's American Collection on PBS, where The New York Times hailed her as "the most unlikely and famous art critic in the history of television." Despite becoming a household name, Beckett never gave up her reclusive lifestyle. Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. She would make trips to record programmes but always returned to her caravan, where she lived in austerity. She conducted prayers for up to seven hours daily, rarely watched films or explored museums beyond her professional duties, and remained devoted to her vows of poverty. Her entire fortune from the BBC and publishing ventures was donated to the Carmelite order that provided her sanctuary. Sister Wendy passed away at 88-years-old on 26 December 2018 at the Carmelite Monastery in Quidenham, Norfolk. The order confirmed her death, noting she had lived on its grounds for nearly half a century, though never as a member of the Carmelite community itself. Sister Wendy impressively wrote over 25 books, ranging from art critique to spiritual musings, and presented a dozen significant documentaries. She gained recognition for her candid discussions on nudity and sexuality in art, preaching that there was no shame in celebrating the human body as part of God's creation. Her commentary could be surprisingly frank but it was always conveyed with awe and respect.
