Bart pays tribute to Marcia Wallace in Simpsons chalkboard gag – Daily TV round-up

Bart Simpson paid a touching tribute to his former adversary Edna Krabappel in his regular 'chalkboard gag' in this weekend's episode of 'The Simpsons'.

70-year-old Marcia Wallace, the Emmy award-winning actress who had voiced Bart's teacher for 177 episodes of the series, died following complications from pneumonia last week.

At the opening of the episode, Bart, with a heart-broken look on his face, pens the message 'We'll really miss you Mrs. K'.

Wallace will still be heard on the show for sometime yet, however, as she had recorded enough episodes in advance to last a year.

[Simpsons reveales Hobbit couch gag]

On news of her death, show producer Al Jean said: “I was tremendously saddened to learn this morning of the passing of the brilliant and gracious Marcia Wallace. She was beloved by all at 'The Simpsons' and we intend to retire her irreplaceable character.”

He has also been quick to squash rumours that Mrs Krabappel's character was the one set to be killed off later this year, as announced some weeks ago.

“Earlier we had discussed a potential storyline in which a character passed away. This was not Marcia's Edna Krabappel,” he said.

“Marcia's passing is unrelated and again, a terrible loss for all who had the pleasure of knowing her.”

Wallace was among the longest-running cast-members on the show.

She won a Primetime Emmy for her part in the poignant episode 'Bart The Lover' in 1992, when Bart takes revenge against his detention by replying to her advert in the newspaper's lonely hearts section pretending to be an older man called Woodrow. [Daily Mail/Hollywood Reporter]

Also in today's press

Terry Wogan has said that women presenters should not complain about losing jobs because of their looks if they may have used them to get such jobs in the first place. “Presenters like Tess Daly and Holly Willoughby are having their time now but they will go on to be replaced,” he said. “Female presenters shouldn’t complain about not getting work later in their careers because they used their good looks when were young to land roles. There are no permanently pensionable positions. There is no point in anyone thinking they can do it for ever. The likes of Julia Bradbury, Kate Humble and Clare Balding shouldn’t ever complain as there are more of them than us.” [Daily Mirror]

Charlie Slater is to return to 'EastEnders' for a brief spell over Christmas. Details of the role, played by Derek Martin, have not been revealed as yet. Martin left the soap in 2011. He joins former cast-member Natalie Cassidy, who plays Sonia, in returning to the show. [Metro]

Nicole Scherzinger has denied that she was drunk on the Saturday night edition of 'The X Factor'. It was claimed that she had held a party in her dressing room before the show began. A spokesperson for the show said that she was 'just getting into the disco spirit', after viewers suggested she may have been inebriated. [Daily Mail]