Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Baden-Semper was a dancer when she first came to Britain, before going on to act. In an acting career that spans more than 40 years, Baden-Semper has appeared in numerous radio, television, film and theatre productions and has toured worldwide in many plays. She has played varied stage roles in dramatic works that range from
The Bacchae by
Euripides,
Le Bourgeois gentilhomme by
Molière and
The Blacks by
Jean Genet to modern thrillers such as
Wait Until Dark and
Stepping Out, as well as comedy roles. She has been a television presenter for children’s programmes and also
Morning Worship for the BBC, and has made numerous guest appearances on quizzes, talks and panel shows both nationally and internationally. Baden-Semper made two single releases and an album and was recently a rapper on a
So Solid Crew video. Becoming known on television for appearing between 1972 and 1976 in the
sitcom Love Thy Neighbour that also featured
Jack Smethurst,
Rudolph Walker and
Kate Williams, Baden-Semper has appeared in other character parts, including in the ill-fated revival of TV series
Crossroads in 2002. In 2006, she guest-starred in the
Doctor Who audio adventure
Memory Lane. In the
BBC Two black magazine showcase
The A-Force, she appeared in the series entitled
Brothers and Sisters as Elder Gittens' widow. Baden-Semper is also the cousin of American jazz, funk and soul music producer and artist
George Semper. In 2005, Baden-Semper appeared as
Mary Seacole at a bicentenary exhibition at the
Florence Nightingale Museum. ==Awards and honours==