AWARD-WINNING actress and Neighbours star Joy Chambers-Grundy has died aged 76.
The second wife of the late multimillionaire TV mogul Reg Grundy passed away in her sleep at her Queensland home on Sunday morning, her family announced.
In a heartbreaking statement, they said: "Joy has passed away in her sleep early this morning surrounded by loved ones.
"Joy will be remembered as a Logie award-winning actress, a best-selling author, a poet, a philanthropist and an exceptional businesswoman who worked alongside her husband to build one of the largest independent production companies in the world."
Joy was born Carolyn Joy Chambers in Ipswich, Queensland, in 1947.
She is known for her roles in soap operas – as Rita in The Restless Years, Dr Robyn Porter in The Young Doctors and Rosemary Daniels in Neighbours.
She won a Logie Award for Best Female Personality in 1969 and 1970 after starring in her husband's soap operas.
Joy was also a businesswoman, poet, philanthropist, and fine art collector and published several historical fiction novels during her lifetime.
Her last book, The Soldier’s Choice, was released in 2014.
She met her husband TV executive Reg Grundy at an audition back in the 60s when she was just 18 years old and he was in his 40s.
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He was then married to Patricia Powell and the couple shared a daughter, Kim.
Joy and Reg married in 1971 after his divorce from his first wife and they remained together until his death aged 92 in May 2016.
Reg built a TV empire alongside his wife and was behind famous soaps and game shows such as Sons and Daughters, The Young Doctors, The Restless Years, Sale of The Century and Neighbours.
In the early years of their marriage, Joy wrote for several of his shows and worked alongside him as a production assistant.
Tributes have since poured in for the late star who was a household name in Australia.
Fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, said: "Very sad to hear that Joy Chambers … known to us #Neighbours lovers as the fabulous Rosemary Daniels, has passed away.
"She was such an integral part of @Neighbours DNA as the daughter of original show matriarch Helen Daniels, but also real-life wife of Reg Grundy."
Another noted that Joy's passing came just a day before Neighbours was set to return to TV screens for a new series.
They said: "How sad that the day before Neighbours returns, one of the iconic cast has passed away. RIP Joy Chambers aka Rosemary Daniels."
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