Overview
- The reclusive nun became an unlikely BBC art presenter in the 1990s, drawing audiences of millions and international recognition.
- Reports note she directed all income from her television work and publishing to the Carmelite order at Quidenham rather than keeping personal wealth.
- At her peak she reached about a 25% share of UK viewers, and a 1997 PBS series brought U.S. acclaim, with The New York Times calling her an “unlikely and famous” TV art critic.
- She lived on the monastery grounds in a caravan and later a small mobile home, praying for hours daily and adhering to vows of poverty.
- She authored more than 25 books and presented numerous documentaries, and she died on December 26, 2018, at the Carmelite Monastery in Norfolk at age 88.