2point4 Children star Georgina Cates dies "suddenly" aged 51

Georgina Cates, who played Jenny Porter in 90's BBC sitcom 2point4 Children has died at the age of 51. News of the Cates' passing was announced on X by the show' creator Andrew Marshall, who shared that the actress had died on May 6.

Marshall wrote: "I’m very sad to report, I have just discovered, that lovely and talented Claire Woodgate aka Georgina Cates, our 1st Jenny in 2p4 died last May.

"I have no other details than on IMDb. Sympathies to her family and children. If anyone has further details to share, please do."

Cates was born Claire Woodgate in Colchester, England, and landed the role of Jenny when she was just 16. She played the family's teenage daughter for the show's first two seasons before leaving and taking on stage name Georgina Cates.

After pretending to have no prior acting experience, Cates was cast as Stella in 1995 film An Awfully Big Adventure, opposite Alan Rickman.

Cates would go on to star in Clay Pigeons opposite Vince Vaughn and Joaquin Phoenix, as well as Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa, and 2007 drama Sinner.

In 1997, she married Scream star Skeet Ulrich after meeting on the set of the TV movie, A Soldier's Sweetheart. The couple had two children, twins Naiia and Jakob, before their divorce in 2005.

On Instagram, Naiia paid tribute to her mum, writing: "My beautiful, free-spirited mom lived a hard life and still found ways to make herself and others laugh and smile <3 now she can rest easy.

"I will always see you in black and white photos, Virginia slims, baggy clothes, no bras, big sunglasses, doodling while talking, pleasers, and flip flops and everything in between.

"I love you, thank you for your creativity, curiosity and your bravery to always be true to yourself - no matter what. 04/04/75 - 05/06/26."

Ulrich replied to his daughter's post: "Love you more than words can say sweetheart."

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After graduating with a degree in history from Queen Mary University, London, she studied journalism at Birkbeck University.

Outside of her work at Digital Spy, she writes about pop culture, with a special focus towards Irish media and how it intersects with politics.