Agnes Bernelle

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Agnes Bernelle (b. Agnes Elizabeth Bernauer, 7 March 1923, Berlin - d. 15 February 1999) was an actress and singer based in the United Kingdom for much of her career, though she later settled in the Republic of Ireland. Her family fled from Berlin in 1936. She appeared in over 20 films and also made theatre amd television appearances.

Bernelle was the OSS wartime 'Black Propaganda' radio announcer codenamed 'Vicki' famous for demoralizing a German U-Boat Captain into surrendering with one of her targeted broadcasts. This was the subject of the recent Channel 4 documentary Sex Bomb.

Bernelle was married (1945-69) to Desmond Leslie (1921-2001) who briefly became notorious for assaulting Bernard Levin during a live transmission of That Was The Week That Was in 1962 for writing a hostile review of one of his wife's performances.

As an international cabaret singer she collaborated on record with artists such as Marc Almond, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and The Radiators.

The Fun Palace, her autobiography, was published in 1995.

[edit] Family life

She married Desmond Leslie That marriage ended in divorce. They had two sons and one daughter:

Shaun Rudolf Christopher Leslie (b. 4 June 1947), married Charlotte Bing; no offspring.
Christopher Mark Leslie (b. 7 December 1952), married Cliona Manahan and had two children, Leah Leslie and Luke Leslie.
Antonia Kelvey Oriel Leslie (b. 1963), married Colm Nolan, and raised one daughter, Lola Leslie.

She spent the later years of her life with her second parter, Morris Craig, in Sandymount, County Dublin.