Marti Caine was one of Britain’s best-loved entertainers — a comedienne, singer and presenter who rose from a hard Sheffield childhood to become the breakout star of the talent show New Faces, and later the first woman to host it. Glamorous, sharp-tongued and fearless on stage, she was a fixture of British television for two decades before her life was cut short by cancer in 1995.
Born Lynne Denise Shepherd, she reinvented herself as Marti Caine and became a household name through the 1970s and 1980s. This is the full story of who she was: her difficult start, her rise to fame, her family, and the courageous final chapter that turned her into an inspiration for many.
Marti Caine: Quick Profile
| Real Name | Lynne Denise Shepherd |
| Stage Name | Marti Caine |
| Born | 26 January 1944, Sheffield, England |
| Died | 4 November 1995 (aged 51), Sheffield |
| Profession | Comedienne, singer, actress, presenter, writer |
| Known For | Winning and later hosting New Faces; The Marti Caine Show |
| First Husband | Malcolm Stringer (m. 1962; div. 1979) |
| Second Husband | Kenneth Ives (m. 1984, until her death) |
| Sons | Lee and Max (with Malcolm Stringer) |
| Cause of Death | Cancer (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) |
| Autobiography | A Coward’s Chronicles (1990) |
Who Was Marti Caine?
Marti Caine was an English comedienne, singer, dancer, actress and television presenter. She is best remembered as the woman who won the original series of New Faces in 1975 and then, in a neat twist of fate, returned a decade later to host the revived show herself.
Tall, slim and striking, she stood out in an era when female stand-up comedians were rare. She mixed quick wit with genuine warmth, and audiences adored her for it. Behind the glamour, though, was a woman who had survived a great deal to get there.
Early Life in Sheffield
She was born Lynne Denise Shepherd in Sheffield in 1944. Her childhood was far from easy, marked by family hardship and loss that would have broken many people. Money was tight, and she grew up fast.
By her late teens she was performing in working men’s clubs across the north of England, singing and telling jokes to rowdy crowds for small fees. It was a brutal training ground, but it sharpened the timing and toughness that would later make her a star.
Even her stage name had humble, accidental origins. The story goes that she plucked “Marti Caine” almost at random from a gardening catalogue — a far cry from the bright lights that were to come.
The New Faces Breakthrough
Everything changed in 1975. Marti Caine entered New Faces, the hugely popular ITV talent contest that pitted hopefuls against a panel of often-harsh judges. She won the series and, almost overnight, went from the club circuit to national television.
The victory launched a career that few of her fellow contestants could match. Within a few years she had her own primetime series and was one of the most recognisable women on British television.
Stardom and Career Highlights
From 1979 to 1984 the BBC gave her a self-titled showcase, The Marti Caine Show, which blended comedy, music and variety. She was a natural all-rounder — able to land a punchline, carry a song and host with ease.
In 1986 she took on a role with a lovely symmetry, becoming the host of the rebooted New Faces, the very show that had discovered her. She remained at the helm until 1988. She also worked on stage, taking on demanding roles including the lead in the musical Funny Girl.
| Year(s) | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Won the ITV talent show New Faces |
| 1979–1984 | Starred in The Marti Caine Show (BBC) |
| 1986–1988 | Hosted the revived New Faces |
| 1990 | Published her autobiography, A Coward’s Chronicles |
Marti Caine’s Husbands and Sons
Marti married young. Her first husband was Malcolm Stringer, a Sheffield butcher’s assistant, whom she wed in 1962 when she was still a teenager. The couple had two sons together, Lee and Max, before the marriage ended in divorce in 1979.
In 1984 she married again, this time to the television director Kenneth Ives. That marriage lasted until her death in 1995. Throughout her career, Marti was devoted to her boys, and family remained the anchor of a life that had begun in such difficult circumstances.
| Family Member | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Malcolm Stringer | First husband (1962–1979) |
| Kenneth Ives | Second husband (1984–1995) |
| Lee | Son (with Malcolm Stringer) |
| Max | Son (with Malcolm Stringer) |
Her Cancer Battle
In 1989, at the height of her fame, Marti Caine was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. Rather than hide it, she spoke about her illness with remarkable openness at a time when many public figures stayed silent.
Her candour helped countless others facing the same diagnosis, and she became an inspiration for the way she carried herself. She fought the disease for several years, enjoying periods of remission and continuing to work and perform when she could.
Death and Legacy
Marti Caine died on 4 November 1995 at the age of 51. Her passing was mourned across the entertainment world and by the millions of viewers who had grown up watching her.
Her legacy is twofold. As a performer, she helped open the door for women in British comedy, proving a female entertainer could headline her own show and host primetime television. As a person, she is remembered for her honesty about illness and her refusal to be defined by it. Decades on, she remains a fondly recalled symbol of a golden age of British variety.
A Trailblazer for Women in Comedy
It is hard to overstate how unusual Marti Caine was for her era. British comedy in the 1970s was overwhelmingly male, built around club acts and panel shows where women were more often the punchline than the person holding the microphone. Marti changed that simply by being brilliant at it.
She could trade barbs with the best of them, but she never relied on shock for its own sake. Her humour came wrapped in warmth and self-deprecation, the kind that made an audience feel they were in on the joke with her rather than being lectured. That blend of glamour and grit was rare, and it made her a role model for a generation of female performers who followed.
She was a genuine all-rounder in an age that prized versatility, too. She could open a show with a song, carry twenty minutes of stand-up, then slip into a sketch or a sit-down interview without missing a beat. Few of her contemporaries, male or female, were as complete a package.
The Woman Behind the Glamour
For all her on-screen sparkle, those who knew Marti described a grounded, funny and fiercely loyal woman. The hardships of her early years never left her, but rather than harden her they seemed to deepen her empathy. She had a particular soft spot for the underdog, perhaps because she had been one for so long.
She was a writer as well. Her 1990 autobiography, A Coward’s Chronicles, was praised for the same wit and unflinching honesty she brought to the stage, charting her rise from poverty to fame without a trace of self-pity. It remains a vivid record of both a remarkable life and a vanished era of British show business.
Colleagues also remembered her generosity with younger performers — the very people she had once been on shows like New Faces. Having been judged so publicly herself, she knew how much a kind word could mean, and she gave them freely.
That humanity is the thread running through every tribute paid to her. Marti Caine was admired as a performer, but she was loved as a person — and more than a quarter of a century after her death, that affection has barely dimmed.
Her home city has not forgotten her either. In Sheffield, where her story began in such hard circumstances, Marti Caine is still spoken of with pride as one of the area’s most successful and best-loved exports. For younger comedians who never saw her perform live, she remains a name worth knowing — proof that talent, grit and a refusal to give up can carry someone from a working men’s club stage all the way to the nation’s living rooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Marti Caine?
She was an English comedienne, singer and presenter, born Lynne Shepherd, best known for winning and later hosting the talent show New Faces.
How did Marti Caine die?
She died of cancer (non-Hodgkin lymphoma) on 4 November 1995, aged 51, after a battle that began with her diagnosis in 1989.
Was Marti Caine married?
Yes, twice — to Malcolm Stringer (1962–1979) and then to television director Kenneth Ives (1984–1995).
Did Marti Caine have children?
Yes, two sons, Lee and Max, from her first marriage to Malcolm Stringer.
What was Marti Caine’s real name?
Lynne Denise Shepherd. “Marti Caine” was a stage name she reportedly took from a gardening catalogue.
From the working men’s clubs of Sheffield to her own primetime show, Marti Caine carved out a place as one of Britain’s pioneering female entertainers — and her warmth, wit and courage in the face of illness ensure she is remembered with great affection to this day.
