Day 3125 (Sunday) 28th December 2025

It was another gloriously sunny day, it’s cold out of the sun but the sky is a picture-perfect blue and we took the scooter into Nice to enjoy our weekly kebab.

On the way home we stopped in Mont Boron to admire the wonderful view and fort Alban.

There was some sad news this morning – Brigitte Bardot has died aged 91. Huw found this article online and I was amazed to read that she retired at the age of 39. I bet the town of Saint Tropez is in mourning today. 

Brigitte Bardot: From French cinema to international fame

Saint-Tropez says Bardot helped French town 'shine'published at The resort town of Saint-Tropez is among the latest to pay tribute to Bardot - calling the actress an "icon" of French cinema.

The town's official Facebook page posted a tribute earlier today following the news of her death - and says she will forever be associated with the area.

It continues to say she made a mark on the history of Saint-Tropez and helped make it "shine" globally.

A bronze statue of Bardot, commissioned by Saint-Tropez, sits in a square of the resort town

Bardot has long been associated with the town in the south of France after settling in a property she bought there - La Madrague.

Bardot at La Madrague in 1968

How the news broke in the French Riviera, where Bardot lived published by

Pierre-Antoine Denis
Reporting from Nice, southern France

I was driving with my parents when a special announcement came on France’s main commercial radio station, RTL.

The tone was immediately sombre. The presenter opened by calling Brigitte Bardot a true legend, saying there would be time for sadness later, but for now the entire newsroom was focused on bringing listeners special coverage.

By the time I arrived home in Nice, close to where Bardot used to live, every French news channel had reshaped its usual weekend schedules to focus on Bardot.

Coverage was organised around the defining chapters of her life: acting, modelling, singing and, what many described as her life’s calling, her animal welfare foundation.

For those of us in the South of France, everyone has seen or has a story involving Bardot - from her dazzling Cannes during the film festival, to her elegant appearances the many fancy restaurants on the French Riviera.

As I heard someone put it to French TV earlier, La Riviera is Bardot and Bardot is La Riviera

Bafta pays tribute to 'symbol of sexual liberation

Bardot received a Bafta nomination for her role in 1960s film Viva Maria

We've heard some reaction from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (Bafta) just now.

During her acting career, Brigitte Bardot received a Bafta nomination for her role in Viva Maria in 1967.

Reflecting on the news of her death today, the organisation writes: "Bardot became known as a symbol of sexual liberation in film and starred in numerous French cinema hits in the 1950s and '60s."

We can now bring you some more details of a statement released by The Brigitte Bardot Foundation, and shared by her agent, upon her death.

It focuses on Bardot's work advocating for animal welfare - with the Foundation referencing her appearance, at the age of 28, on the 1962 TV programme "Cinq colonnes à la une" [Five columns in the spotlight], where she called for animals to be stunned before being slaughtered.

Bardot's foundation, which was established in 1986, has rescued more than 12,000 animals through its "Arche de BB" programme, the statement continues.

"By frequently lobbying politicians to advance legislation, securing convictions for perpetrators of animal abuse, carrying out rescues every day, and raising awareness among a wide audience, the Foundation has become a global benchmark, the continued success of which Brigitte Bardot ensured," it says.

The statement adds that Bardot's legacy will live on through her campaigns and that the Foundation will continue to "champion the legacy of Brigitte Bardot".

Brigitte Bardot arguably redefined cinematic allure, captivating the world as a 1950s screen icon.

Bardot's breakout appearance came at the age of 18 in And God Created Woman - a provocative film that launched her to international stardom. It was directed by her husband Roger Vadim.

Sami Frey and Brigitte Bardot in The Truth, 1960

Through the late 1950s and 1960s, Bardot became a global phenomenon with roles in The Truth, earning critical acclaim for her dramatic depth; Contempt, a Jean-Luc Godard masterpiece; and Viva Maria!, showcasing her comedic flair alongside Jeanne Moreau.

Jeanne Moreau and Brigitte Bardot on the set of the Louis Malle film, Viva Maria.

Beyond her most iconic roles, Bardot showcased her versatility in films like Love on a Pillow, where she portrayed a complex, emotionally-torn character, and Two Weeks in September, a romantic drama that highlighted her ability to convey vulnerability.

In The Bear and the Doll, she brought playful charm to a comedic role, proving her range across genres. These films, though less celebrated, underscored her ability to captivate audiences in diverse narrative.

Bardot was enrolled in ballet from the age of seven

Born in Paris on September 1934, Bardot and sister Marie-Jeanne grew up in a luxurious apartment not far from the Eiffel Tower.

Her mother soon enrolled her in ballet classes from the age of seven. At age 15, a family friend encouraged Bardot to pose for the cover of Elle magazine - the photographs sparked her rise to international fame as a personification of a new "jeune fille" (young girl) style.

These pictures also caught the attention of film director Marc Allegret. His assistant, Roger Vadim, tracked Bardot down.

Screen tests for acting were unsuccessful at first, and the pair began an affair. When her parents found out Bardot was threatened with being sent to England, and was stopped just in time when she subsequently attempted to take her own life.

She was eventually allowed to marry Vadim - who was six years older than her - when she turned 18. He soon helped her find roles in various small films before the pair teamed up for Vadim's debut And God Created Woman.

Brigitte Bardot leaves a Parisian courtroom in May 2004 after her appearance on charges of inciting racial hatred.

Later in life Bardot made headlines for her controversial remarks about Islam and, more recently, the #MeToo movement.

In 2008, she was convicted for the fifth time for inciting racial hatred after complaining on her website that Muslims were "destroying our country by imposing their ways".

She was fined 15,000 euros (£12,000) and in a letter to the court insisted she had a right to speak up for animal welfare after publishing remarks in which she deplored the slaughter of animals for the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

Bardot was also convicted in 1997, 1998 and 2000 for inciting racial hatred in various written articles and comments made in interviews.

In January 2018, Bardot also dismissed actresses who commented on sexual harassment via the #MeToo movement as "hypocritical".

"In the vast majority of cases they are being hypocritical, ridiculous, uninteresting," Bardot said in an interview with French magazine Paris Match.

"There are many actresses who flirt with producers in order to get a role."

For many, Brigitte Bardot's revered as a symbol of French independence, of sexuality, of femininity.

But she was not without controversy.

She was criticised in later years for homophobic slurs and was repeatedly fined for inciting racial hatred. These sorts of comments will have impacted how she was seen by the French public.

She was unapologetically as she wanted to be and that often did find some criticism.

Notwithstanding that, there's no doubt she had a lasting impact on cinema, on fashion and French popular culture, and it will be interesting to see how France reacts today to this news.

Marine Le Pen praises 'incredibly French' Bardot published at 12:08

We've also heard reaction from French far-right politician Marine Le Pen this morning, who says Bardot's death is an "immense sorrow".

"France loses an exceptional woman, through her talent, her courage, her frankness, her beauty," she writes.

"A woman who chose to break with an incredible career to devote herself to the animals she defended until her last breath with inexhaustible energy and love.

"She was incredibly French: free, untamable, whole. She will be greatly missed by us."

At the time she died, Bardot was married to Bernard d'Ormale, a former adviser to the late far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen - the father of Marine.

We've just heard from French President Emmanuel Macron, who has paid tribute to Brigette Bardot on social media. He writes:

"Her films, her voice, her dazzling glory, her initials, her sorrows, her generous passion for animals, her face that became Marianne, Brigitte Bardot embodied a life of freedom.

"French existence, universal brilliance. She touched us. We mourn a legend of the century."

As we just mentioned, at the height of her fame, Brigitte Bardot retired from acting in 1973, aged 39, to champion animal rights.

Reacting to her death, France's oldest animal protection association - The Société Protectrice des Animaux (SPA) - has paid tribute to an "iconic and passionate figure for the animal cause".

"Since the 1970s, and then through her foundation created in the 1980s, she has devoted her life to defending those who have no voice," La SPA says.

"Her unwavering commitment has helped raise awareness and achieve major advances for animal protection."

The organisation says Bardot inaugurated a former SPA shelter in Gennevilliers in 1973, and participated in numerous awareness-raising actions.

After nearly 50 films, Bardot turned heads when she announced that she would be stepping away from the big screen aged just 39 in 1973.

Instead, she announced that she would be dedicating her life to animal welfare.

“I gave my youth and beauty to men, I give my wisdom and experience to animals,” Bardot famously said.

In 1986, Bardot launched her own animal rights charity - the Brigitte Bardot Foundation - which works to protect wild and domestic animals.

The actress later became vegetarian, and in 2013 even threatened to apply for Russian citizenship in protest against plans to kill two sick elephants in a French zoo.

Her activism had international scope and was wide ranging: in 2001, Bardot celebrated success after signing a deal with the mayor of Bucharest to save about 100,000 stray dogs from death.

According to its website, Bardot's foundation now has “more than 70,000 donors worldwide, nearly 300 employees and more than 500 volunteer investigators and delegates”.

Bardot's look featuring tousled hair and bold eyeliner set fashion trends worldwide.

The images below were taken from some of the films she starred in.

Bardot in a new car that she just received while filming the 1959 movie, Voulez-vous danser avec moi?

Jean Louis Trintignant and Brigitte Bardot in a scene from And God Created Woman

Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot was born in Paris on 28 September 1934 to a wealthy family.

She went on to star in a number of French cinema hits, including 1956's And God Created Woman.

Known as "BB" in her home country, Bardot became known as a symbol of sexual liberation in the 1950s - and acted in almost 50 films.

Ruthlessly marketed as a hedonistic sex symbol, Bardot was frustrated in her ambition to become a serious actress.

Eventually, she abandoned her career in acting to campaign for animal welfare, for which she was widely praised.

Later in life, she was fined multiple times for inciting racial hatred.

Here's more from a statement, said to have been released by the Brigitte Bardot Foundation, which French news agency AFP says it's seen:

"The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the death of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation."

French actress Brigitte Bardot has died aged 91, her foundation says.

The statement, seen by AFP news agency, calls her a "world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation".