Wizadora star Wendy Van Der Plank unrecognisable 32 years since end of kids TV show

Wendy Van Der Plank’s had quite the transformation- 32 years after she played Wizadora.

In the ITV show, viewers followed Wizadora, a trainee wizard who took a while to get used to casting spells with her magic wand and needed a lot of guidance.

Her character wore a vast array of quirky costumes, from rainbow-coloured jumpers to a triangle patterned wide-necked jumpsuit.

The other cast members wore equally unusual and colourful ensembles while on the show, keeping kids entertained

Now, although Wendy’s kept her dark hair and fringe, she’s grown her locks longer and now sports a pair of glasses.

Although she quit television acting in 1996 after leaving Wizadora, she’s now in regional theatre and part of the Boiling Kettle Theatre Company.

Back when she was playing Wizadora, the struggling character would often speak to viewers, asking them to help her as she got to grips with Wizard life.

Wizadora’s catchphrases included “Oh, botheration!” and “Time for a bit of Wizzification!

Other popular people in the show were Stan the shopkeeper, Tatty Bogle and Top, Sticky and Bottom. The last three characters were talking draw people who looked like socks.

When the show first started, Connie Booth from Fawlty Towers fame played Wizadora. But in 1992, it was picked up by Meridian Broadcasting and changes were made.

It meant that Wendy became the new Wizadora, fresh from Spin Off fame, a BBC Comedy series. She’d also been in ITV’s Forever Green, playing Hilly.

Although she’s no longer on our television screens, she does love theatre and planning community events. In 2019, she told the Midweek Herald about her role at The Beehive in Honiton, Devon.

She loves the people she’s met and the community that has been built through the work she does for them. It’s a quieter life than her role on Wizadora but she enjoys it a lot.

Wendy explained: “I work at The Beehive programming and promoting a mad variety of events there for the good folk of Honiton and beyond.”

She’s a big fan of Honiton and told the publication she loves the residents of the town: “I meet so many characters and I work with a bunch of them too! Our volunteers here are just fab and a great laugh.

“I also love the little green spaces in the town and the tiny alleyways. Roderick Butler’s garden is brilliant, take a peek through his railings and you will see a different funny sculpture on his lawn- I saw Nessie there recently!”

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