Former Fair City star, Jim Bartley, has been forced to confirm that he’s alive, following a social media post that confirmed his death, calling in to RTE’s Liveline to reassure fans that he’s okay.
An online Fair City fan page reported that the 81 year old actor had passed away, even going so far as to share a fake image of his ‘funeral’, resulting in a number of Jim’s family members reaching out to check that the report was false.
Beloved by Fair City fans as Bela Doyle, a character Jim played for almost 34 years, he called in to the radio station once friends and distant family members began calling his wife to offer their condolences following his supposed passing.
‘I’m very much alive!’ Jim told show hose Kieran Cuddihy.
‘We got a phone call this morning and my wife Helen answered the phone, it was a cousin of hers. He was ringing up to say he was sorry for her loss.
‘Helen said ‘what loss’? He said ‘Jim passing away’. She said ‘no he’s not, he’s right here’. That was the start of it this morning. So I rang Liveline and I said the best way I can get out an announcement that I’m still alive is through Liveline, because you have a listenership across the world.’
Jim went on to discuss the impact that the fake announcement had had on those close to him.
‘It’s a shock to people who know me for years,’ he said.
‘When I go back up to my local I’ll have to announce that I’m still alive so they can see me. Apart from that, it’s a terrible sort of thing. You can laugh at it but the serious side of it is really very hard on family.’
‘I just want to say one thing. To all those people that are shocked, I’m really sorry that they had that sort of news placed on them.
‘It’s not funny. I tried to get a laugh out of it myself but when you realise the serious effect that it has on people, it’s not funny.’
Jim’s exit as Bela Doyle in Fair City
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Jim left Fair City after an incredibly lengthy stint of playing Bela between 1990 and 2023 and described saying goodbye to his legendary character as making him feel ‘a tinge of sadness’.
‘After over 60 years of association with RTÉ, firstly on Tolka Row, aged 18, and over 30 years spent on Fair City, I have a tinge of sadness bidding this farewell. The time has come to focus on my health.
‘I’d like to wish the whole team the very best of luck. To the cast and crew, in particular, those who I have spent years working with, it was a joy going to work each day.
‘My heritage goes back through the show, and all the way back to Tolka Row, RTÉ’s first television soap opera, with many lifelong friendships and a lot of special memories created over the years.’
Fair City show boss, Brigie de Courcy, also made a statement upon Jim’s departure.
‘Everyone at Fair City is sad to see Jim Bartley leave. He was already an iconic figure in Irish soap when he joined us, and his unforgettable performance as Bela Doyle has been a central part of Fair City for over 30 years.
‘As the last remaining member of the Doyle clan, his exit marks a huge shift for Carrigstown. His presence will long be felt, both as a performer and as a kind and good-humoured mentor to many younger cast members through the years. I wish him the very best in his retirement.’
Outside of his iconic role on Fair City, Jim also starred in Tolka Row, The Bill, Coronation Street and Z-Cars on the small screen, while playing in films such as War of the Buttons, Ulysses, Teresa’s Wedding and The Pink Panther Strikes Again.