Thelma Chambers

Thelma Ingrid Ferris (née Chambers) is a character in British sitcom Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, and is mentioned in The Likely Lads. Thelma also features in the film adaptation The Likely Lads (1976). She is played by Brigit Forsyth. Thelma is the fiancée and later wife of Bob Ferris.

Early life

Thelma was born into an aspiring lower-middle-class family, to an aspirational and particularly snobbish mother and a down to earth father, who hailed from the working classes. Thelma and Bob attended junior school together, along with Terry. Bob and Terry were sent to the 'blackboard jungle' of secondary modern school, while Thelma attended grammar school. Bob and Thelma remained in contact.

Marriage to Bob

Thelma and Bob married at the end of the first series of Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?. Thelma saw Terry as the largest threat to her marriage, although at some point she is known to have had courtship with him, which she describes as 'mistreatment by something coarse and vulgar'. Thelma is capable of being a snob at times and is keen to be seen to be middle class and tries to distance her husband from his working class roots, something Terry proves counter-productive in. Despite Thelma and Terry's strained friendship, she defended him on one occasion, describing him as 'honest' and 'unpretentious' when a snobbish friend of hers insulted him. Thelma's attitude to Terry seems to mellow throughout the series, and she turns to him for advice when her and Bob experience marital problems. Thelma and Bob's marriage appears to be a largely happy one, however it is often complicated and Thelma on several occasions falsely accused Bob of infidelity.