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Dame Sheila Hancock moved from the Isle of Wight to King's Cross, London, as a child, where her parents ran a pub. She attended Dartford Grammar School and later, with a grant, studied at RADA. Following this, she spent nine years performing in weekly repertory theatres across the country. While working in repertory in Bath, she met actor Alec Ross, whom she married in 1955. They had a daughter, Melanie Thaw (also known as "Ellie Jane"), born on July 15, 1964.
Hancock's breakthrough on television came with her role in The Rag Trade (1961). Her first theatrical success was in Rattle of a Simple Man at the Garrick Theatre in London. In 1969, she starred in the West End hit So What About Love?, where she met actor John Thaw. That same year, her mother passed away from cancer, followed by her husband's tragic death about nine months later. On December 24, 1973, she married John Thaw, with their daughters Melanie and Abigail present. On July 27, 1974, at Queen Charlotte's Hospital in Hammersmith, she gave birth to their only child together, Joanna Suzy Thaw.
During the 1980s, Hancock toured the UK with the Royal Shakespeare Company and later with the National Theatre. In 1988, she was diagnosed with breast cancer but successfully overcame the illness. During this time, she and Thaw briefly separated.
In the early 1990s, Hancock and Thaw purchased a house in Luckington, Wiltshire, as well as a farmhouse in Provence, France. In 2001, Thaw was diagnosed with cancer. He battled the disease for nine months, with Hancock helping to protect his privacy. He passed away in her arms the day before her 69th birthday.
Since his passing, Hancock has written a book titled The Two of Us: My Life with John Thaw and has appeared frequently on TV and stage discussing the book and her life with him.
Hancock currently resides in Hammersmith, close to her daughters and grandchildren.
