Abigail

Abigail became the undisputed Number One female sex symbol in Australia during the 1970s, primarily as a result of her playing Bev Houghton in the controversial TV series Number 96.

As the virtuous, smouldering Bev, she revealed a glimpse of breast and a slash of buttock, but her male fans had to wait until July 1980 to see all of her charms, when they were revealed in an Australian Playboy centrefold.

English-born Abigail Rogan was educated in France and moved to Australia in 1968, and played the female lead in a stage production of There’s A Girl In My Soup in Perth.

Moving to Sydney, she made a TV commercial with American comedian Phil Silvers – speaking in a high pitched very girlish voice and then walking away with a Marilyn Monroe style wiggle.

The advert attracted the attention of TV producers and Abigail landed the role of Bev Houghton in Number 96.

Unfortunately, after that she was unable to gain many serious acting parts, but proved her acting talent in several stage productions through the late 70’s, specialising in comedy roles.

She released a single in 1974, (Just As) I Am, which consisted mostly of speaking softly and sexily. She only had two lines to actually sing in the entire song and managed to bungle them both.

In 1983 she starred in the stage farce A Bedful of Foreigners which toured NSW and Queensland.

Her other TV appearances have included Class of 75 and Sons & Daughters, while her film career included Alvin Rides Again (1974), The True Story of Eskimo Nell (1975) and Summer City (1977).

In later years, Abigail could be seen endorsing an Australian diet product, having had her own struggle with a ballooning waistline throughout the late 90s.