France's original 'Sex Kitten' Brigitte Bardot dies aged 91

Brigitte Bardot, the French actor and singer who became an international sex symbol before turning to animal rights activism, has passed away aged 91. The French former actress and singer had been ill in hospital in Toulon, according to local media. Her foundation said in a statement: 'The Brigitte Bardot Foundation announces with immense sadness the death of its founder and president, Madame Brigitte Bardot, a world-renowned actress and singer, who chose to abandon her prestigious career to dedicate her life and energy to animal welfare and her foundation'. It does not specify the time or place where Bardot died. Known as the original 'Sex Kitten', Bardot shot to international notoriety with her role in 1956 film And God Created Woman, which was directed by her first husband Roger Vadim. Described by Time magazine as France's 'most ogled export', Bardot's sex appeal was further fuelled by her outings as a model.