**Warning – contains spoilers for The Simpsons season 37 episode 7, which will debut in the UK on Monday 24th November**
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The latest episode of The Simpsons brought with it a shocking twist, as fans witnessed the death of a character who has been a mainstay on the show since almost its very beginning.
The episode in question – called Sashes to Sashes – saw Alice Glick, the organist at Springfield's church, die as a sermon was being given, with a memorial service later being held at Springfield Elementary.
While some character deaths in the show's history haven't turned out to be permanent, executive producer Tim Long told People that Alice is indeed gone for good.
He said: "In a sense, Alice the organist will live forever, through the beautiful music she made. But in another, more important sense, yep, she’s dead as a doornail."
Alice Glick in The Simpsons. Fox
Alice first appeared in the season 2 episode Three Men and a Comic Book, which aired in 1991. She was at that time voiced by Cloris Leachman, but following Leachman's passing in 2021, Tress MacNeille took over the role.
Earlier this year, fans worried that the show had also killed off Mr Largo, Lisa's music teacher, as referenced in an offhand comment by Springfield Elementary student Devin.
However, this turned out not to be the case, with executive producer and writer Jessica Conrad telling TVLine that she didn't expect anyone could "actually believe that we would kill him off off-camera".
Other characters to have been killed off over the years include Frank Grimes, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Maude Flanders, Mona Simpson, Hyman Krustofsky and Larry Dalrymple.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
