Edna Gilroy was Alec Gilroy's older sister. Daughter of Reg and Mabel, it was Edna who instilled in Alec a passion for showbusiness; she had a modicum of talent as a singer and performed at a number of venues, sometimes alongside her brother (with Alec starting up a trained ferret act to compete). Left to entertain the crowds solo when Edna left the business to get married, Alec moved his career backstage, where he found he was better at managing talent than showcasing his own.