Three's Company actress Suzanne Somers dies aged 76

She was best known for her portrayal of effervescent blonde Chrissy Snow on the television show Three's Company and Carol Foster Lambert on Step by Step.

"Her family was gathered to celebrate her 77th birthday on October 16," publicist R. Couri Hay said in a statement confirming her death.

"Instead, they will celebrate her extraordinary life, and want to thank her millions of fans and followers who loved her dearly."

Ms Somers was with her long-time husband Alan Hamel, son Bruce and other family in Palm Springs, California when she died on October 15.

The actress posted to her Instagram page on August 1 "I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down".

"I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it. This is not new territory for me. I know how to put on my battle gear and I'm a fighter.

"Alan has been by my side every step of the way. I can't even explain how much he has done for me. If it's even possible, we are even closer than ever."

Ms Somers was diagnosed with breast and skin cancer in 2000 and faced some backlash for her reliance on what she's described as a chemical-free and organic lifestyle to combat the cancers.

She argued against the use of chemotherapy, in books and on platforms like The Oprah Winfrey Show, which drew criticism from the American Cancer Society.

Born October 16, 1946 in San Bruno, California, Somers made her big screen debut as an uncredited extra in the action drama Bullitt in 1968.

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Following four additional uncredited roles (including as the blonde in the T-Bird in American Graffiti in 1973), Somers segued to television in guest spots in series like comedies Lotsa Luck! and the original One Day At A Time, dramas The Rockford Files, Starsky and Hutch and The Love Boat.

But it was Three's Company, the then controversial comedy about a single man (John Ritter) who moves in with two single women (Somers and Joyce DeWitt), that put her on the forefront.

Somers pursued avenues outside of sitcoms, including a Las Vegas act, writing books, hosting a talk show and becoming an entrepreneur. In the 1990s, she also became the spokesperson for the Thighmaster.

Somers returned to network television in the 1990s, most famously on Step by Step, which aired on ABC US. The network also aired a biopic of her life, starring her, called Keeping Secrets.

With Australian Associated Press