I think people feel starved of nice, glamorous entertainment. They want to see costumes and gaiety and a singer; old-fashioned entertainment - it won't die easily.

At 5 ft 1 in (1. Following National Service he moved to London and Gravesend to act and started his career by playing schoolboy roles in films. A former Aircraftman 2nd class he was commissioned into the secretarial branch of the RAF as a pilot officer (national service) on 25 May 1950.

He achieved prominence in Sir David Frost's 1960s satirical comedy programme The Frost Report and later starred in the sitcoms Sorry! and No – That's Me Over Here!.