Well, thank you very much, Jerry!

"She delivered every line as if it were a jewelled crown on a velvet cushion. An utter genius." author Lissa Evans

A "national treasure" is a term often bandied-about - and often the epithet fits. None more so than in the case of the utterly delightful Dame Penelope Keith, who has sadly departed for Fabulon, aged 86, to sort out the hoi-polloi, teach them proper manners, and how to speak the Queen's English correctly, no doubt.

Her peerless encapsulation of the aspirational middle-classes, eccentrics and of genuine aristocrats, and in doing so make them funny and sympathetic at the same time, was the sign of a truly great actress (and belied her relatively low-status upbringing in Clapham, South London). Her "Audrey fforbes-Hamilton" in To The Manor Born and her "will-they-won't they" tentative romance with the upstart businessman to whom she has sold her family's country house, engaged the nation so much that the show garnered the highest audience for any non-live event on British TV in the 70s. She proved herself a game girl by her appearances on The Morecambe & Wise Show. She was a "trusted voice" for documentaries, and as a reader on Jackanory, but it was for one role alone with which she became forever associated...

...the indomitable Margo Leadbetter in The Good Life!

The Good Life: The Wind-break War

The Good Life: Margo's Muddy Moment

The Good Life - The "Ooh-Ah" Bird:

RIP, Dame Penelope Anne Constance Keith (née Hatfield, 2nd April 1940 – 29th June 2026)

Stop Messin' About!

“Oh, he loved showing his bum. Loved it. He joked about his bottom hanging in pleats.” - Carry on Emmannuelle co-star Suzanne Danielle

It is the centenary today of a uniquely talented man - the nation's favourite archly camp comedian, frustrated thespian, raconteur and wit, any chat-show host's favourite guest, perfect reader of children's books on Jackanory, a man of contradictions in temperament and mood between his public and private life, subversive yet troubled and full of self-loathing. Many have tried to pin down what exactly it was that made him so great, and an article by Ryan Gilbey in Friday's Guardian certainly gives us some great insights from people who knew him, or were inspired by him.

"As a child, I connected with his outsiderness. Rather than trying to fit in, he went in the opposite direction. Not only did he not apologise for being different, but he was queer in every sense, truly at odds with the world in which he found himself.

He regretted not being taken seriously. The great tragedy is he did something enormously serious through his comedy, which he could never realise or acknowledge. He wasn’t seen as an activist, and would probably hate to have been. What we sometimes forget, though, is that radical action comes in many forms.” - comedian Tom Allen

On Round the Horne, Williams and Hugh Paddick played the camp duo "Julian and Sandy", whose banter... consisted entirely of double entendres and the gay slang Polari. A prohibition on explicit language facilitated some of the filthiest innuendoes ever heard on British radio... First broadcast in 1965, two years before the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality between males over 21 in England and Wales, the sketches were subversive as well as funny.

“The whole thing was outrageously rude and queer. In a subtle, mainstream way, he changed attitudes hugely in this country." - Tom Allen

“He would be chatting about something intellectual and high-class, then suddenly be talking about his bumhole. “That lent him a sort of danger and spontaneity. He’s like a commedia dell’arte character, or the fool or trickster in mythology – he delights in pricking pomposity and turning expectations upside down.

It’s about saying: ‘This is what is respectable. But here is the murky stuff underneath.’ There was nobody better at doing that than him. What David Lynch did for America, Kenneth Williams did for Britain, but in the form of light entertainment.” - actor Michael Sheen

The biographer Roger Lewis credits him as one of the sources of Maggie Smith’s performance in Downton Abbey. The desiccated, withering Dowager Countess of Grantham, Lewis wrote, amounts to “Lady Bracknell as played in drag by Williams”.

In short, Kenneth williams was a genius. There will never, ever, be anyone else quite like him.

Kenneth Williams and Maggie Smith - Death in Leamington

Kenneth Williams - Parkinson, 1980

Kenneth Williams - Ma Crepe Suzette

Kenneth Williams - Stop Messin' About

Kenneth Charles Williams (22th February 1926 – 15th April 1988)

The other "Unsinkable Molly"

In her time, she was fashion editor for The Sunday Times, penned successful erotic "bonk-buster" books, started a bistro, designed hats for hip fashion store Biba, was a judge at the Alternative Miss World contest from its outset, presided over orgies in New York, was a regular at the debauched and notorious Colony Club, was banned from BBC chat shows for swearing, and became a much-lauded designer and painter in avant garde circles in her later years; she counted numerous "counter-culture" characters such as Quentin Crisp, Andy Warhol, Mary Quant, Francis Bacon, Anita Pallenberg and The Communards' Sarah Jane Morris among her friends; and her myriad lovers included James Robertson Justice, George Melly, Anthony Shaffer, John Thaw, Bo Diddley, John Mortimer - and she snogged Louis Armstrong!

What a life dear Molly Parkin - who has very sadly departed for Fabulon, presumably to cause havoc - had!

We adored her...

She certainly was never afraid of portraying sex (nor performing it, by all accounts)! [photo: Rob Greig]

Divine and Molly Parkin, taken at the London premiere of 'The Alternative Miss World' at The Gate Cinema in Notting Hill in 1980.

Molly and me, photographed at Polari way back in 2010...

RIP Molly Noyle Parkin (née Thomas, 3rd February 1932 – 5th January 2026)

The most expensive drag queen in the UK

The world is a far less glittery place, with the sad news that the legendary Stanley Baxter - one of the most popular entertainers in Britain over several decades - has shaken out that "Duchess of Brendah" wig for the very last time and ascended the glittering London Weekend Television stairway to Fabulon, at the magnificent age of 99.

Another piece of my childhood gone...

As the faboo Television Heaven site put it:

For 25 years Stanley Baxter produced the type of television spectacular that Morecambe and Wise could only afford to put on as part of their Christmas specials. Those legendary song and dance routines that Eric and Ernie performed in their shows may well be the stuff of television legend, but for Stanley Baxter, spectacular musical-comedy specials, reminiscent of Hollywood's best extravaganzas, were part of every series. And they were so flamboyant, and proved to be so costly, that Baxter was sacked not from just one, but two TV channels, who simply couldn't afford to keep him...

He was one of the true creative geniuses in British television light entertainment, and as far as comedy goes... Stanley Baxter was the true King of Scotland.

With his background in variety theatre, the Combined Entertainment Unit of the army in the post-War National Service years (alongside Kenneth Williams, John Schlesinger, Gordon Jackson and Peter Nichols) and - of course - panto, he was almost destined for a career in the fledging world of television (starting out in the 1950s), where his comedic talents and in particular his talent for mimicry (and drag) became a staple of Britain's "light entertainment" genre.

Very much a product of his time - his ITV "spectaculars" won the BAFTA Best Light Entertainment Programme Award two years running in 1973 and 1974 - much of Mr Baxter's fondly remembered output would nowadays be considered extremely non-PC, so repeats (were there ever to be any anyway) would needless to say be heavily edited [deep sigh]; hence the reason why he is largely forgotten. However, by way of a tribute to the great man [who, incidentally, only decided to finally "come out" as gay at the age of 94(!)], here are just three of Stanley's memorable sketches...

Stanley Baxter - Towering Quake '75

Stanley Baxter - The Fast Food Follies

Stanley Baxter - The Duchess of Brendagh

Irreplaceable!

RIP, Stanley Livingstone Baxter (24th May 1926 – 11th December 2025)

Valentine no more

Sad news. Another of the UK's most popular actresses, Miss Pauline Collins has departed for the bright lights of Fabulon.

In a career spanning seven decades, her roles encompassed realist drama, situation comedy, costume drama, children's programmes, sci-fi and a variety of "homespun" character parts on telly and on the big screen - everything from Z-Cars to Upstairs, Downstairs to Tales of the Unexpected to The Ambassador to Quartet to The Time of Their Lives (with Joan Collins).

Of course, it is for one marvellous performance that she is forever immortalised, however - Shirley Valentine (for which she was nominated for an Oscar)!

Shirley Valentine - Trailer

"That's right, Millandra, I'm going to Greece for the sex! Sex for breakfast! Sex for dinner! Sex for tea! And sex for supper!"
"Sounds like a fantastic diet, love!"
"It is, have you never heard of it? It's called the "F" plan!"

A superb film. A superb actress. We'll miss her terribly.

Facts about Pauline Collins:

• Despite her Scouse accent, Pauline was actually born in Exmouth in Devon; her family moved to Liverpool when she was a child.
• After an early part in Doctor Who, in 1967 she was offered to become the Second Doctor's next companion but turned the part down.
• She was "Dawn" in the first five episodes of the classic 70s BBC sitcom The Liver Birds, before Nerys Hughes debuted in the show as "Sandra".
• She and real-life husband John Alderton not only acted together as "Thomas and Sarah" in Upstairs, Downstairs and its eponymous spin-off, they were often cast as a couple - in Yes, Honestly, Wodehouse Playhouse, Forever Green and Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War, as well as on stage.

RIP, Pauline Collins OBE (3rd September 1940 - )

Oh, I know...

Basil Fawlty: "Do you remember when we were first manacled together? We used to laugh quite a lot."

Sybil Fawlty: "Yes, but not at the same time, Basil."

'The fête itself, dear one,' said Elizabeth, 'is what I must speak about. I cannot possibly permit it to take place in my garden. The rag-tag and bob-tail of Tilling passing through my hall and my sweet little sitting-room and spending the afternoon in my garden! All my carpets soiled and my flower-beds trampled on! And how do I know that they will not steal upstairs and filch what they can find?'

'As long as I am tenant here,' said Lucia, 'I shall ask here whom I please, and when I please, and--and how I please. Or do you wish me to send you a list of the friends I ask to dinner for your sanction?'

RIP, Prunella Scales (22nd June 1932 - 27th October 2025). One of Britain's most wonderful and beloved actresses. We adored her.

You decide what's right, you decide what's good

Another sparkling diamond in the vocal world has "booped" her last "doop" and departed for Fabulon, to join the pantheon of jazz greats - Dame Cleo Laine!

Famed for her long, long professional as well as personal relationship with husband Johnny Dankworth as much as for her singing, together they carved out a niche for themselves in the oft-fractious world of post-war British jazz, she with her remarkable multi-octave voice and he with his musical talent and business savvy. She successfully straddled classical and pop cross-overs, as well as the scat-jazz vocalese for which she was famed, made numerous guest appearances on TV over the years [indeed, on hearing of her death today in the office I reminisced that she was probably the first prominent black person I remember seeing on telly apart from on children's programmes like Play School], became successful Stateside, and together in 1970 the couple founded the Stables Theatre at the back of their family home near Milton Keynes in Buckinghamshire, which has helped develop the careers of many generations of performers.

By way of a fitting tribute - and a prime example of why we adored her so much - here is a selection of the divine Miss Laine's interpretations of the work of house fave Mr Stephen Sondheim:

Cleo Laine - No One Is Alone

Cleo Laine - Losing My Mind

Cleo Laine - Anyone Can Whistle

Cleo Laine - Everybody Says Don't

Cleo Laine - I Remember

Cleo Laine - Liaisons

Cleo Laine - Send In The Clowns

Cleo Laine - Not While I'm Around

RIP, Dame Cleo Laine, Lady Dankworth DBE (born Clementine Dinah Hitching, 28th October 1927 - 24th July 2025)

And finally... What on earth?

Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Diller and Cleo Laine playing cricket!

What is it, muesli?

Remarkably, sharing a birthday with some of the "Best of British", including Kenneth Williams, Sir Bruce Forsyth, Christine Keeler, Nigel Planer, Judy Cornwell, Dame Sheila Hancock, Sir John Mills, Lord Baden-Powell, the Duchess of Kent, Genesis P-Orridge and, erm, James Blunt; as well as George Washington, Marni Nixon, Drew Barrymore (who is 50!), Luis Buñuel, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Kyle MacLachlan, Edward Gorey, Guy Mitchell, Jonathan Demme, Ted Kennedy, Niki Lauda, Steve Irwin, Ellen Greene, Lea Salonga, Arthur Schopenhauer and, erm, Dolly the sheep; our beloved Dame Julie Walters celebrates her 75th birthday today!

All hail.

One of our all-time favourite actresses here at Dolores Delargo Towers, Dame Julie has turned her hand to a little bit of everything, from drama to comedy to musicals, and in her long career quite rightly earned herself that well-trodden epithet "national treasure".

So without further ado, here's a random selection of favourite bits from her career...

Victoria Wood and Julie Walters - Marjorie and Joan: Double Glazing [Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV]

Julie Walters and Michael Caine - Educating Rita: Ibsen

Filth: The Mary Whitehouse Story

Victoria Wood and Juie Walters - Turkish Bath

Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston - Two Soups [Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV]

Dinnerladies

Personal Services: "Dolly!"

Acorn Antiques episode 5 [Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV]

An inspiration in my life...

Many, many happy returns, Dame Julia Mary Walters DBE (born 22nd February 1950)

Judi's a slag!

Judi and Maggie being pampered

The magnificent Dame Judi Dench is 90 years old today! All hail.

Many and varied are the tributes being paid to the great lady, but quite possibly the most unexpected one is from her pet African grey parrot, Sweetie:

“We had a long chat just now. You shouldn’t ask what she says. She says: ‘You’re a slut’, ‘you’re a slag’!”

“Honest to God, it’s true,” Dench said. “I don’t know where she learned the timing.”

Many happy returns, Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9th December 1934)

No words

It's the end of an era.

RIP, Dame Maggie Smith.

We adored you.

Oh, Mr Rigsby!

The magnificent not-yet-a-Dame Frances de la Tour is 80 years old today!

All hail.

Arise...

...Dame Imelda Staunton! Well-deserved - she's been treading the boards and on our screens for so many years, and in so many roles - "Dolores Umbridge" in Harry Potter, "Mama Rose" in Gypsy, "Mrs Lovett" in Sweeney Todd, "Sally" in Follies, "Lady Bagshaw" in the Downton Abbey film, "Miss Adelaide" in Guys and Dolls, and HM The Queen in The Crown; she also starred in Vera Drake, Peter's Friends, Bright Young Things, My Family and Other Animals, Pride, Sense and Sensibility, Cranford and Midsomer Murders, provided voiceovers for Chicken Run, Paddington and Doctor Who - and much, much more...

A true national treasure. We adore her - and will be seeing her on stage again in Hello Dolly! later this year.

Also honoured: artist Dame Tracey Emin, fashion accessories designer and businesswoman Dame Anya Hindmarch; Sir Alan Bates [the campaigner for justice against the Post Office], historian Professor Sir Niall Ferguson, Royal Ballet choreographer Sir Wayne McGregor, composer Sir John Rutter; Companion of Honour (former PM) Gordon Brown.

Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE): writer Monica Ali, satirist, TV producer and writer Armando Iannucci, actor Alex Jennings, Welsh broadcaster Roy Noble, former footballer and fundraiser Graeme Souness, television executive and presenter Alan Yentob; Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE): former TV journalist and correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, former footballer and TV pundit Ally McCoist, and one of my former Scope colleagues and charity executive Ruth Marvel; Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE): Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran, Alternative Miss World founder and designer Andrew Logan, stalwart of "Dictionary Corner" on Countdown for 30 years Susie Dent, Dinnerladies and Corrie actress Shobna Gulati, broadcaster Nick Owen and Heather Small of M People.

Congratulations, all!

King's Birthday Honours list 2024

Professional cad and bounder

Heavens. It would have been the centenary of the remarkable "professional cad and bounder" Leslie Phillips, suavest-of-the-suave lotharios in the "Carry On" and "Doctor" film series, and on telly in Casanova '73, who carved out a later career portraying gentlemen and authority figures, always with his inimitable clipped accent and slightly "wink-wink-nudge-nudge" demeanor - and of course, the customary, breathy catchphrases "Ding, Dong...", and "Hell...oh!"

A true "national treasure".

Read my tribute on the occasion of his death in 2022.

Read the British Comedy Guide tribute on his centenary.

The Kiwi Songbird

Heavens to Betsy!

Dame Kiri te Kanawa is 80 years old...

A "national treasure" here in the UK [despite being a born and bred New Zealander] since Charles and Diana's marriage way back in 1982, Dame Kiri's dulcets have indeed been an integral part of the classical repertoire for many decades. She's appeared on the best world stages, including the Royal Opera House, La Scala Milan, Paris Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Vienna State Opera, Sydney Opera House and the New York Met; she was chosen by Leonard Bernstein for his award-winning classical adaptation of West Side Story, sang the "signature tune" for the 1991 Rugby World Cup, starred as "Dame Nellie Melba" in Downton Abbey and was an enduring favourite choice of the late HM The Queen for many a Royal celebration...

...like this one:

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa - Je dis que rien ne m'épouvante ("Micaela's Aria") [Bizet: Carmen; Golden Jubilee Prom at the Palace 2002]

Many happy returns, Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa, ONZ, CH, DBE, AC (born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6th March 1944)

[Read my previous tribute to the grande dame @adecadeago on the occasion of her 70th birthday.]

One criticises because one loves

I love Britain, like most Britons I get desperately upset at her failings: when it goes wrong, when it gets it totally totally wrong, when it's shoddy, when it's inefficient, incompetent, rude, vulgar, embarrassing, when it slips into national torpor or boils into bouts of embarrassing national fever. I can moan about health and safety gone mad and leaves on the line, rail networks and crap service and crap weather and crap sporting achievements and crap politicians and crap newspapers and crap attitude. I can do all that.

In fact it's the defining signature quality of my Britishness to talk like that, to complain and to self-castigate but does it mean that I don't love this damned country? Does it mean that I don't get weepy when I think of its history, its people, its countryside, its richness, its plurality, the cultural and artistic energy, the good humour, tolerance, the ability to evolve for good, achingly slow as that ability might be? Does it mean that I don't as it were stand to attention when I think of the sacrifice of our military, the selfless good of so many working in hospitals and schools and rescue services and the million acts of unremembered kindness, decency and good fellowship practised every day by unsung heroes and heroines in every walk of life? Of course it doesn't mean that I don't love and respect that. One carps and one criticises because one loves.

It is the birthday today of Stephen Fry, actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, audiobook narrator, writer, raconteur and "national treasure".

Stephen Fry explains British etiquette

All hail!