Elisabeth WELCH (1904-2003)

Elisabeth Welch This Is Your Life

programme details...

  • Edition No: 681
  • Subject No: 675
  • Broadcast date: Wed 6 Nov 1985
  • Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
  • Recorded: Tue 8 Oct 1985
  • Venue: Royalty Theatre
  • Series: 26
  • Edition: 3
  • Code name: Shanty

on the guest list...

  • Liz Robertson
  • Elaine Delmar
  • Acker Bilk
  • George Chisholm
  • Kenny Ball
  • Tony Pitt
  • Ritchie Bryant
  • John - brother
  • Adelaide Hall
  • Mary Ellis
  • Peter Graves
  • Hermione Baddeley
  • Tommy Trinder
  • June Whitfield
  • Paul Jones
  • Cleo Laine - via satellite
  • John Dankworth - via satellite
  • Evelyn Laye
  • Filmed tributes:
  • Lena Horne
  • Betty Driver

production team...

  • Researcher: Colin Williams
  • Writer: Norman Giller
  • Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
  • Associate Producer: Brian Klein
  • Producer: Malcolm Morris
  • names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
related pages...

Stephen Bourne, biographer of Elisabeth Welch, recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in October 2013

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Screenshots of Elisabeth Welch This Is Your Life

Elisabeth Welch's biography

Stephen Bourne recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, Soft Lights and Sweet Music, reproduced here with kind permission of the author...


Meanwhile, Elisabeth received the surprise of her life when she was the subject of one of Britain's most popular television shows, This Is Your Life.


Recorded on October 8 and televised on November 6, the programme, hosted by Eamonn Andrews, included tributes from Elaine Delmar, Liz Robertson, Adelaide Hall, Mary Ellis, Peter Graves, Betty Driver, Hermione Baddeley, Tommy Trinder, June Whitfield, Paul Jones, Cleo Laine and John Dankworth.


Evelyn Laye closed the show with the following tribute: "I've admired you since the Cochran days. I saw everything you ever did. I saw the last thing that you have just done (Kern Goes to Hollywood) and you were equally as great. Great you are! But the thing that I've loved more than anything over the years is the charming friendship that we've had together and may it long go on, my dear."


Lena Horne, friend and fan, appeared in a pre-recorded tribute. There was a big surprise when John Welch greeted his sister – in person – having travelled from his home in New York. Looking more beautiful and animated than ever, Elisabeth was overwhelmed and in tears throughout:


"It was absolutely fantastic. Wonderful. It was such a surprise. If I'd known it was going to happen I wouldn't have been there! It's terrifying. I didn't know how I'd get down those stairs at the beginning. Eamonn Andrews told me to put my hand on his arm because it was a long flight of stairs through the audience to the stage with no bannisters. I'd already been crying with nerves in the dressing room. When I walked onto the stage I was absolutely shivering. It was marvellous afterwards because then I got to talk to everybody. When I came home I sat in a chair and I was in shock for about an hour and a half. Then I went to bed and didn't sleep."

Series 26 subjects

William Roache | Dennis Taylor | Elisabeth Welch | Sheila Mercier | Richard Branson | Maurice Denham | David Ellaway
Terry O'Neill | Gerry Marsden | Joyce Carey | Chas n Dave | Oliver Reed | Felix Bowness | John Harris | Bonnie Langford
Henry Cotton | June McElnea | Derek Jameson | Richard Vernon | Martyn Lewis | Peter Shilton | Ted Rogers
Simon Williams | Larry Slater | Lena Kennedy | Denis Quilley