Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Felix BOWNESS (1922-2009)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Felix Bowness, comedian and actor, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at the Royalty Theatre while warming up the audience ahead of the programme, not realising the clocks had been altered and the programme was already being recorded.
Felix, who was born in Harwell, Oxfordshire, became a flyweight boxing champion in his youth before beginning an apprenticeship with a shop fitting firm in Reading. He served with the Royal Berkshire Regiment during the Second World War before several post-war amateur stage appearances led to him becoming a professional performer.
He appeared on radio in the 1950s on Variety Bandbox and Workers' Playtime before breaking into television in the early 1960s. Felix spent many years as a warm-up act for television shows, including Morecambe and Wise, The Two Ronnies and This Is Your Life!, and became a household name as jockey Fred Quilley in the BBC television sitcom Hi-de-Hi!
"This Is Your Life Felix Bowness... I hope it's not!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 691
- Subject No: 686
- Broadcast date: Wed 15 Jan 1986
- Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
- Recorded: Tue 3 Dec 1985
- Venue: Royalty Theatre
- Series: 26
- Edition: 13
- Code name: Jockey
on the guest list...
- David Croft
- Jimmy Perry
- David Griffin
- Nikki Kelly
- David Webb
- Tony Webb
- Chris Andrews
- Linda Regan
- Laura Jackson
- Julie-Christian Young
- Diane Holland
- Barry Howard
- Jeffrey Holland
- Ruth Madoc
- Su Pollard
- Paul Shane
- Mavis - wife
- Robert - son
- Jennifer - daughter-in-law
- John - brother
- Yvonne - sister-in-law
- Ian - nephew
- Jill - Ian's wife
- Julie - niece
- Veronica - niece
- David - Julie's husband
- Peter - Veronica's husband
- Matthew - great nephew
- Charlotte - great niece
- Terry Biddlecombe
- Stan Mellor
- Josh Gifford
- Dana Mellor
- Dougie Jordan
- Ron Bishop
- Nobby Clark
- John Hardy
- Albert Wyatt
- Les Radley
- Ron Patmore
- Elsie Waters
- Mollie Sugden
- Wendy Richards
- Insp Robin Hallower
- PC Martin Skipper
- Ted Rogers
- Jonathan - grandson
- David - grandson
- Christopher - grandson
- Ernie Wise Filmed tributes:
- Graham Goode
- Ken Dodd
related appearances...
- Paul Shane - Dec 1981
- Ruth Madoc - Nov 1984
- Su Pollard - Mar 1989
- Lord Brabourne - Oct 1990
- David Croft - Dec 1995
- Chris Tarrant - Mar 1997
production team...
- Researcher: Angela Clark
- Writer: Tom Brennand
- Directors: Terry Yarwood, Michael D Kent
- Associate Producer: Brian Klein
- Producer: Malcolm Morris
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
the sitcom stars
the programme's icon
the applause, laughter and tears
Screenshots of Felix Bowness This Is Your Life
Series 26 subjects
William Roache | Dennis Taylor | Elisabeth Welch | Sheila Mercier | Richard Branson | Maurice Denham | David EllawayTerry 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