This Is Your Life: Frank Carson

Frank CARSON (1926-2012)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Frank Carson, comedian, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews at Heathrow Airport, having flown into London from Dublin on the same plane. The two had sat next to each other with Frank unaware that Eamonn had the Big Red Book in his hand luggage ready to reveal when they landed!

Frank began his comedy career in his native Belfast, performing at pubs and clubs in the evenings, while working as a plasterer by day. He turned professional in the early 1960s and became a popular performer on Irish television, before moving to Britain in 1966 to work as a stand-up comedian on the club circuit.

He appeared on the BBC's The Good Old Days and on ITV's Hughie Green's Opportunity Knocks talent show, which he won three times. But it was his appearances on The Comedians, a programme that consisted of 30 minutes of non-stop comedy from several comedians, that made Frank a household name.

"Oh, I don't believe it! Oh my god! I'm thrilled to bits - it's the only television show I haven't been on!"

programme details...

Edition No: 665
Subject No: 659
Broadcast date: Wed 6 Feb 1985
Broadcast time: 8.00-8.30pm
Recorded: Sun 13 Jan 1985
Venue: Royalty Theatre
Series: 25
Edition: 14
Code name: Cracker

on the guest list...

Johnnie Hamp
Ruth - wife
Majella - daughter
Rob - son-in-law
Tony - son
Zoe - daughter-in-law
Aidan - son
Diane - daughter-in-law
Seamus - brother
Jim Bowen
Duggie Brown
Mike Burton
George Roper
Colin Crompton
Charlie Williams
Pat - brother
Eddie Flanagan
Tommy Moran
Danny Small
Donald O'Docherty
Michael McCafferty
Bishop Edward Daly
Gloria Hunniford
Maurice Lee
Graham Walker
Robin Colvill
Albert Sutcliffe
Carl Sutcliffe
Henry Cooper
Henry Tweedie
Deaglan - grandchild
Rory - grandchild
Ashley - grandchild
Aidan - grandchild
Saoirse - grandchild
Josie - mother
Bernard Manning
Sisters of the Convent of the Poor Clares

production team...

Researchers: Angela Clark, Tom Wettengel
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
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...

It's a Funny Old Life

it's all about the comedy

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Johnnie Hamp, television producer, recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in November 2011

Screenshots of Frank Carson This Is Your Life

Chris Tarrant recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, It's Not A Proper Job...

The one person who always seemed to make it onto This Is Your Life was Frank Carson. He appeared, welcome or not, in the life of just about every man, woman and child in the country. He was always available, or made himself available. He was always popular and he always had something funny to say about whoever the guest was. He probably appeared on the show more than anyone else in the UK, probably more than Michael Aspel or Eamonn Andrews. At one point he was on several weeks together and he used to sign off with, "That's it from me, Big Frank. Eamonn, I'll see you next week."

But Frank himself had never been the programme's subject. It was almost certainly because none of the other guests would have a chance to get a word in edgeways. Although he and Eamonn both lived in Dublin at the time, and they would see each other on the plane regularly to and from London, Frank himself was never 'The Life'. Whenever Frank saw Eamonn he would pretend to run off saying, "You'll never get me, I know you've got the red book in that briefcase." But of course, Eamonn hadn't. It was locked up in the studio in London.

This went on for years, until one day Eamonn was flying across to Heathrow from Dublin, and Frank came and sat next to him on the plane. Frank started going through his usual nonsense, with Eamonn saying, "Don't be so silly, Frank. We've got loads of much bigger stars lined up for the next five years," when all of a sudden, as they were leaving the aircraft, a film crew appeared out of nowhere and Eamonn produced the legendary red book from under his coat that he had hidden all the way across the Irish Sea. On the front of the book were the legendary words, 'This Is Your Life, Frank Carson', and Frank, for once, and probably the only time in his life, was absolutely gobsmacked. He was actually stuck for words. The silence lasted for nearly two whole seconds.

The Sun article: Frank Carson This Is Your Life

The Sun 6 November 1987

MY TEARS FOR MY PAL EAMONN

By Frank Carson

By DICK SAXTY

Funnyman Frank Carson broke down in tears yesterday for the pal he called "The Hit Man".

Frank, 61 today, put on a brave face as he recalled more than 30 years of friendship and laughter with Eamonn. He said: "He was like a brother to me. My life will be a lot poorer without him."

The top Irish comic learned of his friend's death in an early morning phone call from his wife Ruth. "I sat down and cried," he said. "I just couldn't believe it."

"Obviously I knew he had been in hospital and that he had been ill. But I didn't know how ill. I feel very, very sad inside. Just once in your life, if you're very lucky, you have a friend like this man. He was very special to me."

"So I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried for him."

Frank had to hide his heartache as he rehearsed for a new Granada TV series, The Funny Side, in Manchester.

Legend

He said: "Sure, I had to go into the studio and be funny. That wasn't difficult because I knew Eamonn would have carried on like the wonderful professional he was."

"People didn't realise just how good Eamonn was. He has become a legend in showbusiness."

"I'll always treasure the memories of Eamonn's laughter – and I could reduce him to helpless laughter within minutes."

Teasing

"He laughed so much when I called him The Hit Man because of all the disguises he used to trap his victims for This Is Your Life."

"Eamonn had a wonderful sense of humour. He loved my Irish gags but if you told him a blue joke he would blush and go very quiet."

"He was a very dignified man. I never told him in so many words but he knew I was very proud of him."

Frank and Eamonn met in Dublin more than 30 years ago as they watched an up-and-coming act – The Bachelors – perform at the Gaiety Theatre.

"He was a young radio commentator then and I thought I was the best young comedian in the world," recalled Frank.

"Over the years we encouraged each other as our careers progressed."

"It's very hard to go through this business without making enemies. But Eamonn certainly managed it."

Victim

Frank laughed as he recalled how three years ago Eamonn surprised him with his famous red book as they flew from Dublin to Heathrow.

"I was completely taken in," Frank admits. "I didn't have a clue that I was the victim for the show."

"The Hit Man had got his own back – and I loved it."

Series 25 subjects