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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Harry Secombe, comedian, actor and singer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews outside the BBC Television Theatre, having been led to believe he was there for a filmed interview with Picture Parade about his forthcoming trip to South Africa.

Harry, who was born in Swansea, worked as a clerk in a colliery pay office before serving with the Territorial Army in the North African Campaign during the Second World War. While in the army, Harry appeared in concert parties and later joined a pool of entertainers stationed in Naples, which included Spike Milligan, with whom he formed a double act.

After the war, Harry worked briefly at London's Windmill Theatre before moving into radio with regular appearances on such shows as Variety Bandbox and Educating Archie. In 1951, he teamed up again with Spike Milligan and, along with Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine, wrote a comedy radio script, which led to the successful and influential BBC radio series The Goon Show.

Harry Secombe was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions - surprised again by Michael Aspel in February 1990 in a London branch of WH Smith.

programme details...

• Edition No: 61
• Subject No: 61
• Broadcast live: Mon 31 Mar 1958
• Broadcast time: 8.45-9.15pm
• Repeated: Wed 7 Aug 1963 9.50pm
• Repeated: Fri 7 Nov 1986 7.20pm
• Venue: BBC Television Theatre
• Series: 3
• Edition: 27

on the guest list...

• Peter Haigh
• Eric Sykes
• Fred - father
• Nellie - mother
• Fred Jnr - brother
• Carol - sister
• Percy Roberts
• Bill Layman
• Johnny Owens
• Ken Harling
• Mrs Harling
• Len Lightowler
• Myra - wife
• Jimmy Grafton
• Mai Jones
• Katie Boyle
• Kathleen Savage
• Spike Milligan
• Peter Sellers
• Ray Ellington
Filmed tribute:
• Adele Leigh

related appearances...

• Jimmy Edwards - Oct 1958
• Harry Worth - Nov 1963
• Wendy Craig - Feb 1970
• Dickie Henderson - Feb 1971
• Spike Milligan - Apr 1973
• Eamonn Andrews - May 1974
• Petula Clark - Apr 1975
• Beryl Reid - Mar 1976
• ITV This Is Your Life - Sep 1976
• Eric Sykes - Dec 1979
• Judith Chalmers - Apr 1981
• Kiri Te Kanawa - Dec 1981
• Jimmy Tarbuck- Apr 1983
• George Thomas - Dec 1983
• Geraint Evans- Jan 1984
• Bill Ward - Dec 1986
• Cliff Morgan - Dec 1988
• Gillian Lynne - Feb 1989
• Evelyn Glennie - Mar 1991
• Spike Milligan - Feb 1995
• Thora Hird - Dec 1996
• The Night of 1000 Lives - Jan 2000

production team...

• Researcher: Michael Williams
• Writer: Ken Smith
• Director: unknown
• Producer: T Leslie Jackson

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Harry Secombe

second tribute

That's Entertainment

there's no business like it

Life Second Time Around

surprised again!

ITV This is Your Life

A special edition celebrating ITV's 21st anniversary

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Birth of Life

the genesis of the programme

Ratings slump sounds death knell for This Is Your Life

Press speculation on the future of This Is Your Life

Biggest night of all for the big red book

Press coverage for The Night of 1000 Lives

Katie Boyle

Spike Milligan

Eric Sykes

Photographs and screenshots of Harry Secombe This Is Your Life