Big Red Book
Celebrating television's This Is Your Life
Les DAWSON (1931-1993)
THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Les Dawson, comedian, actor, writer and presenter, was surprised by Michael Aspel during the curtain call of the pantomime Dick Whittington at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth, from where the programme was then recorded.
Manchester born Les drifted through a series of jobs before he decided on trying a career in comedy. After learning his craft in the pubs and clubs of the north of England, he made his television debut on the ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks, winning the overall contest in 1967.
He made regular appearances on television throughout the 1970s, starring in his own television series Sez Les and Dawson's Weekly for ITV and The Dawson Watch for the BBC. From 1984 he presented the BBC comedy game show Blankety Blank until its cancellation in 1990.
Les Dawson was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions – previously surprised by Eamonn Andrews in December 1971 at Thames Television's Teddington Studios.
"It's not me? What? Bloody hell!"
programme details...
- Edition No: 849
- Subject No: second timer
- Broadcast date: Wed 23 Dec 1992
- Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
- Recorded: Fri 18 Dec 1992
- Venue: Theatre Royal, Plymouth
- Series: 33
- Edition: 13
- Code name: Ada
on the guest list...
- Ellis Ward
- Peter Goodwright
- Michele Dotrice
- Patrick Mower
- Tracy - wife
- Charlotte - daughter
- Julie - daughter
- Pamela - daughter
- Stuart - son
- Richard - stepson
- Samantha - stepdaughter
- Betty Lawrence
- Norman Collier
- Roy Barraclough
- Norman Murray
- Anne Chudleigh
- letter from HRH Prince Philip
- Lavinia Loughridge Filmed tributes:
- Russ Abbot
- Michael Barrymore
- Maureen Moreland
- Roly Polys
- Valerie Lehman
- Roger Stevenson
- Harry Stuart
- Jimmy Tarbuck
- John Nettles
- Rula Lenska
- Dennis Waterman
- Bruce Forsyth
- Eric Sykes
related appearances...
- Hughie Green - Feb 1972
- Roy Barraclough - Oct 1987
- Maureen Moreland - Jan 1992
production team...
- Researcher: Mandy Nixon
- Writer: Roy Bottomley
- Directors: Brian Klein, Malcolm Morris
- Associate Producer: John Graham
- Producer: Malcolm Morris
- names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life
first tribute
it's all about the comedy
surprised again!
TV Times takes a light-hearted look at keeping a secret
Screenshots of Les Dawson This Is Your Life
Although he had no current BBC commitments, the Corporation claimed him as their own in a trade advertisement after he won Variety Performer of the Year at the 1992 British Comedy Awards. His acceptance speech at the ceremony gave him a chance to remind younger producers in the audience of his abilities, although the producer of the event already knew him well, being Michael Hurll, who'd booked him on Cilla twenty-four years earlier. The award was a welcome fillip as he prepared to go into Dick Whittington at the Theatre Royal in Plymouth with his old friend Peter Goodwright. After the medical trouble that had caused him to pull out of pantomime the previous year, Dawson was pleased to be asked to do the show, and with his new-found enthusiasm for moderation and exercise, was in a far better condition to perform than in previous years.
So it was that the run passed without incident, apart from the night that a mysterious figure walked on stage while Dawson was dressed as Britannia and interrupted his flow. The audience knew who the man was, the cast knew too. Only Dawson was incredulous when Michael Aspel indicated his red book and told Dawson that he was being 'Lifed' for a second time. "Not me. What? Bloody hell," he spluttered. The pantomime set was then redressed as the This Is Your Life set and Dawson returned in a suit, clearly mouthng 'Bastards' with a slightly shell-shocked twinkle in his eye at Goodwright and fellow cast member Patrick Mower, who had both been keeping the big secret. Baby Charlotte is present at the start of the show, but is soon taken away to sleep by a nanny. The look of concern as Dawson clearly fears he won't get a chance to kiss her goodnight is very affecting.
As, in their way, were the tributes from friends and colleagues, most of them mock-insulting. John Nettles, detained in Stratford, regretted that he couldn't 'be there to lend a cultured gloss to the vulgar proceedings', while Bruce Forsyth - also on tape, in an empty studio ('I hope business is better in Plymouth') - told Dawson, 'If ever I do a piano duet with you, our friendship may have to end.' Speaking from Budapest, Rula Lenska and Dennis Waterman wished Dawson the best, with Waterman reminding his then-wife that 'You've worked with him twice. He's tried to ruin my career hundreds of times.'
It was only natural that Roy Barraclough should break his commitments to be there in person, and he remembered the early days of the Cissie and Ada characters. 'He'd long been an admirer of Norman Evans, as indeed was I,' Barraclough related. 'In those days we used to pre-record loads of sketches without an audience, and you had to hang around for a long time, and people used to get bored, so Les used to amuse all the crew and the technicians and go into this routine, and I joined in.' The anecdote is followed by the pair lapsing into gossip with a discussion about a local spiritualist:
CISSIE: Mrs Scattergood, she gets all the spirits through her. They come through her weegee.
ADA: Does she ever get cramp?
Not many of the guests from Dawson's first Life had survived the intervening twenty-one years, but Betty Lawrence, his friend and mentor from the fifties London interlude was present, at which Dawson became genuinely very emotional. Rather lighter in tone was the story of the Duke of Edinburgh and the black puddings, which Dawson was prevailed upon to relate. This was followed by a shot of the communication on Buckingham Palace notepaper saying simply 'Fried!!!, Philip'.
Les Dawson's lugubrious features have brightened many a Royal Variety occasion.
But when we surprised him onstage at his 1992 Christmas panto in Plymouth, it was the Duke of Edinburgh who had the last word: and I do mean word.
Researcher Mandy Nixon (daughter of the late star magician David) discovered Les and the Duke had an on-going dispute centred on - of all things - the correct method of cooking a black pudding. Lancashire-born Les was adamant: the only way to serve that county's delicacy is boiled. His Highness totally disagreed. He sent us a letter, on Buckingham Palace notepaper, and requested that Michael read it on the programme.
It contained one word: 'Fried!' Signed, Philip.
Sadly, Les died of a heart attack on 10 June 1993. Michael Aspel had known him since Crackerjack days in 1968. In a tribute Michael wrote, 'There was an honesty in his work that reflected his way of life. He was an unsentimental man, except where his father was concerned - and that, in the end, meant more to him than anything else.'
Series 33 subjects
Barbara Windsor | Dickie Bird | Frazer Hines | Pat Kerr | Juliet Mills | William Tarmey | Ellen Pollock | Tessa SandersonPeter Saunders | Anthony Newley | Bert Weedon | Glen Murphy | Les Dawson | John Surtees | Shirley Bassey
Albert and Michel Roux | Anthony Jones | Lynda Bellingham | Frank Bruno | Johnnie Hamp | Honor Blackman | Sister Aquinas
Roddy McDowall | Jimmy White | Peggy Spencer | Jackie Collins | Derek Fowlds | Nat Lofthouse | Ann Miller | George Melly