Growing up in the 1980s the TV (only 4 terrestrial channels back then) were now a thing of legend in their own right, such was the richness and variety of true stars and personalities.
This is where my interest in showbusiness germinated, without a shadow of a doubt because although we did only have the four channels there were filled with wonderful, first class shows and, at times, shows that may have been a little wobbly around the edges but still stood up because of the immense talent of those involved.
Those involved weren’t there for their 15 minutes of fame, they were there because they had talent, a thirst to entertain us and dedication.
Pictured right: The Dames assemble at the charity event, GOSH! It’s Gyles & Judi & all the Dames, which I was lucky to attend in March 2023 (Back row (left to right); Dame Harriet Walter, Dame Penelope Wilton, Baroness Floella Benjamin OM, DBE, DL, Gyles Brandreth, Dame Maureen Lipman, Dame Joanna Lumley, Dame Lesley 'Twiggy' Lawson. Front row (left to right); Dame Eileen Atkins, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Patricia Routledge, Dame Sheila Hancock & Dame Joan Collins.
Having spoken with and interviewed so many wonderful actors and people who worked in ‘showbusiness’ at that time (and many who still do) it is clear that often there was no pomp and ceremony and they had to make do and simply ‘get on with it’. Many were involved in long running TV shows and then also had theatrical performances in the evening creating a near impossible and back breaking schedule, with a matinee thrown in for good measure.
Of course, as simply a viewer and a spectator to their craft we aren’t always conscious of this and so the myth of showbusiness being ‘glamourous’ is quite untrue.
Pictured Left: Dame Maggie Smith as the Dowager Countess in Downton Abbey, and a rare handwritten letter from my personal collection.
Fast forward to today and many of those same names are still around and are still serving up incredible performances. This very special section is about those names. Some you may be more familiar with than others but all, combined, total hundreds (if not thousands) of entertainment hours and, collectively, hundreds of years of experience. This feature is dedicated to those people who seem to be an integral part of our entertainment psyche and the fabric of Great British entertainment.
I feel incredibly privileged to have met most of these people in person and had a chat, shared a drink, shook hands and perhaps even had a small ‘fanboy’ moment. To all of them I quite simply say ‘thank you’. Thank you for the performances that have given us so many hours of joy and for inspiring new generations of talent. In a world of thousands of TV channels, on demand and streaming platforms galore let’s sort the wheat from the chaff and find out who inspired them, what advice they would give and where it all started for them.
Pictured: Me with Felicity Kendal after a performance of Noises Off (2023)
Rather than this being a ‘biography’ of these incredible people, as after all an awful lot of information is already available online for diehard fans, I wanted to ask them a few simple questions that may offer up fresh insight into who they are and their thoughts on the industry today. Sadly, some of these greats are no longer with us yet their legacy lives on and so I have decided to share my personal experience of meeting those over the years who are now at the glorious great performance upstairs.
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