A Great Entertainer 1953. Bob died peacefully in his sleep this morning at his home after a lengthy battle with cancer.". He was the host of television game shows including The Golden Shot, Celebrity Squares, Family Fortunes and Wipeout. His parents hoped he would join the family's custard business, but Bob and his friend Denis Goodwin had other plans. He seemed to be a lesson to us all in how to keep smiling through adversity. Veteran British comedian and television host Bob Monkhouse has died at his Bedfordshire home aged 75. I had the chance to see him in concert in the early '90s and it was only then that I realised exactly how funny this man was. He fell out with his parents over his marriage to first wife Elizabeth when he was 20, never making up with his father. "I saw a specialist who asked me 'Are you familiar with the phrase faecal impaction?' [7] He established a comics writing and art partnership with Dulwich schoolmate Denis Gifford and the two formed their own publishing company, Streamline, in the early 1950s. [11], Monkhouse was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2001, and he died from this illness at his home on 29 December 2003. It was catalogued and restored to digital formats for a major event at British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) on 24 October 2009. Around 1969 he was a partner, with Malcolm Mitchell, in the Mitchell Monkhouse Agency. And she goes to pluck the mushroom and continues plucking it for about five minutes.". He went on to enjoy a long career as a comedian and occasional straight actor. On Monkhouse's death, the books were bequeathed to Colin Edmonds. Two video cassettes of my cabaret act and a sea of game shows as valuable as yesterdays Daily Mirror.. This account already exists. Monkhouse's TV shows included The Golden Shot - which at its peak had 16 million viewers - Opportunity Knocks and Bob's Full House. Read a selection of your e-mails below. I remember some of his shows vividly, and it's a shame that yet another member of the old school of comedy is now gone. This I have treasured for 45 years. Robert Alan Monkhouse OBE (1 June 1928 - 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, writer and actor. He was 75. The ad showed him in a graveyard, purportedly next to his grave, making pointed jokes about the illness. His loss is like losing a beloved family member. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies. Mr Prichard described Monkhouse as "one of the finest men I've ever known. The marriage ended after 18 years after they had three children - Abigail, Gary and Simon. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. A great comedian and a superb 'ad-libber'. But those gentlemen aside there are quite a number of people who are difficult to get on with because they haven't cracked it.. The comedian said: I got it when I was 18 or 19. He passed away at home in Bedfordshire on December 29 2003. Monkhouse had an elder brother, John, who was born in 1922. Bob Monkhouse: Master Of Laughter airs on Channel 5 tonight Tuesday, December 29 at 9pm. In 1979 he starred in US sketch comedy television series Bonkers! He gave me a guided tour of his car and let me take his photo alongside it. Monkhouse was allegedly lured into a bedroom by a very attractive and comely young dancer, according to a 2014 Flashbak article. He went on to front Celebrity Squares, Family Fortunes, Bob's Full House, Bob Says Opportunity Knocks and, more recently, the National Lottery Draw. He published his first cartoon when he was 12, and sold a joke to his hero, Max Miller, for five shillings when he was 15. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations with other readers. for his slickness and accused of insincerity. That's even more than my wife's cooking."). Never short of a joke or quip. I always enjoyed his 'Smooth' act and his (sometimes v. naughty) innuendos. The late comedian was among Britains top entertainers and is believed to have inspired contemporary funnymen including Jimmy Carr, Michael McIntyre and Peter Kay. Mr Prichard described Monkhouse as "one of the finest men I've ever known". Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. Monkhouse also appeared in 12 films including Carry On Sergeant. A real comedian and personality in the original sense of the word. The former Family Fortunes host died in his sleep in the early hours at home in the village of Eggington, Bedfordshire, where he lived with his second wife Jackie. READ MORE: America's Got Talent star Scott Alexander dies after suffering sudden stroke. The dozens of other shows Monkhouse presented included Celebrity Squares, Family Fortunes and Bob's Full House. Decca Record Company Limited, 1963. He first appeared on This Is Your Life in 1982 and received a second appearance on the show on 23April 2003, just months before his death. I only 'discovered' his magic some 4 years ago but am so glad I did. Monkhouse was working until six weeks ago, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites, Images from the veteran comic's lengthy career, Bob Monkhouse on Museum of Broadcast Communications, Bob Monkhouse interviewed by Off The Telly.co.uk - May 2003. [citation needed] He came back into fashion during the 1990s, and an appearance on Have I Got News for You helped to restore his popularity.[12]. And during the later years of his career when most performers slow down that was pretty much the case due to his regular National Lottery hosting job. I saw him live a few years ago and whilst a little 'blue' I couldn't stop laughing at his jokes. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, Huge urgent police search for missing baby of Constance Marten, Shocking video shows machete fight in broad daylight, Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Pupils take to TikTok as they stage protest at Shenfield High School, Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, Moment supermarket cashier is attacked at work in New York, Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby, Police: Constance Marten's baby may have come to serious harm. Bob Monkhouse's Comedy Heroes: Directed by Willy Smax. He only got back on terms with his mother after 20 years, shortly before she died. He revealed that the only difficulty he experienced was with the Essex lot, who he defined as lary lads who came from the scrap-metal belt. A genuinely funny man has left us.Paul Curran, Lowestoft, A true gentleman, a true comedian, a true workaholic and now a legend. I wouldn't know what to do if I retired anyway.". The controversial US oil plan explained, Watch: Moment teenager smashes into lorry during 100mph police chase. Bob Monkhouse, the comedian who died yesterday aged 75, became synonymous with television game shows, playing the unctuous host to more than 30 different programmes that, like him . [25] Using computer animation techniques and a sound-alike actor, Monkhouse was seen in a graveyard next to his own grave (though in reality he was cremated) talking about the disease seriously, interspersed with humorous asides to another camera ("What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. Robert Alan "Bob" Monkhouse, OBE (1st June 1928 - 29th December 2003) was an English entertainer and comedian. Monkhouse was reported to have let out one of his staccato laughs as he explained the scene. It is very, very sad news.". Monkhouse was the class clown at Dulwich College. Comedian Bob Monkhouse dies of cancer at the age of 75. He recalled: Two quite attractive women in Marie Antoinette-type outfits are coming through a field. He hit the screens in the 1950s in the comedy show Fast And Loose and by 1960 was host of the British version of Candid Camera. Detectives hunting for Constance Martens baby find remains of infant, London Ambulance Service told to improve its ethnic diversity, Third of London pupils miss first pick of school, Shocking moment moped narrowly misses 70mph train at level crossing, Armed police swoop on Hackney Central station after man knifed, Harry and Meghan lose Frogmore Cottage after memoir controversy, What is the Willow Project? His posthumous appearance involved computer animation and a voiceover from another actor. The star, who died from prostate cancer aged 75 in 2003, is to appear in a campaign about the disease that killed him.The ad-makers have taken archive footag. He was often self-deprecating and admitted he was not an original comic genius. Craig, Czech Republic (formerly UK), I'm shocked to hear of Bob's death. The couple separated in 1967[19] and divorced in 1972. A Bob Monkhouse impersonator is so good fans keep thinking the comedy legend is still alive. I want to die in the saddle. During the confrontation, he allegedly held a cut-throat razor to the comedians face and told him: Im going to slit your eyeballs!. The critics used to pan him as appearing insincere yet very few tried to meet him or get to know him. A Man Already Greatly Missed. Bob Monkhouse admitted that he owned 'one blue movie' after a police raid, Bob Monkhouse spent nearly five decades in show business he started out as a comedian, Bob Monkhouse went on to front shows including Family Fortunes, The Golden Shot and more, Paul O'Grady reveals Bob Monkhouse was his secret mentor, Paul O'Grady on Bob Monkhouse: Comedy was like oxygen to him, it was h, Bob Monkhouse died from prostate cancer in 2003 after a two-and-a-half-year battle, The comedians on staggering sums who are laughing all the way to the b, Bob Monkhouse on the set of The Golden Shot in 1967, Carry On films still making TV audiences laugh 60 years on, Neil Shand obituary - 1934 - 2018: Comedy writer, The wisdom of age: Tips for growing old from celebrities and royalty, Anne Aston was 'offered the price of a sports car to pose naked', Bob Monkhouse claimed that he 'had not talent' but his comedic style is seen in many comedians today, Heckling is now becoming a dying art form, Where are they now ? And one of the women goes, `Ooh, un champignon nouveau [meaning] a new mushroom'. Rob Hall, Manchester, He always gave fantastically crisp and sharp responses on any topic. He married his first wife Elizabeth in 1949 when In a piece written several years after Monkhouse's death, critic and satirist Michael Deacon suggested that although Monkhouse had feared that his legacy as a comedian would be limited, as many people knew him only from his decades of work as a game-show host, his style of writing and performing could be seen as influencing many contemporary British comedians, such as Jimmy Carr (whose book on comedy The Naked Jape quoted several Monkhouse jokes), Michael McIntyre, Peter Kay, John Bishop, Lee Mack and Tim Vine.[18]. He will always be near the top of my fave comedians and famous people list. His stand up skills were truly impressive; there are many working in the business today who could learn from watching tapes of Bob at the microphone. ITV News, 29/12/2003.Not my copyright - just sharing found ephemera. After his film collection was returned, Monkhouse confessed that the suspicions werent completely unfounded as he did own one blue movie. In 1995, he poked fun at his legacy when he told the Independent: What will I leave behind me? The Independent reported that many assumed he was hoarding porn after the bust but later it was revealed that wasnt the case. Bob Monkhouse passed away due to prostrate cancer. Gary died of cerebral palsy in the early 1990s. Mr Prichard, of International Artists Ltd, said Monkhouse's wife Jackie called him shortly after 5am with the news that he had lost his battle with prostate cancer. And by all accounts he was a nice bloke too! Keep on joking Bob.Michael Anazapela, Aberdeen, A brilliantly funny, inventive and above all sincere performer - Max Miller's "There'll never be another!" With Julia Sawalha, Lucille Ball, Michael Barrymore, Jackie Clune. His death has come to a very big shock to me and I will miss him very much. While the comedians career continued to soar, he often admitted that he felt he had no talent and was frustrated that many would only know him as a game show host. And at the same time, for five years from 1998, he also presented popular game show Wipeout. He married Jackie, his former secretary in 1973. In 1956, Monkhouse was the host of Do You Trust Your Wife?, the British version of an American game show. Monkhouse later became a game show host, fronting programmes including Family Fortunes, Bob's Full House and Bob Says Opportunity Knocks. He has been a comedy presence all my life and will be missed. Too ill to contribute the programme instead featured narration and contributions from fellow professionals. He was appearing in south sea with Yana. What are some of his most memorable career moments? ob Monkhouse, the king of television comedy, died today after a long battle against cancer. Soon after, the then-24-year-old comedian realised that there was a false mirror on the ceiling and that other party guests were watching behind it. Chris Barnett, Eastbourne, His appearance on television brought joy into my life for many years. His second marriage, to Jacqueline Harding, lasted until his death. DON'T MISSBob Monkhouse: The comedy uncle[INTERVIEW]Why comedy fans love a one-liner[ANALYSIS]Cache in the attic: Bob Monkhouse hid 50,000 comedy videos in his loft[NEWS]. "He was the doyen of English comedy accepted by the fans and by other performers as one of the greats. The next day I saw him sunbathing on Hayling Island beach alongside his enormous Pontiac car. British comedian Bob Monkhouse, who wrote jokes for Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra in a 50-year showbusiness career, died on Monday aged 75, his manager said. His manager, Peter Prichard, said the entertainer died peacefully at his. In Jimmy Carrs 2006 book The Naked Jape, he cited some of Monkhouses jokes. 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