FOREWORD

‘He touched the funny bone of the whole world!’

Henry McGee

‘One thing that should be mentioned about his career is its sheer longevity – it was quite amazing. He was an extremely generous, kind man. Anything he set his mind to, he could do. His work had to be just right but he was always modest. He was a kind, lovely man whom I miss greatly – a great liver who lived his own way.’

Peter Charlesworth

‘That small group of people who worked with him, we would have done anything for him, because we really did love him. He was totally unpretentious, kind and all the things that weren’t like the man the press made him out to be. A great man, a wonderful man, and an enormous talent. I know I’ll go to my grave knowing my shows will be screened all over again – when they’re all watching it on kid’s television in 2090.’

Dennis Kirkland

‘Benny was great fun to work with.’

June Whitfield

‘I think he had this deep concern that some people hated his comedy because it was branded sexist. Benny continually said, ‘My comedy is not like that – I never chase the girls, the girls chase me!’ He was marvellous.’

Phil Collins

‘Benny was imbued with the knowledge and understanding of comedy tradition. He knew instinctively as a professional, and learning from others, what was right for his work. People to this day, say, “Oh, Benny Hill was so politically incorrect.” Well, maybe some of it isn’t acceptable by today’s standards, but if you say, “Was Benny Hill a funny man?”, the answer is “Yes, he was.” That’s all you need to know. He was of the music hall and the saucy postcard. He wasn’t consciously trying to offend, he was simply of his time, and that humour doesn’t date, however much our moral consciousness may change. He made millions laugh – end of story.’

Nicholas Parsons