I grew up watching Morecambe & Wise and recall that they were the first to encourage celebrity guests to appear on their shows. Although this isn’t something new in these celebrity-obsessed days, it was novel back then.

Christmas stopped for The Morecambe & Wise Show. Their timing was spot on. They were consummate professionals and I was hugely influenced as a performer by Eric Morecambe. He was the thinking man’s Tommy Cooper.

I used to love the put-downs Eric used to give each guest and the friendly banter they shared on their shows.

I admired just how much preparation Eric and Ernie used to put into all their TV shows. I think it’s a shame that there’s only really one video recording of their live act.

I loved the slapping dance, seen in their stage show, and this was one of my all-time favourite Morecambe & Wise routines.

The visual comedy influences Morecambe & Wise gave me and my act (from watching their shows) includes a joke with a false arm which they had used in a TV sketch. I borrowed this and used it in one of my own appearances later!

If I’d appeared on one of Morecambe & Wise’s shows, I believe that Eric would have got my name wrong and called me something like Billy Connolly or Brian Connolly instead of Brian Conley!

I greatly enjoyed performing as myself in several performances of The Play What I Wrote.