I first interviewed Morecambe & Wise in 1970, which was the first year I appeared on television. During the first of two interviews that I did with them both, they ran rings round me and I couldn’t get a word in – I couldn’t stop laughing! The second interview I did with them was far more revealing. I used a trick of reading out their stars but didn’t tell them which was theirs. For example: ‘you are mean with money’; Ernie said, ‘That is me.’ At the same time as Eric said that is him. I was then also lucky enough to interview Eric alone after his first novel was published.
I appeared in Eric’s first novel under the character name of Mavis Knickers. Eric sent me a chapter first to ask if this would be okay and said that he would remove the name from the book if I wasn’t happy. I was happy and honoured.
I believe Eric didn’t want to be revealed as anything other than a wise-cracking fellow, even when he was off stage. He was like an uncle at Christmas who teased you. Maybe he was a shy person who used humour as a defence mechanism.
We love someone who can make you laugh to the point where tears are coming down your face. I laughed all the time when I was with Eric Morecambe. And I always felt he enjoyed watching you laugh. He beamed at you when you laughed at something he’d said.
On reflection, I can’t pick a favourite Morecambe & Wise sketch, but I always liked the routines they did in front of the tabs the best.