Big Red Book

Celebrating television's This Is Your Life

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THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Paddie O'Neil, actress and singer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews – with the help of her husband Alfred Marks - on the ghost train at Chessington Zoo, having been led to believe she was taking part in a television documentary.

Paddie, whose family come from a long line of circus and fairground performers, spent her childhood travelling with and working on the fairgrounds. After training at a London stage school, she began singing and dancing in variety where she was spotted and signed up by the BBC, and spent the war years as a featured singer on radio, as well as compering the popular variety show Navy Mixture.

She met actor Alfred Marks while appearing in review, and after they were married in 1952, the couple were to appear frequently together on radio and television, including the popular television sketch show Alfred Marks Time. Following a break from show business to raise a family, Paddie returned to the West End to great acclaim in 1979 in the musical A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine.

"Oh shit! Eamonn! I can't believe it!"

programme details...

• Edition No: 530
• Subject No: 527
• Broadcast date: Wed 23 Jan 1980
• Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
• Recorded: Wed 16 Jan 1980
• Venue: New London Theatre
• Series: 20
• Edition: 9
• Code name: Afternoon

on the guest list...

• Alfred Marks - husband
• Danielle - daughter
• Gareth - son
• Julie - Gareth's fiancée
• Daisy - sister
• Betty - sister
• Jimmy - nephew
• Junior - nephew
• Jon Glover
• John Bay
• Sheila Steafel
• Carl Yale
• Stella Tanner
• Frances Tanner
• Fanny Cradock
• Johnnie Cradock
• Libby Morris
• Marcia Cash
• Tom - brother
Filmed tribute:
• Norman Wisdom

related appearances...

• Alfred Marks - Nov 1971
• Harry Secombe - Mar 1990
• The Night of 1000 Lives - Jan 2000

production team...

• Researchers: John Graham, Robin Ellis-Bextor
• Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
• Directors: Paul Stewart Laing, Terry Yarwood
• Producer: Jack Crawshaw

• names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

• with thanks to Gareth and Danielle Marks for their contribution to this page

It's a Funny Old Life

it's all about the comedy

Family Life

keeping it in the family

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

The Big Red Book

the programme's icon

How To Deceive Your Husband

TV Times takes a light-hearted look at keeping a secret

Alfred Marks

Norman Wisdom

Interviews

Gareth Marks, son of Paddie O'Neil, recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in an exclusive interview recorded in April 2013

Screenshots of Paddie O'Neil This Is Your Life - and a photograph of Paddie O'Neil's big red book