This Is Your Life: Harry Secombe 1

Harry SECOMBE (1921-2001)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Harry Secombe, comedian, actor and singer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews outside the BBC Television Theatre, having been led to believe he was there for a filmed interview with Picture Parade about his forthcoming trip to South Africa.

Harry, who was born in Swansea, worked as a clerk in a colliery pay office before serving with the Territorial Army in the North African Campaign during the Second World War. While in the army, Harry appeared in concert parties and later joined a pool of entertainers stationed in Naples, which included Spike Milligan, with whom he formed a double act.

After the war, Harry worked briefly at London's Windmill Theatre before moving into radio with regular appearances on such shows as Variety Bandbox and Educating Archie. In 1951, he teamed up again with Spike Milligan and, along with Peter Sellers and Michael Bentine, wrote a comedy radio script, which led to the successful and influential BBC radio series The Goon Show.

Harry Secombe was a subject of This Is Your Life on two occasions - surprised again by Michael Aspel in February 1990 in a London branch of WH Smith.

programme details...

Edition No: 61
Subject No: 61
Broadcast live: Mon 31 Mar 1958
Broadcast time: 8.45-9.15pm
Repeated: Wed 7 Aug 1963 9.50pm
Repeated: Fri 7 Nov 1986 7.20pm
Venue: BBC Television Theatre
Series: 3
Edition: 27

on the guest list...

Peter Haigh
Eric Sykes
Fred - father
Nellie - mother
Fred Jnr - brother
Carol - sister
Percy Roberts
Bill Layman
Johnny Owens
Ken Harling
Mrs Harling
Len Lightowler
Myra - wife
Jimmy Grafton
Mai Jones
Katie Boyle
Kathleen Savage
Spike Milligan
Peter Sellers
Ray Ellington
Adele Leigh

production team...

Researcher: Michael Williams
Writer: Ken Smith
Director: unknown
Producer: T Leslie Jackson

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

Harry Secombe

second tribute

That's Entertainment

there's no business like it

Life Second Time Around

surprised again!

ITV This is Your Life

A special edition celebrating ITV's 21st anniversary

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Birth of Life

the genesis of the programme

Ratings slump sounds death knell for This Is Your Life

Press speculation on the future of This Is Your Life

Biggest night of all for the big red book

Press coverage for The Night of 1000 Lives

Katie Boyle

Spike Milligan

Eric Sykes

Photographs and screenshots of Harry Secombe This Is Your Life

Western Mail article: Barbara Cartland This Is Your Life

Western Mail 1 April 1958

Mai Jones left sick bed to honour Harry

MAI JONES, former producer of "Welsh Rarebit" and other popular shows before her recent resignation from the BBC, left her sick bed in Panteg Hospital, Monmouthshire, and travelled to London to take part in This Is Your Life on BBC TV last night.

The programme featured Harry Secombe, the Welsh comedian and singer.

Miss Jones's appearance on the screen was eagerly watched by the doctors and nurses at the hospital.

Keen to go

"She was very keen to go," one of them said, "but we expect her back in her hospital bed today. She will be returning by train."

The reason for Mai Jones's hospital-to-studio dash was revealed to viewers - she was the first person to take Harry Secombe's singing talent seriously, and he started taking lessons in real earnest after her praise.

Harry's parents travelled up to London from Swansea, and many other Welsh people associated with his earlier life took part.

Mr Secombe is leaving for Africa today, and he was given a great safari-style send-off by members of "The Goon Show."

Lincolnshire Echo article: Barbara Cartland This Is Your Life

Lincolnshire Echo 1 April 1958

Life Of Goon - Lincoln Sister's View

WHEN her tenor-cum-Goon brother, Mr Harry Secombe, was the centre figure of the BBC television programme This Is Your Life, Mrs Carol Williams of 238 Hykeham Road, Lincoln, told the millions of viewers how, as teenagers, she and Harry did a "sort of Welsh Ron and Eth" act at concert parties.

The Goon in Harry was unsuppressible as he greeted his family and close friends in the surprise programme which immediately preceded his departure for Africa.

Referring to the brother and sister turn at the Swansea concerts he said "She was the act. I was just the stooge."

Mrs Williams came to Lincoln about two years ago with her husband David, and three young daughters.

Evening Sentinel article: Barbara Cartland This Is Your Life

Evening Sentinel 2 April 1958

Harry Secombe was the subject of an exceptionally embarrassing edition of This Is Your Life.

The weight of testimony to his personal kindness and loyalty to his friends was impressive, but I am a little tired of having it shouted at me that if Mr Secombe had not chosen to be a Goon he could easily have been a Caruso, because I do not for a moment believe it to be true.

Evening News article: Barbara Cartland This Is Your Life

Evening News 3 April 1958

This Is Your Life almost silenced Harry Secombe, but not for long. He came right into his own when his Goon pals arrived to help him out. Perhaps it was just as well that they were kept until the last few minutes of the show or Harry might never have got away on that safari.

Huddersfield Daily Examiner article: Barbara Cartland This Is Your Life

Huddersfield Daily Examiner 5 April 1958

Greatest laugh of the week came not from any variety show but from This Is Your Life, which had the irrepressible Harry Secombe as the personality - undoubtedly one of Eamonn Andrews's most difficult subjects. It was, however, a touching moment when the children at a Manchester Orthopaedic Hospital which he has often befriended were brought by television link - to wave the comedian a cheery goodnight.

Series 3 subjects