Why Brucie was the real bonus

Co-star Rosemarie on late star’s magic

Are you happy to be back on the Generation Game?

I am indeed. The last time you saw me on the show was 1973. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to come back. It’s a good job I didn’t hold my breath! Mel and Sue were a dream. They’re back together for the first time since the Bake Off. They certainly kept me on my paws.

What can fans expect from the show?

A lot of fun and laughter and some old classics GOOD GAME Rosemarie with close pal Bruce in 1990s returning. The conveyor belt is very fast. Mel, Sue and I decided to test it out and have a little walkies. I almost flew off it. We got told off. BBC health and safety came down on us like a ton of bricks. There’s also the return of the sausage-making machine. Seeing granny grappling with it is not to be missed.

You’ve been in the business for 65 years. What’s your secret? Fur hides the cracks. Grannies do it, usually over the top lip. Ha ha – boom boom. I’m still looking quite foxy. I reinvent myself like the Doctor. I haven’t come back as a woman yet but it could happen. What’s next for you, Basil?

I’d like to have the Basil Brush Show back every night, maybe with Ed Sheeran doing a couple of numbers. I could replace Simon Cowell on Britain’s Got Talent. We’re both the same colour. And I’d love to be on Strictly. If Ann Widdecombe can do it, then why not me? Mel and Sue take fans on a fun trip down memory lane, showing glimpses of the humour that made them such a big hit on Bake Off. Pottery with Johnny Vegas and sausage making provide great innuendo-heavy commentary but you can’t help but feel they don’t take it far enough. It lacks the spontaneity of the Forsyth era. Brucie’s are some big shoes to fill but I’m sure he’d say “Good game, good game”.