The imitation game
Comedy star was making an impression 50 years ago with his new TV show Look, Mike Yarwood!
PRINCE Charles, Prime Minister Harold Wilson, football manager Brian Clough and TV presenter Hughie Green were just some of the famous figures who provided plenty of comedy material for impressionist Mike Yarwood.
He was one of the biggest TV stars of the 1970s and 1980s and his show Look, Mike Yarwood! launched on BBC1 50 years ago on May 14.
It became one of the channel’s biggest hits attracting up to 18 million viewers at the height of its popularity and it remained a BBC favourite through six series and 52 episodes. The BBC followed it with Mike Yarwood In Persons in 1976 before a move to ITV in 1982.
The Cheshire-born entertainer first started doing impressions when he was at school and tried several other jobs before turning to showbusiness. One of his early engagements saw him working as a TV warm-up man.
There were few professional impressionists around at the time and Mike’s rubbery face and ever-changing voice quickly brought him to public attention.
His impression of pipe-smoking Harold Wilson was an early favourite and he even later put on a wig and a dress to play Margaret Thatcher before deciding to bring in funnywoman Janet Brown to portray the Iron Lady in the comedy sketches in his shows.
His 1977 Christmas Day show remains one of the most watched programmes in British history. It saw 21.4 million viewers tuning in to the festive special featuring Paul McCartney and Wings.
Mike, who turns 80 in June, famously ended his TV shows with his catchphrase
“... and this is me”.