Roy Hudd
This fortnight, Roy answers a query from a reader who didn’t recognise him til he spoke!
I’m answering an enquiry today – Sue Woolridge from Stratford wrote to say she saw me in Broadchurch and I frightened her. I thought,“Why?”. I was just a nice old granddad in the story – character work of course! And, by now you’ll know I wasn’t the baddie. I read on and then Sue said she didn’t recognise me until I spoke. She was concerned that I’d lost so much weight and wanted to know if I’d got rid of the pounds on purpose. Sue was the first to ask and since then I’ve had a steady stream of enquiries on the same subject. I’m delighted, and relieved, to say I did indeed lose six-and-a-half stone of surplus fat on purpose – no, I didn’t have my head removed! – I had a gastric sleeve fitted – on our doctor’s insistence. I have diabetes and the weight loss (I got up to nearly 20 stone!) was to stop the diabetes getting any worse, so it did just what was intended. I do feel 100 per cent better, even though I don’t yet really recognise myself in the mirror until I speak! But I am happy not having to hump around the great old original. I don’t get out of breath changing a lightbulb and even turn up once a week at the gym – something I thought I’d never be guilty of. So I hope our readers are reassured. I won’t go on about it as I can’t stand it when people tell me all about their operation – so I won’t. On a happier note I can report – for those readers who have enjoyed the last two annual British Music Hall Society visits to The Royal Hippodrome in Eastbourne – that they are doing it again this year. They call their fundraising charity show Day by the Sea and it does indeed go on all day, from 10.307pm on Saturday, June 3. It’s a celebration of all things Music Hall and Variety: complete variety bills, interviews with special friends, guest speakers, discussions, magic, songs for singers and especially yourselves, rare archive films, a terrific band and, most important of all, loads of comedy. All our chums are giving their services to support the Society’s charitable aims and give our audience a day of real, much-missed, entertainment. Just look at the names on the poster (right). Is there anywhere else you could get such an extravaganza? I’ll be joining my brother and sister artistes – whether they want me to or not – so you’ll be able to see just how much weight I’ve lost! I’m so looking forward to being with so many of today’s music hall maestros and nicking some new jokes from Wyn, Jimmy, Don, Steve and Peter and “Walking Back to Happiness” again with Helen. One name on the bill I know so well is Paul Connor – we did our very first summer season together more than 50 years ago. I can’t wait to see him again – he still owes me half a crown. Tickets – just £28 for a reserved ticket for the whole day – goes straight to the charity and you can come and go as you please! Call The Royal Hippodrome Box Office on 01323 802020
‘I’ll be joining my fellow artistes – so you’ll be able to see how much weight I’ve lost’