Be wise about stress

The news that Eric Morecambe’s widow thought it inevitable the comedian would have a fatal heart attack due to fear of his show ending comes as little surprise. Of a nervous disposition, and a long-time smoker, Morecambe had suffered heart problems prior to his death at 58. Her recollection gives a bittersweet flavour to this Christmas’s TV highlight: two missing episodes of The Morecambe and Wise Show, to be screened on BBC Two. They may not reach the heights of Christmas in 1977, when 28 million Britons tuned in, but will be a poignant reminder of our best-loved comic team.