DOUBLE VISION: The Chuckle Brothers

With some 50 years in the business and a collective age of 143, Chuckle Brothers Barry and Paul have no interest in slowing down (Chuckle Time, 7.05pm, Ch5). Here’s their story…

Origins: Hailing from Rotherham, Barry David Elliott, 73, and Paul Harman Elliott, 70, come from an entertainment family. Dad Jimmy Elliott (stage name Gene Patton) toured in music hall and variety shows in the 1930s and 1940s. Their older brothers, Jimmy and Brian, are also a double act – the Patton Brothers – and often perform alongside their famous siblings.

Take off: As the Chuckle Brothers, Barry and Paul won TV talent show Opportunity

Knocks in 1967. After a few more low-key TV gigs, in 1985, they starred in The ChuckleHounds, a series of silent shows featuring the duo dressed as dogs. Two years later, ChuckleVision launched, and this time, the boys could be heard. Over the next 21 series, until 2009, they honed their slapstick act – attempting odd jobs and getting covered in custard pies – while their oft-heard catch phrase ‘to me, to you’ took off. Extras: As well as TV, the Chuckles often perform live, in national tours and panto. They have also recorded albums, and released the 2014 charity single To Me, To You (Bruv) with Tinchy Stryder. Their biggest live crowd to date was for a 2015 stint at Isle of Wight festival Bestival. Retirement? The boys say: ‘We’re huge fans of Laurel and Hardy and, just as they’re still making people laugh all these years later, we hope the Chuckle Brothers will go on having fun and laughter for many years to come.’