..never boring

THROUGH IT ALL With Deirdre in 2008 and, right, with original cast in 1968

After being described as boring and unpopular with his co-stars in an article, Bill successfully sued The Sun for libel in 1991 and was awarded £50,000 in damages. But this was the same amount that he had turned down in an out-of-court settlement before the case, leaving him liable for £120,000 in costs.

So Bill sued his law firm for negligence, but was declared bankrupt in 1999 and had to put his £300,000 cottage on the market. A few years on, Bill was able to joke about Ken, saying: “If people find someone who has had 23 girlfriends and three wives boring, that’s fine by me.”

In 2003 he appeared on Celebrity Stars in Their Eyes as Perry Como, singing Catch a Falling Star, and raised laughs during an episode of Harry Hill’s Alien Fun Capsule when he pretended to use his boxing skills on other guests. A keen exerciser, Bill does “fun fit”, which he says is like playing tag at school.

His happiness, he says, is down to his positive outlook: “If you can enjoy yourself and find joy in what you do, it makes such a big difference.”