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109-507: Robert Alan Monkhouse OBE (1 June 1928 – 29 December 2003) was an English comedian, television presenter, writer and actor. He was the host of television game shows including The Golden Shot , Celebrity Squares , Family Fortunes and Wipeout . Monkhouse was born on 1 June 1928 at 168 Bromley Road, Beckenham , Kent , the son of chartered accountant Wilfred Adrian Monkhouse (1894–1957) and Dorothy Muriel Monkhouse ( née Hansard, 1895–1971). Monkhouse had an elder brother, John, who

218-410: A dame if female. There is also the related British Empire Medal , whose recipients are affiliated with, but not members of, the order. The order was established on 4 June 1917 by King George V , who created the order to recognise 'such persons, male or female, as may have rendered or shall hereafter render important services to Our Empire'. Equal recognition was to be given for services rendered in

327-683: A heart attack and died in Barbados on 28 March 2008. On 12 June 2007, Monkhouse posthumously appeared on British TV in an advertisement promoting awareness of prostate cancer for Male Cancer Awareness Week. Using computer animation techniques and a sound-alike actor, Monkhouse was seen in a graveyard next to his own grave (though in reality he was cremated ) talking about the disease seriously, interspersed with humorous asides to another camera ("What killed me kills one man per hour in Britain. That's even more than my wife's cooking."). He ended by saying, "As

436-527: A GBE (in recognition of his role as chairman of the Scottish War Savings Committee) and the award of medal of the order to Lizzie Robinson, a munitions worker. The order had been established primarily as a civilian award; in August 1918, however, not long after its foundation, a number of awards were made to serving naval and military personnel. Four months later, a 'Military Division' was added to

545-404: A broad riband or sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Knights Commander and male Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge from a ribbon on the left chest; female recipients other than Dames Grand Cross (unless in military uniform) normally wear it from a bow on the left shoulder. An oval eight-pointed star is worn, pinned to

654-538: A burning building containing explosives. In December 1922 the statutes of the order were amended; there having been a large number of awards for war work prior to this date, these amended statutes placed the order on more of a peacetime footing. For the first time numbers of appointments were limited, with the stipulation that senior awards in the Civil Division were to outnumber those in the Military Division by

763-449: A circlet bearing the motto of the Order; the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. (Prior to 1937 Britannia was shown within the circlet.) The size of the badges varies according to rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commander, and Commanders are enamelled, with pale blue crosses, crimson circlets and

872-466: A citizen of a Commonwealth realm can convert their appointment from honorary to substantive, and they then enjoy all privileges of membership of the order, including use of the title of Sir and Dame for the senior two ranks of the Order. (An example of the latter is Irish broadcaster Terry Wogan , who was appointed an honorary Knight Commander of the Order in 2005, and on successful application for British citizenship, held alongside his Irish citizenship,

981-591: A comedian, I've died many deaths. Prostate cancer, I don't recommend. I'd have paid good money to stay out of here. What's it worth to you?" before walking away from his grave and disappearing. The advertisement was made with the support of Monkhouse's estate and supported by poster campaigns, including award-winning panels displayed in London Underground trains. Money raised went to the Prostate Cancer Research Foundation. Officer of

1090-693: A comedian. One of his biggest successes was The Golden Shot from July 1967 until January 1972 and again from July 1974 to April 1975. This was broadcast live for 52 weeks a year and drew up to 17 million viewers. His first tenure ended with allegations, which he denied, that he had taken bribes to include branded goods on the programme as advertisements. He returned in 1974 after subsequent presenters and comedians Norman Vaughan and Charlie Williams were found wanting. The dozens of other shows Monkhouse presented included Celebrity Squares , Family Fortunes and Bob's Full House . Audiences regularly topped 15 million. From 1987 to 1989, he hosted three series of

1199-537: A father at the age of 61 when his girlfriend, 41-year-old Gill Hinchcliffe, gave birth to a girl in Stoke Mandeville Hospital , Aylesbury . Jason and Hinchcliffe married in 2005 and live in Ellesborough , Buckinghamshire . In 2022, Jason discovered that he had another daughter, of whom he had been previously unaware, who was born in 1970 following a brief relationship with actress Jennifer Hill. Jason

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1308-473: A film, Monkhouse was charged with attempting to defraud film distributors of royalties, but after two years the judge decided that there was no case to answer. Many of the films in his collection were seized and not returned to Monkhouse. In 2008, the British Film Institute was contacted by Monkhouse's daughter, Abigail, who asked if they would like to view the collection and provide some advice as to

1417-484: A framed performer in a major London theatre. In 1968, Jason was initially cast in the role of Lance Corporal Jones in the Jimmy Perry and David Croft BBC comedy Dad's Army . Croft had been very impressed with Jason and believed that he had the talent to play a man much older than his real age. However, BBC executive Bill Cotton overruled him, casting Clive Dunn because he was better known. According to Jason, "I

1526-672: A game-show host, his style of writing and performing could be seen as influencing many contemporary British comedians, such as Jimmy Carr (whose book on comedy The Naked Jape quoted several Monkhouse jokes), Michael McIntyre , Peter Kay , John Bishop , Lee Mack and Tim Vine . Monkhouse was married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Thompson on 5 November 1949. The couple separated in 1967 and divorced in 1970. His second marriage, to Jacqueline Harding, lasted until his death. He had three children from his first marriage, but only his adopted daughter, Abigail, survived him. His eldest son, Gary Alan, who had cerebral palsy , lived at Naish farm house,

1635-443: A gold central medallion. Officers' badges are plain silver-gilt, while those of Members are plain silver. From 1917 until 1937, the badge of the order was suspended on a purple ribbon, with a red central stripe being added for the military division in 1918. Since 1937, the ribbon has been rose-pink with pearl-grey edges (with the addition of a pearl-grey central stripe for the military division). Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on

1744-551: A home video recorder in 1966. His film archive began in the late 1950s. The entire Monkhouse film and television archive is now held by Kaleidoscope, including all the material previously held by the National Film and Television Archive (NFTVA). It was catalogued and restored to digital formats for a major event at British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) on 24 October 2009. Chris Perry, of Kaleidoscope and Kaleidoscope Publishing , said: "We are painstakingly transferring

1853-616: A house called "Claridges" in Eggington , near Leighton Buzzard , and had a flat in London and a holiday home in Barbados . In his autobiography , he admitted to hundreds of sexual liaisons and affairs, but claimed that he only undertook this course of action because his first wife was unfaithful. His lovers before his second marriage included the actress Diana Dors , about whose parties he later commented after her death: "The awkward part about an orgy

1962-685: A pilot for The Royal Bodyguard , which was shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival . The pilot episode aired on the BBC on Boxing Day but received a poor critical response. The series was axed after six episodes. In 2010, Jason starred in a made-for-TV movie Come Rain Come Shine with Alison Steadman for ITV about an elderly Millwall supporter. Since 2013, he has starred in Still Open All Hours . It features many original cast members (and

2071-563: A portrait of Ronnie Barker as Arkwright ) and is still written by Roy Clarke , the original writer and creator of the show. He has also starred as Captain Skipper, a sea captain, sea dog and Pip's uncle in the animated series Pip Ahoy! . In December 2021, Jason made a surprise cameo appearance on the Christmas Special of Strictly Come Dancing in the role of Del Boy to pass on a special message to The Repair Shop ' s Jay Blades , who

2180-488: A proportion of six to one. Furthermore appointments in the civil division were to be divided equally between UK and overseas awards. With regard to the Medal of the Order (but not the order itself), a distinction was made in 1922 between awards 'for gallantry' and awards 'for meritorious service' (each being appropriately inscribed, and the former having laurel leaves decorating the clasp, the latter oak leaves). In 1933 holders of

2289-631: A residential home for the disabled in Christchurch Road, New Milton , Hampshire. He went to Saint Michael's School in Pinner and died in Braintree , Essex , in 1992, aged 40. Monkhouse was an avid campaigner for the disabled. His other son, Simon, a stand-up poet, from whom he had been estranged for 13 years, died aged 46 from a heroin overdose in a hotel in northern Thailand in April 2001. Monkhouse lived in

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2398-447: A stage comedy "Darling Mr London" which toured in 1975. Jason appeared in variety shows as the supporting act of Dick Emery and his performances caught the attention of Ronnie Barker . Jason was recruited to appear in Hark at Barker ( LWT , 1969), starring opposite Barker's Lord Rustless, as Dithers, the 100-year old gardener. There was also a sequel, His Lordship Entertains (1972) for

2507-552: A stalwart of chat shows, in the mid-1980s Monkhouse presented his own for the BBC, The Bob Monkhouse Show . The show lasted three series and showcased comedians of many generations. Monkhouse was criticised for sycophancy towards his guests but said that they were all heroes of his and that was how he felt about them. Monkhouse was a keen supporter of new comedy and used the show to introduce audiences to new comedians such as Kelly Monteith , Robin Williams and Jim Carrey . The format of

2616-421: A struggling actor. Jason's elder brother is the actor Arthur White , born in 1933. The two appeared together in the crime drama A Touch of Frost , with Arthur playing police archivist Ernie Trigg; and again in 2008, in the comic fantasy The Colour of Magic , where Arthur played a character called "Rerpf". He also appeared briefly with his brother in two episodes of The Darling Buds of May . When Jason

2725-506: A winner!" The opening to each show would see him deliver several minutes of topical jokes and on one occasion, where his autocue failed, he improvised a new and topical routine. This talent was used in Bob Monkhouse On the Spot , a return to pure television comedy, in which audience members suggested topics and Monkhouse came up with a routine. He was also at the helm when, on 30 November 1996,

2834-654: Is a wide boy who makes a dishonest living in Peckham , south London, trading in broken, stolen, and counterfeit goods. He is assisted by his brother Rodney (played by Nicholas Lyndhurst ) and Grandad (played by Lennard Pearce ) and, in later episodes, Uncle Albert (played by Buster Merryfield ). In 1989, Jason starred as Ted Simcock in the ITV drama series A Bit of a Do , aired from January to December. In 1999, Jason starred as Captain Frank Beck in BBC's feature-length drama All

2943-721: Is a patron of the Shark Trust , a United Kingdom registered charity working to advance the worldwide conservation of sharks through science, education, influence and action. He has also been Honorary Vice Patron of the Royal International Air Tattoo since 1999, and on 29 May 2014, presented a cheque on behalf of the Fairford -based RAF Charitable Trust for £125,000 to the British RAF Air Cadet Organisation , to fund flight simulators for Air Cadets. Jason

3052-639: Is a qualified helicopter pilot. Jason has expressed a negative opinion of the European Union , being quoted in a 2012 interview with "the Germans want to run Europe . The irony is that here we are, the world has changed, and the Germans want to run Europe. They failed to do it by war, twice. What is it? Is this the Fourth Reich ?" In October 2013, he released his autobiography called David Jason: My Life . It

3161-512: Is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Meritorious Service" at the bottom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim. This medal is nicknamed "the Gong", and comes in both full-sized and miniature versions – the latter for formal white-tie and semi-formal black-tie occasions. A lapel pin for everyday wear

3270-931: Is not a member of the College of Arms , as are many other heraldic officers; and the Lady Usher of the Purple Rod does not – unlike the Order of the Garter equivalent, the Lady Usher of the Black Rod – perform any duties related to the House of Lords . Since the Second World War, several Commonwealth realms have established their own national system of honours and awards and have created their own unique orders, decorations and medals. A number, though, continue to make recommendations for appointments to

3379-419: Is that afterwards you're not too sure who to thank." Throughout his career Monkhouse had jotted down jokes, odd facts, one-liners, sketches and ideas in a series of leather-bound books, which he took with him to every television, radio, stage and nightclub appearance he made. In July 1995 two were stolen, and Monkhouse offered a £15,000 reward. They were returned after 18 months, but the thief, although arrested,

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3488-644: The BBC . Jason played idealistic employee Granville in the first programme of the comedy anthology Seven of One (1973), called Open All Hours (BBC) and starring Barker as the curmudgeonly proprietor of a corner shop. Four series of Open All Hours were made from 1976 to 1985. He featured in Barker's Porridge (BBC), a prison comedy, as the elderly Blanco in three episodes. Jason also appeared with Barker in various disguises in The Two Ronnies , including providing

3597-461: The Hudson Brothers and Joan Rivers , a job he disliked. Monkhouse was a respected stand-up comedian, known for his talent at ad-libbing . He became much in demand as an after-dinner speaker and wrote a book about the subject, Just Say a Few Words (Lennard Publishing, 1988, 1999). He also became a favourite with impressionists , and, as his comedy style fell out of favour in the 1980s, he

3706-541: The Order of Canada . On the other hand, the Australian Honours System unilaterally created in 1975 did not achieve bi-partisan support until 1992, which was when Australian federal and state governments agreed to cease Australian recommendations for British honours; the last Australian recommended Order of the British Empire appointments were in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours . New Zealand continued to use

3815-507: The Royal Air Force in 1948. He won a contract with the BBC after his unwitting RAF Group captain signed a letter that Monkhouse had written telling the BBC he was a war hero and that the corporation should give him an audition. Before establishing himself as a successful writer and comedian, Monkhouse appeared on stage in London, first as Aladdin in a stage show of the same name written by S. J. Perelman and Cole Porter and then in

3924-456: The pantomime Cinderella at Newcastle 's Theatre Royal , starring Leah Bell and Bobby Thompson , produced by Michael Grayson and directed by John Blackmore. In the 1980s, Jason developed a working partnership with Cosgrove Hall , and was a voice-over artist for a number of children's television productions. This included voices for Danger Mouse , The BFG , Count Duckula , Hugo from Victor and Hugo , and Toad from The Wind in

4033-635: The "raspberry" sound effect for The Phantom Raspberry Blower of Old London Town . Jason starred in London Weekend Television 's Lucky Feller (1975–76), written by Terence Frisby and produced by Humphrey Barclay . About two brothers in south-east London, the series was in many ways a forerunner to Only Fools And Horses . He played the lead role of Peter Barnes in the ATV sitcom A Sharp Intake of Breath (1977–81), alongside Alun Armstrong and Richard Wilson . In 1979, he appeared as Buttons in

4142-464: The 21st century quotas were introduced to ensure consistent representation among recipients across nine categories of eligibility: with the largest proportion of awards being reserved for community, voluntary and local service. Non-military awards of the British Empire Medal resumed in 2012, starting with 293 BEMs awarded for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee . In 2017 the centenary of

4251-514: The British Empire for services to entertainment. In 1995 the British Comedy Awards gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award for Comedy , and eight years later, a few weeks before he died, the Television and Radio Industries Club awarded him a Special Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting . He first appeared on This Is Your Life in 1982 and received a second appearance on

4360-788: The British Empire . Rather than using this chapel, the Order now holds its great services upstairs in the nave of the cathedral. In addition to the Chapel of the Order of the British Empire, St Paul's Cathedral also houses the Chapel of the Order of St Michael and St George . Religious services for the whole Order are held every four years; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander prefix Sir , and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commander prefix Dame , to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix Lady to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Knights or spouses of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when

4469-490: The British Empire for Gallantry. Any individual made a member of the order for gallantry after 14 January 1958 wears an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same ribbon as the badge, with a miniature version on the ribbon bar when worn alone. When the ribbon only is worn the emblem is worn in miniature. It could not be awarded posthumously , and was replaced in 1974 with the Queen's Gallantry Medal (QGM). If recipients of

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4578-880: The Chair (1960) and Dentist on the Job (1961), later regretting not choosing the Carry On s over the dental comedies. Other presenting jobs in the 1960s included Candid Camera and Sunday Night at the London Palladium . Around 1969 he was a partner, with Malcolm Mitchell, in the Mitchell Monkhouse Agency. In the early 1970s he appeared on BBC Radio in Mostly Monkhouse with Josephine Tewson and David Jason . In 1979 he starred in US sketch comedy television series Bonkers! with

4687-665: The Galaxy (as the "B Ark Captain" in the sixth episode). Jason also appeared in The Next Programme Follows Almost Immediately and made appearances on panel games such as The Impressionists as well as his own series, The Jason Explanation . In the early 1970s, he appeared in Mostly Monkhouse . Jason appeared on stage in the West End in the farce No Sex Please, We're British playing Brian Runnicles for 18 months in 1973. He also starred with Valerie Leon in

4796-676: The King's Men about the Sandringham regiment lost in World War I . He earned acclaim for a string of serious roles. These include Skullion in Porterhouse Blue (for Channel 4 ), Sidney "Pop" Larkin in the rural idyll The Darling Buds of May ( Yorkshire Television / ITV ), based on the H. E. Bates novel, which also featured Catherine Zeta-Jones . In 1992, he signed a golden handcuffs deal with ITV to star as Detective Inspector Jack Frost in

4905-738: The Military Division of the order from the UK and across the Empire. Recommendations for all appointments to the Order of the British Empire were originally made on the nomination of the King's United Kingdom ministers (recommendations for overseas awards were made by the Foreign Office , the Colonial Office , the India Office and the Dominions Office ); but in the early 1940s the system was changed to enable

5014-500: The Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry , rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service . It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two of which make the recipient either a knight if male or

5123-436: The Order of the British Empire for Gallantry received promotion within the order, whether for gallantry or otherwise, they continued to wear also the insignia of the lower grade with the oak leaves; however, they used only the post-nominal letters of the higher grade. When the order was founded in 1917, badges, ribands and stars were appointed for wear by recipients. In 1929 mantles, hats and collars were added for recipients of

5232-513: The Order of the British Empire. In 2024 appointments to the order were made by the governments of: Most members of the order are citizens of the United Kingdom or Commonwealth realms that use the UK system of honours and awards. In addition, honorary awards may be made to citizens of nations where the monarch is not head of state ; these permit use of post-nominal letters, but not the title of Sir or Dame . Honorary appointees who later become

5341-404: The Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. As a general rule, only wives and children of male recipients are afforded privileges. Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to be granted heraldic supporters . They may, furthermore, encircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of

5450-485: The UK and overseas. Today the majority of recipients are UK citizens, though a number of Commonwealth realms outside the UK continue to make appointments to the order. Honorary awards may be made to citizens of other nations of which the order's sovereign is not the head of state. The five classes of appointment to the Order are, from highest grade to lowest grade: The senior two ranks of Knight or Dame Grand Cross and Knight or Dame Commander entitle their members to use

5559-460: The United Kingdom; those who would formerly have met the criteria for the medal were instead made eligible for the MBE. In 2004, a report entitled A Matter of Honour: Reforming Our Honours System by a Commons select committee recommended phasing out the Order of the British Empire, as its title was "now considered to be unacceptable, being thought to embody values that are no longer shared by many of

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5668-726: The Willows , all produced by Cosgrove Hall for Thames Television /ITV. He provided the voice of Father Christmas in Father Christmas and the Missing Reindeer , Rola Polar in The Adventures of Dawdle the Donkey , Angelmouse , and did voices in animated films including Wombling Free and The Water Babies . In 1981, Jason was cast as Del Boy Trotter in the BBC situation comedy Only Fools and Horses , created by John Sullivan . Del

5777-450: The addition of a vertical pearl grey stripe in the centre for awards in the military division). From time to time the order was expanded: there was an increase in the maximum permitted number of recipients in 1933, and a further increase in 1937. During the Second World War, as had been the case during and after World War I, the number of military awards was greatly increased; between 1939 and 1946 there were more than 33,000 appointments to

5886-490: The best way of preserving it. Amongst the discoveries were many radio and TV shows long thought lost. Amongst shows rediscovered were many featuring Monkhouse himself, including The Flip Side , a 1966 play in which he starred as a television DJ with his own late-night show, and the 1957–58 series of his comedy My Pal Bob , including an episode in which he is suspected of an extramarital affair. The archive consisted of 36,000 videotapes, going back to when Monkhouse first bought

5995-468: The cathedral. That year, Commonwealth awards made up 40% of all OBEs and MBEs awarded (and 35% of all living recipients of the higher awards). Gradually that proportion reduced as independent states within the Commonwealth established their own systems of honours . The last Canadian recommendation for the Order of the British Empire was an MBE for gallantry gazetted in 1966, a year before the creation of

6104-418: The circlet. In 1929, to bring the order into line with the other orders of chivalry, members of the first class of the order (GBE) were provided with mantles, hats and collars. Only Knights/Dames Grand Cross wear these elaborate vestments; the hat is now rarely, if ever, worn. Use of the mantle is limited to important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations ). The mantle is always worn with

6213-444: The collar. Although the mantle was introduced in 1929, very few mantles would have been produced prior to the 1937 design changes, as there were few occasions for wearing them in the intervening years. On certain days designated by the sovereign, known as " collar days ", members attending formal events may wear the order's collar over their military uniform, formal day dress, evening wear or robes of office. Collars are returned upon

6322-479: The country's population". The committee further suggested changing the name of the award to the Order of British Excellence, and changing the rank of Commander to Companion (as the former was said to have a "militaristic ring"), as well as advocating for the abolition of knighthoods and damehoods; the government, however, was not of the opinion that a case for change had been made, and the aforementioned suggestions and recommendations were not, therefore, pursued. In

6431-403: The death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained. The six office-holders of the order wear pearl-grey mantles lined with rose-pink, having on the right side a purple shield charged with the roundel from the badge. Each of these office-holders wears a unique badge of office, suspended from a gold chain worn around the neck. The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse

6540-607: The distinction between ranks in military operational gallantry awards will cease'. The reforms affected the order at various levels: for example the automatic award each year of a GBE to the Lord Mayor of London ceased; the OBE replaced the Imperial Service Order as an award for civil servants and the number of MBEs awarded each year was significantly increased. As part of these reforms the British Empire Medal stopped being awarded by

6649-712: The first London production of the musical The Boys from Syracuse (Antipholus of Syracuse) in 1963 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane , alongside Ronnie Corbett . Monkhouse began his adult career as a scriptwriter for radio comedy in partnership with Denis Goodwin , a fellow Old Alleynian with whom he also compèred Smash Hits on Radio Luxembourg . Aside from performing as a double act, Monkhouse and Goodwin wrote for comedians such as Arthur Askey , Jimmy Edwards , Ted Ray and Max Miller . In addition, they were gag writers for American comedians including Bob Hope , supplying jokes for British tours. Indeed, when Goodwin broke up

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6758-515: The former was to be responsible for recording all proceedings connected with the order, issuing warrants under the seal of the order and making arrangements for investitures, while the latter (at that time the Permanent Secretary to the Treasury ) was responsible for collecting and tabulating the names of those who were to receive an award. The office of Dean was added in 1957. The King of Arms

6867-401: The governments of overseas dominions to make their own nominations; Canada and South Africa began doing so in 1942, followed by Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth realms. In May 1957, forty years after the foundation of the order, it was announced that St Paul's Cathedral was to serve as the church of the order, and in 1960 a chapel was dedicated for its use within the crypt of

6976-450: The highest class of the order (GBE). The designs of all these items underwent major changes in 1937. The badge is worn by all members of the order; the size, colour and design depends on the class of award. The badge for all classes is in the form of a cross patonce (having the arms growing broader and floriated toward the end) with a medallion in the centre, the obverse of which bears a crowned image of George V and Queen Mary within

7085-409: The history of silent cinema and a film collector, Monkhouse presented Mad Movies in 1966. He wrote, produced, financed and syndicated the show worldwide. The show featured clips from comic silent films, many from his own private collection, some of which he had helped to recover and restore. This film collection was the cause of a court case at the Old Bailey in 1979. Having lent Terry Wogan 's son

7194-546: The honours system, calling it "a preposterous charade". The order has attracted some criticism for its naming having connection with the idea of the now-extinct British Empire . Benjamin Zephaniah , a British poet of Jamaican and Barbadian descent, publicly rejected appointment as an Officer in 2003 because, he asserted, it reminded him of "thousands of years of brutality". He also said that "it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised". David Jason In September 2006, Jason had topped

7303-405: The important contents of the video tapes and restoring radio shows. There are many incredible finds, and the event [is] an exciting time for all concerned." In his final years, Monkhouse hosted a show on BBC Radio 2 called The Monkhouse Archive in which he provided humorous links to clips of comedy acts spanning the previous 50 years. In 1993 Monkhouse was appointed an Officer of the Order of

7412-446: The insignia to Buckingham Palace and by ceasing to make reference to their honour, but they still hold the honour unless and until annulled by the monarch. In 2003, The Sunday Times published a list of the people who had rejected the Order of the British Empire, including David Bowie , John Cleese , Nigella Lawson , Elgar Howarth , L. S. Lowry , George Melly , and J. G. Ballard . In addition, Ballard voiced his opposition to

7521-399: The interview she produced a handgun and fired it on several occasions, destroying a plant pot on the set and a series of lights in the studio roof. She then presented a rocket launcher which she promptly 'fired', destroying a camera. The gun, launcher and camera were props. None of this was known to Monkhouse, who appeared genuinely frightened (but the production crew were aware). An expert on

7630-409: The interviews varied between "true" chat and analysis of comedy to scripted routines in which Monkhouse would willingly play the role of the guest's stooge , as he did with Bob Hope . On one occasion the guest was the comedian Pamela Stephenson , who, after prior arrangement with the show's producer, appeared in a series of fake plaster casts, apparently the result of accidents whilst at home. During

7739-468: The junior post-nominal letters. The British sovereign is the sovereign of the order and appoints all other officers of the order (by convention, on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms ). The second-most senior officer is the Grand Master (a 'Prince of the Blood Royal, or other exalted personage' appointed by the sovereign, who, by virtue of their appointment, becomes 'the First or Principal Knight Grand Cross of

7848-519: The latter. Knights and Dames Commander and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet. See List of current honorary knights and dames of the Order of the British Empire Only the monarch can annul an honour. The Honours Forfeiture Committee considers cases and makes recommendations for forfeiture. An individual can renounce their honour by returning

7957-463: The left breast, by Knights and Dames Grand Cross; Knights and Dames Commander wear a smaller star composed of 'four equal points and four lesser'. The star is not worn by the more junior classes. Prior to 1937 each star had in the centre a gold medallion with a figure of Britannia, surrounded by a crimson circlet inscribed with the motto of the order ('For God and the Empire'); since 1937 the effigies of King George V and Queen Mary have been shown within

8066-510: The long-running TV series A Touch of Frost (Yorkshire Television/ITV). In September 2006, he was voted by the general public as No. 1 in ITV's poll of TV's Greatest Stars . In December 2006, he starred in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather on Sky1 as Albert . In early 2007, he starred in Diamond Geezer ( Granada Television /ITV). This series ran for 3 episodes of 90 minutes each. There

8175-443: The lottery machine failed live on air, causing the draw to be delayed by 50 minutes until after that night's episode of Casualty aired. Monkhouse then returned to quizzes, taking over hosting duties on Wipeout from Paul Daniels when its studio recordings moved from London to Manchester and the show moved from primetime to daytime. Monkhouse hosted Wipeout from 1998 until a few months before his death in 2003. After being

8284-569: The medal 'for gallantry', which had come to be known as the Empire Gallantry Medal , were given permission to use the postnominal letters EGM (and at the same time to add a laurel branch emblem to the ribbon of the medal); however, in 1940, awards of the EGM ceased and all holders of the medal were instructed to exchange it for a new and more prestigious gallantry award: the George Cross . In 1941,

8393-547: The medal of the order 'for meritorious service' was renamed the British Empire Medal , and the following year its recipients were granted the right to use the postnominal letters BEM. During the war, the BEM came to be used to recognise acts of bravery which did not merit the award of a George Cross or George Medal , a use which continued until the introduction of the Queen's Gallantry Medal in 1974. The designs of insignia of

8502-449: The medal. The colour of the riband was also changed: twenty years earlier, prior to the order's establishment, Queen Mary had made it known that pink would be her preferred colour for the riband of the proposed new order, but, in the event, purple was chosen. Following her appointment as Grand Master of the order in 1936 a change was duly made and since 9 March 1937 the riband of the order has been 'rose pink edged with pearl grey’ (with

8611-648: The more highbrow style of Idle, Jones, and Palin), admired his sense of timing. The programme ended in 1969, and the character then appeared for a time in the Thames Television children's programme Magpie . Jason appeared in the BBC comedy series Hugh and I in 1967, which starred Hugh Lloyd and Terry Scott as two friends who lived together in South London . He appeared in the Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) episode " That's How Murder Snowballs " (1969) as Abel,

8720-469: The names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Male clergy of the Church of England or the Church of Scotland do not use the title Sir (unless they were knighted before being ordained) as they do not receive the accolade (they are not dubbed "knight" with a sword), although they do append the post-nominal letters ; dames do not receive the accolade, and therefore female clergy are free to use

8829-449: The numbers restricted to the order as full members do. Although the Order of the British Empire has by far the highest number of members of the British orders of chivalry, with more than 100,000 living members worldwide, there are fewer appointments to knighthoods than in other orders. From time to time, individuals may be promoted to a higher grade within the Order, thereby ceasing usage of

8938-605: The order alongside its own honours until the establishment of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 1996. Other Commonwealth realms have continued to use the Order of the British Empire alongside their own honours. In 1993 the Prime Minister, John Major , instituted a reform of the honours system with the aim 'that exceptional service or achievement will be more widely recognised; that greater importance will be given to voluntary service; that automatic honours will end; that

9047-408: The order and medal were altered in 1937, prior to the coronation of King George VI , 'in commemoration of the reign of King George V and Queen Mary, during which the Order was founded'. The figure of Britannia at the centre of the badge of the order was replaced with an image of the crowned heads of the late King and Queen Mary, and the words 'Instituted by King George V' were added to the reverse of

9156-409: The order was celebrated with a service at St Paul's Cathedral. The order is limited to 300 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commander, and 8,960 Commanders. There are no limits applied to the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 officers and 1,464 members may be appointed per year. Foreign appointees, as honorary members, do not contribute to

9265-426: The order, to which serving personnel would in future be appointed. The classes were the same as for the Civil Division (as it was now termed), but military awards were distinguished by the addition of a central vertical red stripe to the purple riband of the civil awards. In 1920 appointment as an MBE 'for an act of gallantry' was granted for the first time, to Sydney Frank Blanck Esq, who had rescued an injured man from

9374-460: The partnership in 1962, it was to work for Hope. In 1956, Monkhouse was the host of Do You Trust Your Wife? , the British version of an American game show. He went on to host more than 30 quiz shows on British television. His public profile growing, Monkhouse also began appearing in comedy films, including the first of the Carry On film series, Carry On Sergeant , in 1958. He starred in Dentist in

9483-426: The poll to find TV's 50 Greatest Stars , as part of ITV 's 50th anniversary celebrations . He was knighted in 2005 for services to acting and comedy. Jason has won four British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs), (1988, 1991, 1997, 2003), four British Comedy Awards (1990, 1992, 1997, 2001) and seven National Television Awards (1996 twice, 1997, 2001 twice, 2002 and 2011). Jason's father, Arthur Robert White,

9592-416: The revival of the talent show Opportunity Knocks , which aired as Bob Says Opportunity Knocks . He then moved to ITV to front two more game shows, Bob's Your Uncle and The $ 64,000 Question , neither of which was a popular success. From 1996 to 1998, Monkhouse presented The National Lottery Live show on Saturday evenings on BBC1, for which he created the catchphrase: "I know I'm a sinner, but make me

9701-586: The same Order'). The position of Grand Master has been held by the following people: In addition to the sovereign and the grand master , the order has six further officers: At its foundation the order was served by three officers: the King of Arms, the Registrar & Secretary and the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod. In 1922 the Prelate was added, and the office of Registrar was separated from that of Secretary:

9810-504: The show on 23 April 2003, just months before his death. In a poll of fellow comedians and comedy insiders to find the Comedians' Comedian in 2005, Monkhouse was voted among the best 50 comedy acts. In a piece written several years after Monkhouse's death, critic and satirist Michael Deacon suggested that although Monkhouse had feared that his legacy as a comedian would be limited, as many people knew him only from his decades of work as

9919-454: The stage name "David White" was already taken, and not in tribute to his dead twin as has sometimes been claimed. Jason lived at Lodge Lane, North Finchley , and attended Northfield Secondary Modern school after failing the 11-plus in 1951. Upon leaving school, Jason wanted to be an actor, influenced by his brother, but their father advised that he first learn a trade. He trained as an electrician for six years, before retiring and becoming

10028-455: The standard of the George Medal (even though, as appointments to an order of chivalry, they were listed before it on the Order of Wear . In contrast to awards for meritorious service, which usually appear without a citation, there were often citations for gallantry awards, some detailed and graphic. From 14 January 1958, these awards were designated Commander, Officer or Member of the Order of

10137-506: The title Dame . Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal GBE; Knights Commander, KBE; Dames Commander, DBE; Commanders, CBE; Officers, OBE; and Members, MBE. The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is BEM. Members of all classes of the order are assigned positions in the order of precedence . Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commander; relatives of Ladies of

10246-577: The titles Sir for men and Dame for women before their forenames, except with honorary awards. King George V founded the order to fill gaps in the British honours system : In particular, George V wished to create an order to honour the many thousands of individuals from across the Empire who had served in a variety of non-combat roles during the First World War . From its foundation the order consisted of five classes (GBE, KBE/DBE, CBE, OBE and MBE) and

10355-429: The twentieth anniversary of his death. Among the audience were a number of British comedians who had been personally invited by Monkhouse, including Reece Shearsmith , Jon Culshaw , David Walliams , Fiona Allen and Mark Steel . The show also included a rare public appearance from Monkhouse's friend Mike Yarwood . In his later years, Monkhouse was probably better known for hosting television quiz shows than for being

10464-751: Was 15, he spent a year working as a mechanic's assistant. When he turned 16, he was eligible to register for an apprenticeship, but decided against it. Jason started his television career in 1964 playing the part of Bert Bradshaw in Crossroads . In 1967, he played spoof super-hero Captain Fantastic , among other roles, in the children's comedy series Do Not Adjust Your Set ( Rediffusion London / ITV ) with Eric Idle , Terry Jones , Denise Coffey , and Michael Palin . Humphrey Barclay , who recruited Jason to appear in Do Not Adjust Your Set (partly to counter

10573-470: Was a pilot in 2005. In March 2008, he starred as Rincewind in Terry Pratchett's The Colour of Magic , and in the two part ITV drama Ghostboat . On 16 September 2008, Jason announced that he would step down from his role as Jack Frost after 16 years. Three new episodes of the show were shown in autumn 2008, and were followed by a two-part finale in 2010. Approached by BBC1 controller Danny Cohen in early 2011, he read three scripts and agreed to shoot

10682-560: Was a porter at Billingsgate Fish Market , and his mother, Olwen Jones, was from Merthyr Tydfil , Glamorgan , Wales , and worked as a charwoman . She gave birth to twin boys at North Middlesex Hospital in Edmonton, London , in February 1940, but Jason's twin brother died during childbirth, making him a twinless twin . He chose the stage name Jason because he liked Jason and the Argonauts , as

10791-491: Was born in 1922. Monkhouse's grandfather, John Monkhouse (1862–1938), was a prosperous Methodist businessman who co-founded Monk and Glass, which made custard powder and jelly. In a 2015 documentary, it was revealed that Monkhouse and his older brother suffered from physical and verbal abuse by their mother. Monkhouse was educated at Goring Hall School in Worthing , Sussex , and Dulwich College in south London, from which he

10900-514: Was cast at 12 o'clock and sacked by three." Jason also subsequently missed out on the starring role of Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em in 1973 because BBC executives at the time believed that he lacked "star quality". In the 1970s, he also acted in radio comedies, including the weekly topical satire Week Ending (in which he regularly played such figures as then UK Foreign Secretary Dr David Owen ) and The Hitchhiker's Guide to

11009-506: Was expelled for climbing the clock tower. While still at school, Monkhouse wrote for The Beano and The Dandy and drew for other comics including Hotspur , Wizard and Adventure . He established a comics writing and art partnership with Dulwich schoolmate Denis Gifford and the two formed their own publishing company, Streamline, in the early 1950s. Among other writing, Monkhouse wrote more than 100 Harlem Hotspots erotic novelettes. Monkhouse completed his National service with

11118-402: Was first announced at the end of December 2006, and is available to recipients of all levels of the order, as well as to holders of the British Empire Medal . The pin design is not unique to any level. The pin features the badge of the order, enclosed in a circle of ribbon of its colours of pink and grey. Lapel pins must be purchased separately by a member of the order. The creation of such a pin

11227-469: Was made a substantive member and subsequently styled as Sir Terry Wogan). Although initially intended to recognise meritorious service, the order began to also be awarded for gallantry. There were an increased number of cases in the Second World War for service personnel and civilians including the merchant navy, police, emergency services and civil defence, mostly MBEs but with a small number of OBEs and CBEs. Such awards were for gallantry that did not reach

11336-535: Was mocked for his slickness and accused of insincerity. He came back into fashion during the 1990s, and an appearance on Have I Got News for You helped to restore his popularity. Monkhouse's final stand-up show was performed at the Albany Comedy Club in London on 25 August 2003, four months before his death. The show was broadcast by the BBC in 2016 and again in November 2019, April 2020 and December 2023 to mark

11445-695: Was never charged. On Monkhouse's death, the books were bequeathed to Colin Edmonds. Monkhouse was a vocal supporter of the Conservative Party for some years. He later told his friend Colin Edmonds that this may have been a mistake, but that he wanted to be associated with a winner and he knew Margaret Thatcher could not lose the 1987 general election . Monkhouse was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2001, and he died from this illness at his home on 29 December 2003 aged 75. His widow, Jacqueline, suffered

11554-508: Was open to both women and men; provision was also made for conferring honorary awards on foreign recipients. At the same time, alongside the order, the Medal of the Order of the British Empire was instituted, to serve as a lower award granting recipients affiliation but not membership. The first investiture took place at Ibrox Stadium , as part of a royal visit to the Glasgow shipyards, with the appointment of Alexander Ure, 1st Baron Strathclyde as

11663-702: Was performing to the Only Fools and Horses theme tune. In 1993, Jason was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Twelve years later, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2005, he was knighted for services to acting and comedy. Upon receiving the knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on 1 December 2005, he said he was "humbled" by the "fantastic tribute". Jason lived with his long-term girlfriend, Welsh actress Myfanwy Talog , for 18 years and nursed her through breast cancer until she died in 1995. On 26 February 2001, Jason became

11772-620: Was recommended in Sir Hayden Phillips ' review of the honours system in 2004. The Chapel of the Order of the British Empire is in St Paul's Cathedral . It occupies the far eastern end of the cathedral crypt and was dedicated in 1960. The only heraldic banners normally on display in the chapel are those of the Sovereign of the Order of the British Empire and of the Grand Master of the Order of

11881-566: Was shortlisted for the 2013 Specsavers National Book Awards "Best Book of the Year". A second volume, Only Fools and Stories: From Del Boy to Granville, Pop Larkin to Frost was published in October 2017. Penguin Books announced A Del Of A Life , which is Jason's third autobiography and was published in October 2020. In September 2017, it was reported that a "credible threat was made to his life", although it

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