Bruce Forsyth

Forsyth worked between 1928 and 2017 across television presenter, comedian, singer, dancer and film actor and 5 further recorded occupations. This article rests on 7 catalogued compositions, 4 published texts, 1 issued recordings, 1 digitised documents and 32 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Honorific Prefix — Sir • Name — Bruce Forsyth • Birth Name — Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson • Born — 22 February 1928 • Birthplace — Edmonton, Middlesex, England • Died — 18 August 2017 • Place of death — Virginia Water, Surrey, England • Resting Place — London Palladium • Other Names — Boy Bruce, the Mighty Atom Brucie • Occupation — * Presenter • actor • comedian • singer • dancer • screenwriter • Years Active — 1939–2015 • Children — 6 • Relatives — * Joseph Forsyth Johnson (great-grandfather) • William Forsyth (4× great-grandfather, dubious) • Awards — Knight Bachelor (2011)

Bruce Joseph Forsyth-Johnson was born on Victoria Road in Edmonton, Middlesex, on 22 February 1928, the son of Florence Ada (née Pocknell) and John Thomas Forsyth-Johnson. His family owned a car repair garage and, as members of the Salvation Army, his parents played brass instruments; his mother was a singer. His great-grandfather Joseph Forsyth Johnson was a landscape architect who worked in several countries, and Bruce believed that his great-great-great-great-grandfather was William Forsyth (1737–1804) a founder of the Royal Horticultural Society and the namesake of the plant genus Forsythia. However both of William's sons died without heirs so William had no direct male descendants. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Forsyth was evacuated to Clacton-on-Sea. Shortly after he arrived, Forsyth's parents allowed him to return to London because he felt homesick. On 21 May 1943, Forsyth's older brother John, who was serving as a pilot in the Royal Air Force, was killed aged 20 during a training exercise at RAF Turnberry; he is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Forsyth attended the Latymer School. After watching Fred Astaire in films at the age of eight, he trained in dance in Tottenham and then Brixton.

Forsyth started his live public performances aged 14, with a song, dance and accordion act called Boy Bruce, the Mighty Atom. His first appearance was at the Theatre Royal in Bilston, with The Great Marzo at the top of the bill. He had made his television debut in 1939 as a child, singing and dancing on BBC talent show Come and Be Televised, broadcast from Radiolympia and introduced by Jasmine Bligh.

After the war, with the goal of joining Moss Empires theatres, he spent years on stage with little success and travelled the UK working seven days a week, doing summer seasons, pantomimes and circuses, where he became renowned for his strong-man act. His act was interrupted by national service when he was conscripted into the Royal Air Force at the age of 19, which he later reflected taught him "respect and discipline". In 1958, an appearance with the comedian Dickie Henderson led to his being offered the job of compère of Val Parnell's weekly TV variety show, Sunday Night at the London Palladium. He hosted the show for two years, followed by a year's break, then returned for another year. His schedule of stage performances, which continued throughout the 1960s, forced him to give up the job of host. • Illustration — Forsyth on front of "Every Night at the Palladium" souvenir brochure, 1962 Forsyth appeared in the London production of Little Me, along with Avril Angers in 1964. In the musical film Star! (1968), a biopic of stage actress Gertrude Lawrence, he played alongside lead performer Julie Andrews as Lawrence's father. On 7 October 1968, he was top of the bill on the opening night of the Golden Garter nightclub, Wythenshawe. Two years later, he played Swinburne in the Disney fantasy film Bedknobs and Broomsticks. In 1976, he appeared on The Muppet Show, where he took on the duo Statler and Waldorf.

During his spell of hosting Sunday Night at the London Palladium as part of the show he hosted the 15-minute game show Beat the Clock. Forsyth's next success was The Generation Game (BBC1, 1971–1977, 1990–1994), which proved popular and attracted huge Saturday evening audiences. It was on this show that Forsyth introduced his "The Thinker" pose, emulating Rodin's sculpture, appearing in silhouette each week after the opening titles. This pose is reminiscent of the circus strong-man attitude, and Forsyth used it on many shows he later hosted. He also wrote and sang the theme for the show "Life is the Name of the Game." Millions of viewers became familiar with the rasp of Forsyth's north London accented voice and his "distinctively pointy" chin that he emphasised in poses such as the "human question mark", with chin over raised knee. During his time as host of The Generation Game he began using what would become his signature 'call and response' greeting with the studio audience, "It's nice to see you, to see you...", to which the audience would loudly reply, "Nice!"; he used this on many shows he later hosted for the rest of his career. In his music hall days, Forsyth had experimented with the response "Too!", but this was no way as successful as the later television version. He was replaced on The Generation Game by Larry Grayson. In 1977 he announced that he was leaving television to take the star role in a new musical, The Travelling Music Show, based on the songs of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse. The show did reasonably well in provincial theatre, but received poor reviews when it moved to London and it closed after four months in July 1978. London Weekend Television persuaded him to return to the screen later that year to present Bruce Forsyth's Big Night, a two-hour Saturday-night show on ITV encompassing a variety of different entertainment formats (later reduced to 90 minutes). However, the show was not a success and lasted for just one series. Forsyth remained with ITV, hosting the game show Play Your Cards Right, which was the UK version of the US original Card Sharks, from 1980 to 1987, 1994 to 1999, and a brief period from 2002 to 2003, before the show was pulled mid-run. In 1986, he went to the United States to host a game show on ABC, Bruce Forsyth's Hot Streak, which ran for 65 episodes from January to April that year. Shortly after, Forsyth was considered by Mark Goodson to be a candidate for hosting the revival of Card Sharks; ultimately the jobs went to Bob Eubanks (for the daytime version that aired on CBS), and Bill Rafferty (who hosted the night-time syndicated version). Forsyth starred in the Thames Television sitcom Slinger's Day in 1986 and 1987, a sequel to Tripper's Day which had starred Leonard Rossiter, whom Forsyth replaced in the new show. He was the original host of You Bet! (1988 to 1990). Forsyth fronted the third version of The Price Is Right (1995 to 2001), titled Bruce's Price Is Right during his era as the host. His unsuccessful gameshows include Takeover Bid (1990 to 1991), Hollywood Or Bust (1984), and Didn't They Do Well! (2004). During the 1970s Forsyth featured in the Stork margarine adverts on television; during the 1980s and 1990s he appeared in an advertising campaign for the furniture retailer Courts, in which he dressed as a judge. Forsyth celebrated his 70th birthday in 1998 and appeared in a week-long run of his one-man show at the London Palladium. In 2000, Forsyth hosted a revived series called Tonight at the London Palladium.

In 2003, and again in 2010, Forsyth was a guest presenter on the news and satire quiz show Have I Got News for You. Forsyth had called Paul Merton, one of the team captains on the show, to suggest himself as a guest presenter. He co-presented Strictly Come Dancing with Tess Daly from 2004 to 2013, formally stepping down from hosting the regular live show in April 2014. This decision was made to reduce his workload and for the preparation of pre-recorded specials. On 7 April 2010, Forsyth became one of the first three celebrities to be subjected to the British version of the American institution of a comedy roast, on Channel 4's A Comedy Roast. Forsyth was the subject of the BBC genealogy series Who Do You Think You Are?, broadcast on 19 July 2010. On 20 March 2010, Forsyth appeared on the autobiography-interview programme Piers Morgan's Life Stories, which was broadcast on ITV. In 2011, Forsyth released a collection of songs on CD called These Are My Favourites. He chose the songs for their personal and musical importance, including a duet with his granddaughter, Sophie Purdie. These Are My Favourites also includes a recording of "Paper Moon" with Nat King Cole.

Forsyth was an enthusiastic and lifelong supporter of numerous charities, particularly those focused on helping children, disabled people, and animals. In 2001, Forsyth became a patron of the international charity EveryChild, which supports vulnerable children around the world. For his 80th birthday in 2008, he requested that people donate to EveryChild instead of buying him presents. Forsyth was heavily involved with the charity Variety, which assists disabled and disadvantaged children. As part of this work, he helped provide the charity with its signature "Sunshine Coaches," which are specially adapted minibuses. Forsyth was a supporter and ambassador for the children's charity Caudwell Children, appearing at many of their fundraising events. A patron of this Surrey-based charity for over two decades, Forsyth supported its work by attending events, playing in golf tournaments, and donating Strictly Come Dancing tickets for auctions. An avid golfer, Forsyth played in and hosted numerous pro-celebrity tournaments for many good causes, including his own Bruce Forsyth Pro-Am Charity Classic. Events he hosted at his home on the Wentworth estate raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Sparks, a charity that supports children's medical research. He also lent his support to organizations such as Cats Protection, Help for Heroes, and the Royal Osteoporosis Society. Forsyth regularly participated in fundraising drives, including a charity auction for child victims of the Balkan conflict and specials for the BBC's Children in Need, including a special episode of Strictly Come Dancing.

From 1953 until their divorce in 1973, Forsyth was married to Penny Calvert with whom he had three daughters. One of his daughters, Julie, is a songwriter and singer, who found fame in the 1970s as part of the Top 10 hitmakers Guys 'n' Dolls and would go on to compose the UK's entry in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest. In 1973, he married Anthea Redfern, the hostess on The Generation Game. They had two daughters, before they too divorced in 1979. Asked to judge the 1980 Miss World competition, Forsyth met Puerto Rican beauty queen Wilnelia Merced, who was the 1975 winner and a fellow judge. They married in 1983 and had one son together. Forsyth lived on the Wentworth Estate in Surrey. Until 2000, he also occupied a flat in Nell Gwynn House, Sloane Avenue, Chelsea.

In January 1968 Pye Records issued as a single "I'm Backing Britain", supporting the economic campaign of the same name, written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent, and sung by Forsyth. The chorus included "The feeling is growing, so let's keep it going, the good times are blowing our way". All involved in making the single took cuts in their fees or royalties so that the single sold for 5s. instead of the going rate of 7s. d. Forsyth happily endorsed the campaign, saying "The country has always done its best when it is up against the wall. If everyone realises what we are up against we can get out of trouble easily." The song did not make the charts, selling only 7,319 copies. Forsyth was a supporter of the Conservative Party, admired Margaret Thatcher, and attended fundraising events for the party. In 2008, he told the Radio Times that he was a fan of Prime Minister's Questions, describing the weekly debates between then prime minister Gordon Brown and then leader of the opposition David Cameron as "pure vaudeville", and remarked that the verbal jousting of Brown and Cameron reminded him of the comedians Frankie Howerd and Les Dawson. During a 2008 appearance on the BBC's This Week, he expressed his admiration for the US political system's primary debates, suggesting a similar system could make UK politics more exciting. In August 2014, Forsyth was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's referendum on that issue. In a 2015 interview with the Radio Times, he declined to reveal his specific party allegiance, explaining that it is more accepted for entertainers to state their preference in the United States than in the UK.

Towards the end of his life, Forsyth suffered from ill health, which reduced his appearances in public. On 8 October 2015, he was admitted to hospital for cuts and minor concussion after tripping over a rug at his home and hitting his head. A month later, he made his last full TV appearance on Strictly Children in Need Special, with filming for this taking place prior to him undergoing surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm on 12 November. As a result of his surgery, Forsyth was unable to host that year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special as planned, but a spokesman representing him later stated he would play a part in the production, recording a special video message for it. After 2015, Forsyth made no further public appearances, as his health began to decline, with his wife commenting that he struggled to move easily following his surgery. On 26 February 2017, he was again admitted to hospital with a severe chest infection and spent five days in intensive care, before returning home on 3 March 2017. On 18 August 2017, Forsyth died of bronchial pneumonia at his Wentworth Estate home in Virginia Water, aged 89. Several celebrities paid tribute to Forsyth following his death, including his former Strictly Come Dancing co-host Tess Daly; his friends Michael Parkinson, Jimmy Tarbuck, and Des O'Connor, the BBC director general Tony Hall and the then Prime Minister, Theresa May. BBC One aired Sir Bruce Forsyth – Mr Entertainment, in place of the scheduled The One Show, in tribute. Forsyth was cremated on 5 September 2017 in a private ceremony attended only by close family and friends. A few days later, on 9 September 2017, when that year's series of Strictly Come Dancing began, it paid tribute to Forsyth with a special ballroom dance routine from their professional dancers. On 14 December 2017, the BBC announced that it would produce a tribute show to Forsyth at the London Palladium on 21 February 2018. Hosted by his Strictly Come Dancing co-host Tess Daly, Sir Bruce: A Celebration was broadcast on BBC One on 11 March 2018. On 18 August 2018, the first anniversary of his death, Forsyth's ashes were laid to rest beneath the stage at the London Palladium in a private ceremony.

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1958–2004 — One-man show which had various titles — Himself — Intermittently toured UK • 1962 — Every Night at the Palladium — Himself — Starred with Morecambe and Wise in a season at the London Palladium • 1964 — Little Me — Various Characters — A 334 performance season at the Cambridge Theatre • 1978 — The Traveling Music Show — Fred Limelight — A four-month season at Her Majesty's Theatre, before touring the UK • 1979 — Bruce Forsyth on Broadway — Himself — A five performance season of his one-man show at the Winter Garden Theatre from 12–17 June • 2012–2015 — Bruce Forsyth Entertains — Himself — Toured the UK

• Title — Album details — Peak chart positions • UK • Mister Entertainment — * Released: 1960 * Label: Parlophone: PMC 1132 (Mono) / PCS 3013 (Stereo) — — • The Musical Side of Bruce — * Released: 1973 * Label: Pye: NSPL 18405 — — • Both Sides of Bruce (Live) — * Released: 1977 * Label: Warner Bros. — — • Come Get It! — * Released: 1979 * Label: Pye — — • Mr. Entertainment — * Released: 19 March 2007 * Label: EMI — — • These Are My Favourites — * Released: 7 November 2011 * Label: EMI — 58

• 1959, "Excerpts from The Desert Song (No. 2)", with June Bronhill, Edmund Hockridge, Inia Te Wiata, The Williams Singers, Michael Collins and His Orchestra (7-inch EP), His Master's Voice: 7EG 8676 • 1960, "I'm a Good Boy", Parlophone • 1960, "I'm in Charge" (7-inch), Parlophone: 45-R 4535 • 1962, "The Oh-Be-Joyfuls (7-inch), Piccadilly: 7N.35086 • 1964, "Real Live Girl" (7-inch), Pye: 7N.15744 • 1964, "Saturday Sunshine" (7-inch), Piccadilly: 7N.35169 • 1964, "The Mysterious People" (7-inch), Piccadilly: 1189 • 1965, "Real Live Girl" (7-inch), Blue Cat: BC 105 • 1968, "I'm Backing Britain" / "There's Not Enough Love in the World", Pye • 1973, "Didn't He Do Well?" (7-inch), Philips: 6006 285 • 1978, "Love Medley", with Valerie Walsh (7), CBS: S CBS 6469

Neopets, a virtual pet website, had a collectible character which was originally a direct representation of Forsyth himself. The pet was later renamed to just "Bruce" and his appearance changed to that of a penguin to better fit with the other pets on the platform. Despite the change, the pet retained Forsyth's iconic bow tie.

Bruce Forsyth was born on 22 February 1928 in Edmonton.