Bill roache biography

William Roache recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his book, Ken and Me...

A few weeks prior to Edwina's death, and completely unknown to me of course, Sara was negotiating for me to appear as the subject of This Is Your Life.

Apparently it's usually the spouse the producers approach, and this can cause problems. I heard a wonderful story, which I like to think isn't apocryphal, about Ronnie Barker. It seems that This Is Your Life was conspiring with his wife to get him on the programme and she wrote their telephone number inside a pair of knickers. I don't know what possessed her to do this, but in any event Ronnie found this particular item of underwear, rang the number and blew the whole thing.

There was no danger of this kind of mishap occurring with me because Sara handles the business side of my professional life and she's always making phone calls I know nothing about. In fact, she had been dealing with the producers for several weeks, and actually had a meeting with them the morning of Edwina's death. Then, of course, they dropped the whole thing, and she assumed that was the end of it.

But no, they later came back to her, and when they found she had never mentioned it to me the show was re-scheduled for the 24th September 1985.

Every so ofte

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