Jimmy Tarbuck

James Joseph Tarbuck, the son of a prosperous bookmaker, was born in Liverpool where he was twice expelled from school, then fired from his first job as a garage mechanic for fooling around with a grease gun. In rapid succession, he was a labourer, gardener, butcher's boy, bricklayer's mate, porter, shop assistant, chef's assistant and women's hairdresser, but all the time he dreamed of being a footballer. During that time in 1958, while on holiday in Pwllheli, Wales, he entered and won a holiday camp talent contest, which, on his return home, led him to playing pubs and clubs in Liverpool and Manchester. He made his television debut in Comedy Bandbox and eight days later he was on Sunday Night at the London Palladium. After making three appearances there in six months, he was invited back again, but as the compere of the show. After that came his own series, It''s Tarbuck, Tarbuck's Back, and The Jimmy Tarbuck Show. He was a keen golfer with a handicap of four and had his own sponsored classic in Spain. His favourite comedians were Laurel and Hardy, Eric Morecambe, Leonard Rossiter, Les Dawson and Arthur Lowe. Married to Pauline, they had two daughters, Lisa, born 1964, and Cheryl, born1960.