Leslie Crowther

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Leslie Crowther (6 February 1933, Nottingham – 29 September 1996, Bath) was an English comedian.

Crowther was born in Nottingham but moved to London in 1945 with his parents, just after the war ended. His father, also called Leslie, was an alcoholic, but was also an actor. Crowther had stage experience from the mid-1940s. Crowther attended Thames Valley Grammar School and married Jean Stone on 27 March 1954. They had five children. One of his daughters, Liz Crowther, is an actor.

Crowther made a name for himself in television in the 1950s, with appearances as presenter of such programmes as The Black and White Minstrel Show, and later the long-running children's institution Crackerjack (with Peter Glaze) for the BBC, from 1960 to 1968.

From the 1970s, he also achieved renown as the face of Stork SB Margarine for which he appeared in a number of memorable television commercials. In 1971 he made The Leslie Crowther Show, a sketch show, with three older comics, Arthur English, Chic Murray and Albert Modley ("Eee it's grand to be daft!") as the internal "rep" company. In 1972 and 1973 he appeared in a TV sitcom called My Good Woman with Richard Wilson, Sylvia Syms and Keith Barron.

Crowther was also an alcoholic, battling the problem throughout the 1960s, '70s and '80s. In November 1983 he was arrested for drunk-driving and banned from driving for nine months. This didn't stop him from drinking, but in October 1988 he turned up at a gala in Glastonbury drunk. His battle against alcohol was much publicised in the press and by Christmas he had accepted that he had a serious problem and needed help. From January to March 1989 Crowther went into Clouds House, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Salisbury. Crowther never drank alcohol again for the rest of his life.

Leslie Crowther is also well remembered as host of the first British version of the popular game show The Price Is Right, from 1984 to 1988, during which time his come on down catchphrase entered television folklore. He was also the father-in-law of Thin Lizzy vocalist Phil Lynott. From 21 July 1990 he was host of the TV show Stars in Their Eyes, hosting the first three series. He was a popular president of the Lord's Taverners from January 1991 to December 1992. He was a huge cricket fan and had a flat near Lord's Cricket Ground for many years.

Crowther was almost killed in a car crash on the afternoon of Saturday 3 October 1992 on the M5 near Cheltenham, sustaining serious head injuries which effectively ended his TV and stage career and forced him into early retirement. He previously had been very busy with Lord's Taverners business, and on Friday 2 October had been to a dinner in Swansea. He was then opening Allied Carpets stores in Birmingham that Saturday morning. At the time it was speculated that he fell asleep at the wheel and his car smashed into the central reservation and overturned several times. The truth of what happened that afternoon is unlikely to be ever known.

After the accident, Crowther was able to tell the Police, who were at the scene, his personal details including his home telephone number and what Warfarin tablets he was taking for his heart (He had been diagnosed with heart trouble three years before). He didn't appear to be too severely injured at first, apart from being shaken up and sustaining a cracked bone in his neck, and told his rescuers his home telephone number and even cracked jokes to them. However, after being taken to Cheltenham general hospital, his condition deteriorated and Crowther became unconscious. A brain scan revealed a blood clot had formed on the left-hand side of his brain. Crowther was taken to Frenchay Hospital for brain surgery to remove it that evening. On the Monday afternoon another scan revealed another blood clot had formed on the same side of his brain and Crowther had to have a second brain operation. He remained in a coma for 17 days after the accident and was a patient in Frenchay Hospital until February 1993.

Crowther was awarded the CBE in the 1993 New Year's Honours list in recognition of his years of charity work. He went to Buckingham Palace to collect it in July 1993 and, shortly after publishing his autobiography, The Bonus of Laughter, retired from showbusiness in November 1994. He appeared that autumn on This Is Your Life for the second time, having first appeared in March 1973.

He was a supporter of West Bromwich Albion F.C., and was particularly friendly with officials and players of the club during the Ron Atkinson era (late 1970s to early '80s).

Leslie Crowther died from heart failure on 29 September 1996 in the Royal United Hospital in Bath, at the age of 63, with his wife Jean and family at his side.

Preceded by First Host

Host of The Price is Right UK 1984 - 1988

Succeeded by Bob Warman

[edit] External links

• Leslie Crowther on the BBC guide to comedy

Persondata
NAME	Crowther, Leslie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	English comedian
DATE OF BIRTH	6 February 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH	Nottingham, England
DATE OF DEATH	29 September 1996
PLACE OF DEATH	Bristol, England