Mike Yarwood
| Mike Yarwood OBE |
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Michael Edward Yarwood 14 June 1941 Bredbury, Cheshire, England |
| Residence | Prestbury, Cheshire, England |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, impressionist |
| Years active | 1966–present |
Michael Edward "Mike" Yarwood, OBE (born 14 June 1941) is an English actor, comedian and impressionist. He was one of Britain's top-rated entertainers, regularly appearing on television from the 1960s to the 1980s.
Yarwood was born and brought up in Bredbury, Cheshire. After leaving school, he worked as a messenger and then salesman at a garment warehouse. In his youth he was also a talented footballer, and almost pursued a professional career. For a period he was a Director of his local club .
Yarwood was one of the stars of British television in the 1960s and 1970s, with his own prominent shows, which changed between BBC and ITV (ATV and Thames Television) based on high-profile financial deals. Though he had made a short appearance with Tony Hancock in Hancock's Half Hour in 1961, Yarwood owed his initial success to the Sunday Night at the London Palladium variety 'spectacular', on which he first appeared in 1964. His appearance coincided with the senior political career of his most famous 'character', Labour Party leader and the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
At its height, Yarwood's BBC TV shows, which were based on a variety mix of comic sketches, guest musicians and a closing song sung by Yarwood (introduced by the line, "and this is me", which became the title of his first autobiography), regularly attracted 18 million viewers.
Among the prominent British personalities he portrayed were Eddie Waring, the famous charismatic rugby league commentator; Brian Clough, the controversial football manager; Robin Day, the then top political interviewer on the BBC; Magnus Pyke, the eccentric TV science presenter; Alf Garnett, the lead character from Till Death Us Do Part originally portrayed by Warren Mitchell; the fictional American detective Columbo; Frank Spencer, the comic creation of sitcom actor Michael Crawford; and Wilson's Conservative Party rival Ted Heath.
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