Too saucy Benny Hill banned by Royal Mail
Benny Hill's saucy humour was no joke for Royal Mail who banned him from appearing on a historic sets of stamps, it emerged today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MyT6d4FWpw
Benny Hill's saucy humour was no joke for Royal Mail who banned him from appearing on a historic sets of stamps, it emerged today.
The bawdy comic was set to appear on a series of stamps highlighting 50 years of ITV. But he was eventually discarded by the special committee who determine who should appear on the commemorative issues.
Today it was revealed that the Benny Hill Show, Spitting Image and the Kenny Everett Show were all discarded in favour of a front door to illustrate Rising Damp.
The revelation about the decision, taken in 2005, has infuriated Bettine Le beau who regularly appeared on Benny's popular show.
She said: "It's absurd. To have a jovial and loveable face as Benny Hill's who made millions feel good with his humour and was appreciated by many all over the world, would have enhanced the Royal Mail."
Hill became a household name with his slapstick and burlesque humour, with his show running on the BBC from 1955 to 1989 before moving to ITV. He was famous for featuring high speed chases of scantily-clad women to the familiar theme tune. The actor died in 1992 aged 68.
A Royal Mail spokesman said: "We wanted to show the widest selection of programmes for the 'best of ITV' stamp issue, and were spoilt for choice."
The ITV stamps, issued in September 2005, featured six stamps of Rising Damp, Emmerdale, The Avengers, Morse, The South Bank Show and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
