Derek Roy (comedian)

Derek Roy (25 August 1922 – 15 March 1981) was an English comedian, whose public profile was at its greatest in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Derek Roy
Born(1922-08-25)25 August 1922
London, England
Died15 March 1981(1981-03-15) (aged 58)
Southampton, Hampshire, England
Spouse(s)Rone Ricardo[1]

His BBC Radio show, Hip Hip Hoo Roy, was written by amongst others Spike Milligan, and was the show where Milligan's Goon Show character Eccles first appeared. Roy's unsuccessful star-vehicle Happy Go Lucky also gave the first writing break to Ray Galton and Alan Simpson,[2][3] who would soon team up with the show's last producer Dennis Main Wilson to create Hancock's Half Hour.[4]

Roy also hosted Variety Bandbox, a talent show that made known such performers as Michael Bentine, Frankie Howerd, Jimmy Edwards, Tony Hancock, Alfred Marks, Morecambe and Wise, Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers, Graham Stark and Harry Worth.

Roy was a resident of the large Art Deco apartment block, Du Cane Court in Balham, South London. A neighbour remembered: "He was short, plump and wore glasses; and besides being a stand-up comedian, he featured on an amusing radio variety show. He was well liked, well known and very vulgar. He lived in B11 and had a large dog which he would take on stage as part of his act".[5]

He appeared in the film, Dance With Me, alongside Anne Shelton and Max Wall.[2] In 1955, he also appeared on the first night of ITV.[6]

He died of cancer in March 1981 aged 58.

References
  1. "Biography for Derek Roy (I)". IMDb. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  2. Flanagan, Barry. "Derek Roy". Memories of the Hippodrome. Archived from the original on 8 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
  3. Stevens, Christopher (2010). Born Brilliant: The Life Of Kenneth Williams. John Murray. p. 77. ISBN 1-84854-195-3.
  4. Oliver, John. "Derek Roy". Screenonline. Archived from the original on 8 October 2006. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
  5. Vincent, Gregory K. (2008). A history of Du Cane Court : land, architecture, people and politics. Woodbine. ISBN 0-9541675-1-1.
  6. Flanagan, Barry. "Denis Gifford (1927–2000)". comicsuk.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-03.
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