Mike Yarwood

[Volvoclaret]

Been announced that Mike Yarwòod has died age 83
RIP

[clive40golf]

I honestly thought he had died years ago, What’s worse is that I actually have memories of him passing, Weird! The Mandela effect?

[BurnleyMickSouth]

The man was great at doing mimics of other people, me and my dad used to sit on the settee and watch his show, some of his best mimics were as follows....Prince Charles, Brian Clough, Ted Heath, Harold Wilson, Larry Grayson, the list is endless but he could never master the Prime Minister in later years because Thatcher came along & Janet Brown had to mimic her, but Mike was the best for me, & my dad, another from the golden era gone, RIP Mike.

[bfcjg]

RIP iconic childhood memories of him. Good family entertainer, worst bit was at end of his show when he would say and this is me and kill a song.

[Bosscat]

RIP Mike Yarwood man of a 1000 voices inspire the likes of Rory Bremner etc ...

Also gave the "oh what a silly billy" catchphrase to Dennis Healey ... who used it after that to the amusement of fellow politicians.

[gtclaret]

The politicians loved hi.Wilson Heath Healey.Robin Day also thought highly of him.He did the voices perfectly,took the Mick and guess what, nobody was "offended"

[Quicknick]

I honestly thought he had died years ago, What’s worse is that I actually have memories of him passing, Weird! The Mandela effect?

I thought he'd died years ago, too.

[beddie]

Brilliant in his day. A must watch show back in the 70s.RIP Mike Yarwood.

[AlargeClaret]

Very talented mimic which is a bit of a fading art . I think his career died about 40 yrs too so a RIP for that too . Seems he became unfashionable ( doesn’t everyone?) I remember him saying people got harder to impersonate because they have their natural habits/ticks and mannerisms polished out these days .

[FCBurnley]

Brilliant at his craft. RIP

[Suratclaret]

Great entertainer
RIP

[yTib]

a proper funny bloke.

go well sir.

[Middle-agedClaret]

He was a major, and very funny, TV performer when I was young.
Last time I saw him on TV was (I think…) in the mid-90s. He was a guest on Have I Got News For You. It was a bit sad really. The questions ( as I remember) had been set up so that MY could use one of his impersonations in the answers. He was on Paul Merton team, and Merton rushed to answer every question, with HIS impersonation.
Seemed a bit crass and insensitive to me.
Anyway - a fine entertainer.
RIP, Mike.

[IanMcL]

He was top man in a particular time, with Harold Wilson and co. Unfortunately, they disappeared and he didn't move on. Became a dinosaur.

Not sure how he made his living, after that.

[Bin Ont Turf]

You've got more faces than Mike Yarwood.

Peace be with him.

[JohnMac]

A man of his time and entertained in great style

[Claretitus]

Always ended his shows with “ And this is me “. Great entertainment in the ‘70’s. RIP Mike.

[mdd2]

I think he suffered from health problems more common today than then but that resulted in his decline rather than his mimicry being unfashionable. Agree Maggie made it difficult playing one character but he had mastered so many and would have been able to master others had he lost the midas touch. Rory Bremner was a poor second but triumphed with Bremner Bird and Fortune, the latter two also long gone. The Bird Fortune interviews were absolutely brilliant more so when you realise they were largely unscripted. I think the Minister or other interviewee was always George Parr and the two took turns in being George.And then there were the dinner party sketches with Bird Fortune Pauline Mclynn, who was in Father Ted and Frances Barber

[nil_desperandum]

The politicians loved hi.Wilson Heath Healey.Robin Day also thought highly of him.He did the voices perfectly,took the Mick and guess what, nobody was "offended"

Have there been reports of modern day politicians being offended by some of our current excellent impressionists / mimics like John Culshaw, Alistair McGowan and Rory Bremner?
Most celebs and politicians seem to accept is a a badge of honour to be well known enough to be mimicked and recognised, and claim to enjoy their impressions.
(Of course, impressionists wouldn't do "blackface" any more, or caricature ethnic minorities - and rightly so.)

[mdd2]

(Of course, impressionists wouldn't do "blackface" any more, or caricature ethnic minorities - and rightly so.)

You mean like John Bird doing Idi Amin Dada on TW3-why not?
Yarwood had the Gannex coat and pipe for Wilson.

[nil_desperandum]

(Of course, impressionists wouldn't do "blackface" any more, or caricature ethnic minorities - and rightly so.)

You mean like John Bird doing Idi Amin Dada on TW3-why not?
Yarwood had the Gannex coat and pipe for Wilson.

Exactly, Yarwood worked at a time when a lot of the comedians mimicked ethnic minorities and other minority groups, but so far as I can recall he never resorted to ranting, offensive language, racial stereotyping or sexual connotations. He was old-school.
His targets were almost exclusively white and middle or upper class. (With the exception of his Alf Garnett parody).
John Bird's Idi Amin diaries were apparently released in 1975, that's almost 50 years ago now, and thankfully times have changed

[Middle-agedClaret]

Times do change May not always be for the better, but some attitudes have certainly improved.
I shudder to remember Janet Brown doing an “impersonation “ of TV cook Rustie Lee that seems to involve nothing more than putting a dark coloured pair of tights over her (JB) head.
Crass.

[Clarets4me]

Mike Yarwood spent his final years at Brinsworth House, a Residential Home in Twickenham owned and operated by the Royal Variety Club. It provides care for elderly people from the Entertainment industry, with over 40 rooms, set in 3 acres of land ... It even has a mini theatre with a stage ! This picture of Richard O'Sullivan and Mike Yarwood was taken in October 2021 ... RIP Mike !

270248462_10166221333370651_8386018093219976700_n.jpg (63.97 KiB) Viewed 597 times