Ken Platt
Encyclopedia
Ken Platt was a British north-country comedian.
unit. The rest of his war service was spent touring North Africa, Corsica, Scandinavia, Italy and Greece. After demobilisation he could be found entertaining the Armed Forces in Austria and Germany. Demobbed five years later he tried his hand at show business with little success. Disillusioned, he bought a grocery store in his home town.
Variety Fanfare ran for two years and made Platt a household name. He was a guest comedian on numerous radio variety shows and later topped the bill in pantomimes and summer seasons throughout Great Britain. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he was a regular guest star on television programmes such as Big Night Out, Spot the Tune and The Liver Birds
. He evoked considerable nostalgia by a memorable appearance on BBC
's The Good Old Days using much of his material from his days on "steam radio".
Style
With a flat cap and droll line, he was best remembered by the catchphrase with which he began every performance: "Allo, I won't take me coat off - I'm not stoppin'!" Platt was one of the last links with music hall and variety in Great Britain. Platt decided to become a comedian at the age of 15. He bought a ukelele and performed at local concert parties where he was billed as "the Pocket George Formby", in homage to his idol.War service
He joined the Army in 1942 and was posted to North Africa where he appeared in a concert party, "The Forest Mummers". His flair for comedy performances eventually won him a transfer to CSE, the Combined Services EntertainmentCombined Services Entertainment
The Combined Services Entertainment is the live entertainment arm of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation , a registered British charity. It is the official provider of live entertainment to the British Armed Forces. CSE routinely sends tours of entertainment to Afghanistan, Cyprus, Oman, the...
unit. The rest of his war service was spent touring North Africa, Corsica, Scandinavia, Italy and Greece. After demobilisation he could be found entertaining the Armed Forces in Austria and Germany. Demobbed five years later he tried his hand at show business with little success. Disillusioned, he bought a grocery store in his home town.
Radio and TV
A chance audition with the BBC in 1950 led to him being eventually asked to be resident comedian on the BBC's popular radio show Variety Fanfare. It was on radio that Platt was in his true element with his immaculate timing and brilliant ad-libbing.Variety Fanfare ran for two years and made Platt a household name. He was a guest comedian on numerous radio variety shows and later topped the bill in pantomimes and summer seasons throughout Great Britain. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he was a regular guest star on television programmes such as Big Night Out, Spot the Tune and The Liver Birds
The Liver Birds
The Liver Birds is a British situation comedy, set in Liverpool, Merseyside, North-West of England, which aired on BBC1 from 1969 to 1978, and again in 1996. It was created by Carla Lane and Myra Taylor. The two Liverpool housewives had met at a local writers club and decided to pool their talents...
. He evoked considerable nostalgia by a memorable appearance on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's The Good Old Days using much of his material from his days on "steam radio".