January 2008

[Sweder]

So, farewell then, Jeremy Beadle.
'Beadle's about', that was your catchphrase.

Not anymore.

[SIZE="1"]With apologies to E J Thribb, 17 1/2.[/SIZE]

Like many telly watchers in the '80's I saw Jeremy Beadle as a slightly comical figure of fun. Well known as a prankster of the highest order he orchestrated some wonderful stunts and wind-ups for the cameras, usually involving unsuspecting members of the public, a prized posession and heavy lifting equipment. 'Beadle's About' and 'You've Been Framed' drew massive audiences, albethey of a time before satelitte and, therefore, much choice.

His death yesterday triggered an avalanche of tributes and accolades from the great and the good about Beadle the Erudite, a man few of us knew. I was staggered to hear that this humble goatee'd television host raised 'tens of millions' for charity, owned a definitive crime libruary, was an authority on Jack the Ripper and is widely regarded by his piers as one of the warmest, most intelligent people they'd met.

What I already knew - and many of us did, if we were but to admit it - was that he knew how to tickle your funnybone without being loveable in that superficial, 'hollywood' way that seems essential today, or cruel or at the expense of those less fortunate than himself. With his simple, self-effacing style he touched the hearts and put smiles on the faces of a nation. It appears we have lost a gem.

A smug, self-serving DJ called for 'a big hand for Jeremy Beadle' this morning. Beadle famously had a withered hand, for which he took an unbelievable amount of stick, something unlikely to happen in these politically correct times. I'd like to think that perhaps his body ran out of energy having worked so ferociously to create such a huge heart.