Talk:Kenny Everett

Freddie Mercury's partner

I saw the following remark and I am pretty sure it isn't true. I tried to find the reference on www.kennyeverett.com (site ) but couldn't find it. I think it should be removed:

Everett had been told in 1989 that he had HIV. It is believed he caught it from Freddie Mercury's partner,with whom he'd also had a relationship. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Óli Gneisti (talk • contribs) 22:05, 28 January 2010 (UTC)

Re: Freddie Mercury's partner

Well talk, I do not know if they had an affair anyways. They probably were just friends just because they had gay personalities. -Comment added by Benjamin908 (talk) • (contribs), 15:36, 20 November, 2011 (GMT)

Comment

I believe many of the characters were developed for the BBC show after Everett left ITV. Gizzard Puke certainly was. And to describe the BBC series as "watered down" is a bit much. The ITV show had Kenny doing solo pieces to camera which were often quite funny (you can hear the crew laughing in the background), but the BBC show was a fully-fledged comedy half-hour with sketches and guest stars (including Billy Connolly, Terry Wogan, Lionel Blair and Joanna Lumley) and a studio audience. --Lee M

It's a question of personal taste. I still prefer the original Thames series as I remember after he moved to the Beeb the programmes DID seem a bit 'watered down'. They were still good, but the spontaneity seemed to have gone. In the Thames series, the reaction of the studio crew was quite obvious and audible and their genuine laughter was contagious. The BBC series weren't (IMHO) great shows, but the Thames ones were, as you never knew quite what he was going to do next. I suspect the Kenny and his writers had a lot more freedom at Thames than they did at the Beeb. I also think Thames let Kenny be himself far more than the BBC did.

Having said that, I was around fifteen when the Thames series was on (1978-ish), so perhaps that had something to do with it.

Poor old Kenny - sadly missed, along with people like Benny Hill, who gave millions of people such great and harmless fun and entertainment. They probably wouldn't get jobs nowadays, or more likely, they'd end up getting eased out by the media shuysters that run TV and radio these days. Luckily for me their 'improvements' have removed any need for me to have either a TV or radio, so they can continue to make it all as crap as they like.

... I still remember Hot Gossip though... ... Nurse!, nurse!, the screens!, THE SCREENS! ...—Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.112.68.219 (talk) 21:41, 8 April 2011 (UTC)

re: watered down

the writeup refers to the watering down of an aspect of his comedy, not the overall quality. i think it's fair to say that the corporation formalised the show in ways that thames never would have. on itv, it really was ken's show, on bbc, it's a bbc show - even though compared to other artists ken at the bbc had a lot of creative freedom. srck

Was he really a gay rights activist?

Quoting the current version: Though an active campaigner for gay rights ("I...FOUGHT...for people like you", he once told David Bowie, "And I never got one!"), this side of his personality was something he seems never to have fully come to terms with, and he suffered bouts of severe depression. He died of an AIDS-related illness in 1995.

I heard that Everett was outed by a newspaper and was rather upset that his sexuality had been made public. In what way was he an active campaigner for gay rights? Inthepink 20:20, 10 September 2005 (UTC)

I never heard of Everett being an active campaigner for gay rights. He was fairly closeted for most of his life (not to mention a Tory supporter who were a blatantly homophobic party in the 1980s). Unless there is some solid evidence and a reputable source added, the claim he was an active gay rights campaigner should be removed.79.66.9.3 (talk) 02:18, 22 January 2009 (UTC)

re Quotes and Catchphrases

wrt the "My body is my tool." quote, I think this was from one of Rowan Atkinson's characters in Not the Nine O'Clock News ("I am a mime. My body is my tool"). I dont think Maurice Minor ever said anything. BD, 26 October 2005

I just came to the discussion page to commonet on that very point. The 'My Body is my tool' phrase was used by Rowan Atkinson in a one off mime character for a Not the Nine O'Clock News and was NEVER used by Kenny Everett. I cant remember much about Everett's mime character other that it was wholly silent. I also have vague recollections of the character painting either on white board or glass and using camera cuts to replace them painting with an image that could be used as the real thing. Am illustration of this type of gag (not that I remember him doing this specific one) would be to draw a hole and jumping in to it or drawing a door then walk through it.

Now that 2 of us independently agree the statement is incorrect, I will delete it.

Dondilly 01:03, 19 November 2005 (UTC)

Thirded --- Morris Minor never spoke. Got the tape to prove it.

srck 17.36, 15 Dec 2005 GMT

I'm absolutely certain that the character's name was "Maurice Mimer".

PB, 3/7/08

Cupid Stunt's "Movie" Career

Cupid Stunt was supposed to be an (unstated) porn actress - that's why in her interviews with a cardboard-cutout Michael Parkinson on recounting her latest movie she would invariably say something like: "then suddenly Michael, all our clothes fall off!"

The porn aspect was never openly stated, possibly for reasons of libel/slander, as I distinctly remember Burt Reynolds' name being mentioned in some of her lurid descriptions.

Being a porn actress is also why she would usually end the summary of her latest film with "ah!, but Michael!, I'm telling you the plot!!" - that was part of the joke - they were porn movies and there was no plot! Ian Dunster 17:09, 27 November 2005 (UTC)

Was Burt Reynolds actually mentioned by name? My (somewhat fading) memory recalls her regularly referring to her leading man, "Burt", with the inference being that it was Burt Reynolds - I don't recall her specifying that it was actually Burt Reynolds (there weren't many "Burts" in Hollywood at that time...) Paul-b4 09:07, 11 April 2007 (UTC)

She was never meant to be a porn actress, she was meant as a parody of "Hollywood glamour" and was a lurid B-movie star who allegedly made crap films that were supposed to have starred Burt Reynolds, John Travolta, Stallone, and other "virile" stars of the era.79.66.9.3 (talk) 02:21, 22 January 2009 (UTC)

There's a clip of Cupid (Kenny) on a 1982 Parkinson show (this time with a REAL Michael Parkinson) on YouTube here: [1] — Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.4.57.101 (talk) 20:39, 3 November 2011 (UTC)

Cupid's movie career

With the greatest of respect to my fellow reviewer, Cupid was not a porn actress, unstated or otherwise. She was a poor B-movie sex comedy "Russ Meyer"-style performer, hence the "all our clothes fall off". The facts he quotes, whilst technically accurate, are being taken to a logical extreme, rather than their proper contextual conclusion. To parallel the real world, Cupid would most likely have played one of the glamour girls in "The Cannonball Run".

Kenny Everett never lampooned pornography, whereas he did lampoon the British attitude towards sex and it's outworkings (ANYTHING featuring Cleo Rocos in few clothes, for example), and Cupid was another facet of this satire.

Burt Reynolds was not the only high profile celebrity mentioned during her interviews, I have the recordings off-air intact still, and there are plenty of others mentioned.

Also, would Michael Parkinson ever interview a porn actress?

With this in mind, I will change the "porn-movie actress" back to "B-movie actress".

srck 17.35 15 Dec 2005 GMT

Actually, Barry Cryer, one of the show's writers, has referred to Cupid being a porn actress when speaking of Kenny Everett in interviews at least once in my hearing. Also, as I mentioned in my post above, Cupid's 'interviews' with Michael Parkinson were with a lifesize cardboard cut-out of him - I'm not sure which of the programmes they were in though, ITV or BBC. Ian Dunster 20:09, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

Cryer's reference to Cupid as a porn actress was a flip comment in the ITV retrospective Unforgettable..., but was more of summation than identification. My cursory scan of the episodes shows that Cupid appeared twice in every episode of series one on the BBC (she was not present under Thames) which aired February-April 1982, barring episode 8 and the Christmas special where she appeared only once. It is worth noting that the second Cupid segment of episode 7 features Michael Winner inviting her to appear in his movies, which points away from her being a pornographic performer in the true sense. And yes, of course it was a cardboard cut-out of Michael Parkinson, that doesn't alter the direction of the satire though. srck 0748, 29 December 2005 GMT

my understanding was that Everett was more than a "good friend" of freddy mercury - they were lovers. But there's no mention of that either to confirm or deny it. I guess it should at least be denied if it is not true; lots of people think it is the case 66.32.83.202 18:37, 13 January 2006 (UTC)

That's just speculation. In fact, its just gossip and should not be included in the article unless it is confirmed by a reliable source. Since they're both dead now, I doubt it will be easy to find one. 79.66.9.3 (talk) 02:24, 22 January 2009 (UTC)

Re: Dave Cash

The article says "From 1974 to 1980 he presented the station's breakfast show alongside Dave Cash" which is wrong. The Kenny And Cash Breakfast Show (which emulated their show on Radio London) only lasted about a year before Dave went off to present "Afternoon Delight" from 3 to 6p.m. every weekday leaving KE as the sole jock on the morning show.

Steve Williams Feb 2006

Clinical Depression?

I removed the Category:People diagnosed with clinical depression.

There is no factual evidence, merely opinion.

Michael David 00:01, 18 April 2006 (UTC)

In his autobiography, The Custard Stops at Hatfield (pages 138 through 144 in the paperback version) he describes in detail about what he calls a "suicide bid-ette" and uses the word depression. He blames this incident on overuse of the sleeping pill Mandrax and the pressures of doing an early morning radio show while having taste for partying late. So you are probably right that the modern term "clinical depression" may not be strictly accurate, but if one were to delve back into newspaper stories (he says he was hounded by reporters) I think that description might be justified.Kkuchenb (talk) 00:36, 29 November 2007 (UTC)

Again though, it does not mean he was actually DIAGNOSED with clinical depression. Everyone feels "depression" at some point in their lives, but it doesn't mean they have been diagnosed with clinical depression. The only way that can be proven for inclusion in the article is if a relibale source can be found (which could now only be done via his medical records, and we're not likely yo get those). Otherwise, it is merely an assumption. 79.66.9.3 (talk) 02:29, 22 January 2009 (UTC)

Death from AIDS

I was under the impression that Everett contracted AIDS from the same Russian chap who gave it to Freddie Mecury? Anyone else have a better idea? Seems worthy of a mention perhaps as Mercury stared on his show as a parodie once or twice. WikipedianProlific^(Talk) 23:27, 23 October 2006 (UTC)

Anecdotally, yeah, I have seen friends of theirs say they were all shagging in that basement of Xenon or sthg. But this isn't a very encyclopaedic thing to put in an article.

Your ramblings belong in HEAT magazine not here. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.150.220.200 (talk) 22:25, 8 January 2008 (UTC)

Sequence of events with the Beatles

The sequence of events with the Beatles can't be right; Sgt Pepper was recorded and released in 1967 after the Beatles finished touring, so he couldn't subsequently accompany them in 1966. Apepper 22:49, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

The Beeb

Everett also coined the term 'Beeb' to refer to the BBC

We really need a reliable source for this assertion, which is also stated as fact at BBC. The earliest citation in the Oxford English Dictionary is from Marghanita Laski in 1967 (when Kenny Everett had hardly arrived at the BBC) who says that "My daughter, who works in the B.B.C., always calls it so". It seems much more likely that Kenny Everett popularised an existing in term by using it on the air. Flapdragon 20:27, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

I cannot beliecve this to be true. Milligan and the Goons were using the term "Beeb" (normally in "the BEEB BEEB CEEB") years before. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 136.153.2.2 (talk) 07:01, 27 July 2010 (UTC)

Kremmen

No mention of the album "Kremmen of the Star Corps" (from my memory). I bought it and want to replace it. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 58.7.69.214 (talk) 13:09, 5 April 2007 (UTC).

Location of Filming

With regards to the filming of "the Kenny Everet Video Show" for Thames Television, it should be pointed out that it was all shot in Studio 2 at Teddington as appose to Euston (as stated in the article) with some of the larger hot gossip routines being shot in Studio 1.

I have no verifable sources but was informed by former Thames employees that the Video Show/Cassette series were taped in Teddington, and were eagerly anticipated by all staff. A couple of off-set shots from these series appear to concur with the general topography of the current studio layout (was there for a taping not so long ago), but hardly an encyclopedic analysis! Srck (talk) 14:59, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Death

I added some details to the Death section on Kenny's article and removd the expansion tag. I'm fairly new to editing so I haven't cited and references but will try.

Adlen (talk) 09:45, 19 November 2007 (UTC)

Dates: Marriage, Coming Out

Kenny Everett's autobiography, The Custard Stops at Hatfield says he was married to Lee in 1969 (in a photo caption; there aren't a lot of dates within the text of the book). I had a look at IMDb and it says married in 1966, separated in 1979 so I didn't change the date, but I wonder if it is right in this page. Maybe the info came from IMDb, which isn't always 100% accurate. Also, Custard was published in 1982 and it makes no mention of his being gay or even that he and Lee had separated, so I wonder if he came out to friends and family while trying to maintain a straight public persona. I didn't make any changes to the page because Custard doesn't seem to be a very a reliable source regarding his personal life, but I wonder if others have any reliable citation material. Kkuchenb (talk) 23:58, 28 November 2007 (UTC)

Hmm... I don't think he had a straight persona per se - He didn't shout about his sexuality until later in life but I don't recall it being a secret. As for the marriage date I suspect that a search of the registers of Births Marriages and Deaths for Maurice Cole and Lee Alkin should reveal the date. (Although sometimes her name is given as 'Alkins'.DavidFarmbrough (talk) 10:13, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

My recollection is that his sexuality wasn't a subject in the public domain until he was diagnosed with AIDs, it may not have been a secret, but it wasn't widely publicised. Mighty Antar (talk) 18:45, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

Yes, my recollection when Kenny Everett died is that it was a not-terribly-surprising secret, as with his close friend Freddie Mercury. But still, the dates in this topic don't jibe, as far as I can see. Do the British registers have info about legal separation?Kkuchenb (talk) 04:19, 21 March 2008 (UTC)

Regular guest spots

Surely some mention should be made of Kenny's regular guest slots? "If It's Wednesday It Must Be..." on Radio 4 (http://www.vivarchive.org.uk/articles/articlekettering.htm) drifts immediately to mind. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.102.157.139 (talk) 12:49, 1 March 2008 (UTC)

"Pre-MTV" music & sketch assertion

There's a section which says "this mixture of pop bands and comic sketches was a new format for television" referring to events in 1978. Surely this isn't correct? My memory is rubbish but music and sketch shows had been going for years? I'm going to remove it.... Srck (talk) 14:51, 17 March 2008 (UTC)

Maurice Mimer's music

Not the work of Wendy Carlos (other people had the idea of electronic versions of famous classical music) but "Fredericus Rex Favourite" by Sam Spence, available on his LP Fantastic Sounds. Sam Blacketer (talk) 23:40, 3 June 2009 (UTC)

Availability on DVD

Why isn't the Kenny Everett Video Show available on DVD? I remember it being the highspot of my family's viewing every week, and he had some fantastic music guests - right at the height of punk/new wave. I'm sure if they were on DVD there'd be a huge potential audience for people who are similarly nostalgic like me - so why aren't they? Some sort of legal problem? 86.133.48.23 (talk) 19:37, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Morning Zoo

is there a morning zoo connection here? I don't have any references, but perhaps Kenny was an influence. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 112.118.173.120 (talk) 17:31, 9 September 2010 (UTC)

Coming out as gay

The article claims Kenny Everett "came out" as gay in 1993. I am listening to Desert Island Discs from 14th May 1991 and Sue Lawley's opening informs us that Everett had already come out as a "homosexual", to use her expression. This can be confirmed by anyone with a recording of the 1991 programme, including (I'd imagine) the BBC. The citation used for the 1993 date is very poor. Guv2006 (talk) 16:39, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

The existing citation notes that Everett went public in 1993 with his status as HIV-positive. I agree that your reference to Sue Lawley's introduction is good enough to move his coming out to 1991. Binksternet (talk) 17:11, 17 March 2011 (UTC)

Cleo Rocos

From what I've read and remember, Cleo Rocos was a big part of Kenny's life. They were best friends for many years and were even engaged at one point (all be it for only 4 days). As far as I can tell, she had a significant influence on him. Does anyone else think there should be mention of her in the article?Nelliejellynoonaa (talk) 09:32, 21 October 2011 (UTC)