Cyril Fletcher, a renowned comedian and pantomime 'dame', enjoyed a remarkable resurgence in his career in 1972 when TV producer and presenter Esther Rantzen invited him to join the popular consumer program That's Life and recite his iconic 'Odd Odes'. His undeniable charm and wit with the audience led to his permanent fixture on the show for eight years.
Born in 1913, Cyril Trevellian Fletcher began crafting comic poetry as a schoolboy and early on, he had aspirations to become a classical actor. However, his first job was as an insurance clerk, which eventually led to a chance meeting with producer Greatorex Newman, resulting in his debut appearance in the Fols De Rols Concert Party in 1936 at Hastings, Sussex.
Fletcher's career flourished, with appearances at the Holborn Empire in London and his own radio series with the BBC. He consistently topped bills in variety shows throughout Britain and was one of the first comedians to appear on television at the BBC's Alexandra Palace, starring in the first-ever televised pantomime, Dick Whittington.
Following World War II, Fletcher and his wife, Betty Astell, presented summer shows and pantomimes across Britain. On television, he became a regular on What's My Line? and TV's first religious program, Sunday Story. However, it was his distinctive, lugubrious voice and cozy presence on That's Life that solidified his status as a household name in later years.
Gardening was one of Fletcher's greatest passions, and for 14 years, he presented ATV's Gardening Time and, in 1990, Cyril Fletcher's Lifestyle Garden. He and his wife eventually retired to Guernsey in the Channel Islands, but he continued to delight audiences with his one-man show, After Dinner with Cyril Fletcher. Additionally, he wrote an autobiography, Nice One, Cyril.
