294:, and their mother worked all hours to keep the children fed. The family moved house frequently and Waddington attended many different schools in Oldham. It was at school he took to the stage, and during one performance he was spotted by the choirmaster of the Oldham parish church, and persuaded to join. However, he was expelled from the choir for stealing two bananas from the harvest festival display. Having been expelled from his first school for being unruly, he finished his education, age 14, at grammar school being described as "the clown for the class".
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Percy Sugden, as it was created for him; with the writers aware of his of comedy roles. In one autobiography, Waddington agrees that he and Sugden have lots in common. Sugden forever compared the problems of today with the good old days of the war: "When you've prepared spotted dick and custard for 150 under heavy artillery fire, you can do anything," was one of his characters more memorable lines. It was in this role he was reunited with old friends from
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410:. His first two parts were uncredited as a man with a pipe in a cafe scene in 1967 and a drunken businessman who laughed at one of Stan Ogden's jokes in 1974. He also appeared as Eric Summers, Rita Sullivan's theatrical manager, in 1978 and George Turner, best man at the wedding of Emily Bishop and bigamist Arnold Swain, in 1980.
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Waddington was born on
Saturday 10 June 1916 in Oldham, Lancashire. His parents William and Epsie ran the Clarence Hotel, a public house in Oldham. He was the couple's fourth child, having lost twins the year before. Waddington, and his sister Connie, were brought up by family friends as their father
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from August 1983 until quitting the serial in
October 1997, citing the soap had become too raunchy. He resisted attempts by writers to kill the character off, instead leaving the street to live out the rest of his days at Mayfield Court; a retirement home. Waddington didn't audition for the role of
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to see his favourite stars on stage, and started to have thoughts of becoming a performer. His mother was less supportive, and
Waddington had a series of jobs as a manager of a butchers in Blackpool, a door-to-door salesman, and a car salesman.
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In 1940, Waddington married Evelyn Gladys Case. They had a son but divorced in 1947. Waddington's second marriage was in 1947 to Lilian Day. They had two daughters, Denise and
Barbara, remaining together until her death from Cancer in 1980.
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Away from the stage, he developed a career as a butcher, and worked delivering meat for a chain of shops before being promoted to manager of the local branch. At the age of eighteen, he began travelling to
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cast, Waddington made a second Royal
Variety Performance appearance. He also wrote two books, an autobiography, 'The Importance of Being Percy' in 1992, and a tie in with the 50th anniversary of the
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He became a member of a group called the Blue
Pencils, recruited to entertain forces during the War. He won the Normandy medal and Liberation of France medal.
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In 1982, Waddington married Irene
Beaumont, however the marriage ended in divorce after 9 months. Waddington married Sheila Torr, sister of comic duos
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and almost 20 years his junior, in 1995, and the couple lived in a 17th
Century farmhouse high on the Pennine Moors, in the nearby village of
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General
Hospital on the morning of 9 September 2000 at the age of 84 after a fifty-year acting career. He had been suffering from
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Waddington appeared in more than 800 variety and comedy programmes on radio, and made his mark on television, starring with
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Two years into retirement, aged 67, Waddington played his best known role of cantankerous pensioner Percy Sugden in
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in 1997, Waddington retired from full-time acting, with his last television appearance in a
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Waddington became increasingly frail, and spent his final months at a nursing home in
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and his talent as a comedian was spotted when he was an NCO cook in the army during
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with his orchestra at London's Euston
Station. In 1989, along with the rest of the
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After the war, Waddington became a comedian, often appearing on the same bill as
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there were five Percy Sugden Appreciation Societies, including one at
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as early as 1946. In the 1970s, he enjoyed a stage partnership with
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Hayward, Anthony (12 September 2000). "Obituary Bill Waddington".
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and was buried at St. Peter's graveyard at Minshull Vernon, near
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In 1975, Waddington played Harry in one episode of the sitcom
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he was the opening comedian in their shows. His agent was
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653:"Cantankerous pensioner in 'Coronation Street'".
406:Between 1967-80, Waddington played four roles in
16:English actor, comedian and variety performer
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53:introducing citations to additional sources
260:. In later life he achieved stardom as the
777:Deaths from Parkinson's disease in England
588:by Bill Waddington and Stafford Hildred. (
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43:Relevant discussion may be found on the
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792:British Army personnel of World War II
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447:in 1986 when he was surprised by
782:20th-century English male actors
36:relies largely or entirely on a
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389:. He appeared as a magician in
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767:English male soap opera actors
671:"Obituary - Bill Waddington".
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563:(1979) - George Findley
498:Personal life and death
772:English male comedians
602:by Stafford Hildred. (
441:He was the subject of
242:(1995–2000; his death)
797:British Army soldiers
227:(1940–1947; divorced)
675:. 11 September 2000.
657:. 16 September 2000.
555:(1970) - Ted Fiddler
508:The Chuckle Brothers
436:Cambridge University
49:improve this article
535:Parkinson's disease
512:The Patton Brothers
426:, Jill Summers and
237:(1982–??; divorced)
225:Evelyn Gladys Case
729:Review of 'Talent'
401:Granada Television
379:How's Your Father?
270:Granada Television
687:"Bill Waddington"
568:Coronation Street
488:Coronation Street
468:Coronation Street
457:Coronation Street
444:This Is Your Life
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177:(2000-09-09)
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736:Independent
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516:Micklebring
474:TV advert.
472:Little Chef
428:Tom Mennard
230:Lilian Day
746:Categories
734:Obituary:
615:References
608:189892600X
594:1852831928
545:TV credits
420:music hall
345:Lena Horne
274:soap opera
258:Lancashire
164:Lancashire
152:1916-06-10
105:April 2021
75:newspapers
673:The Times
531:Rotherham
520:Rotherham
403:in 1979.
372:Sid James
361:Lew Grade
300:Blackpool
285:Biography
222:Spouse(s)
209:, England
189:, England
183:Rotherham
166:, England
45:talk page
453:Joe Loss
207:Cheshire
696:17 July
518:, near
385:writer
357:Britain
355:toured
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142:Born
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