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Crowther's stage experience began in the mid-1940s. As a youngster he showed promise as a pianist, and in 1944 won a junior scholarship to the Royal
Academy of Music. He attended the respected Cone-Ripman Drama School in London, where he met his future wife, and whilst there competed (in 1947) at the
572:
Crowther retired from showbusiness on 4 November 1994, accepting that "I wouldn't be able to do things I've done in the past the way I would want to and the way my fans would expect". He also said that he was considering starting a new career as a writer. As he later acknowledged, his mind was still
485:
At first, Crowther did not appear to be seriously injured. He could not remember what had happened when he crashed but he was able to tell the traffic police his personal details, including his address, his home telephone number and what tablets he was taking for a heart condition and a faulty heart
274:, an annual trip to a children's hospital ward that was screened by the BBC on Christmas Morning. He would walk around the ward meeting the patients, and the show would feature a surprise celebrity, and a present hidden under each bed. Typical locations were
207:
On 14 November 1951 his mother died of a stroke aged 56. His father was also an actor. Leslie senior died in
January 1955 at the age of 67, ten days after being hit by a car. Leslie junior had a half-brother, Frank Ronald, from his father's first marriage.
526:
was needed to help him breathe. He remained in a coma for 17 days. He was allowed to spend
Christmas Day 1992 at home but was a patient in Frenchay Hospital until 12 February 1993. After his discharge, he underwent months of
502:
had formed on the surface of the left-hand side of his brain. It is possible the medication
Crowther was taking either triggered the bleeding in his brain after the crash or made it worse. Crowther was taken to
415:. The first episode was transmitted on 21 July 1990. Crowther hosted the first three series, and a Christmas special in 1991. At the time of his car crash in October 1992 he was booked to record an
631:. This made him realise that he had a serious problem and needed help. Revelation of his alcohol addiction received much publicity. From 5 February to 17 March 1989, Crowther was a resident in
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Crowther was cremated a week later, on 7 October. His ashes were later scattered at Lord's and a memorial service was held for him in London on 27 November. Also in
October, at that year's
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An episode of 'Going For A Song' (14 March 1976) revealed that he collected Parian ware, a type of biscuit porcelain made by the
Staffordshire pottery manufacturer Mintons.
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was axed in May 1988, the producers never bothered to contact him directly. Instead, he learned the news from the press who called at his house and asked him how he felt.
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177:, son of Leslie Frederick Crowther (died 1955), of Twickenham, Middlesex, and Ethel Maraquita, nee Goulder (8 March 1895-14 November 1951) née Goulder.
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255:, from 1960 to 1968. In September 1967, Crowther was the presenter chosen to host the first series of the revamped children's favourites show,
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events and functions as well as charity work and public appearances and on the previous evening, 2 October, he had been to a dinner in
518:
On the morning of 5 October, a further brain scan revealed that another blood clot, the size of a small apple, had formed on the left
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and had been diagnosed with heart trouble three years earlier when he complained of feeling breathless. However, after being taken to
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later, he was fined £350, and banned from driving for nine months. In
October 1988, Crowther arrived drunk at a gala in
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The show business career of Leslie
Crowther came to a sudden end on the afternoon of Saturday, 3 October 1992, on the
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Crowther made a name for himself in television in the 1950s, with appearances as presenter of such programmes as the
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684:, at the age of 63, with his wife Jean and family at his side. He had been admitted two days earlier for suspected
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Crowther married Jean
Elizabeth Stone (12 May 1931 – 10 December 2017) on 27 March 1954. They had five children.
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and this problem continued throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. On 14 November 1983, Crowther was arrested for
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Star Junior
Ballroom Championships partnering Pamela Cochran, and then at 16, he appeared as a member of the
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During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Crowther worked on the stage and on radio. His radio work included
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to receive his appointment. On 15 November 1993, he made his first TV appearance since his crash in the
161:(6 February 1933 – 28 September 1996) was an English comedian, actor, TV presenter, and game show host.
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on the morning and early afternoon of 3 October. Crowther was returning home when the crash occurred.
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In the middle of 1977, Crowther made an effort to break into radio with the pilot of a comedy show,
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At the end of 1944, he moved to London with his parents, but was evacuated for a few months to the
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the previous day that Crowther had written to congratulate him on obtaining the job of presenting
358:, recorded in the Regent Sound Stage (now the Vue Cinema in Lower Regent Street) and produced by
282:
was screened annually, following the same format, usually from the Seacroft Hospital in Leeds.
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England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
709:, was dedicated to the memory of Crowther at the request of Forsyth himself, according to the
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valve after telling them to contact his family to inform them of the accident. He was taking
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sharp but his body had slowed down. Five days after retiring, he appeared as the subject on
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station. The next year, 1968, he recorded the LP 'Songs for Swinging Children', released on
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of the brain. Crowther then underwent a second brain operation lasting two hours and a
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565:. On stage, he announced that he had just started to write an autobiography. Entitled
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in London. Crowther's final television appearance was in March 1995, as a guest on
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Who's Who In The Theatre, sixteenth edition, ed. Ian Herbert, Pitman, 1977, p. 522
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Who's Who In The Theatre, sixteenth edition, ed. Ian Herbert, Pitman, 1977, p. 522
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failure. He had lived near Bath since 1978 and had a flat in London overlooking
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list in recognition of his years of charity work and on 21 July 1993 he went to
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656:. Their son Nick works in radio, presenting traffic and travel bulletins for
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which he presented in the mid-1980s. He also presented the fifth series of
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Their daughters included Caroline (born 9 December 1954), who married
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to remove the blood clot that evening. The operation took four hours.
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392:. He was also host of the first British version of the game show
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362:. This however did not come to anything and he returned to TV.
196:
Concert Party of the Air on Radio Luxembourg. He also attended
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Debrett's People of Today, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, 1995, p. 472
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on London's Oxford Street. He had previously been honoured by
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and Hackney Hospitals. In 1969, Crowther switched to ITV, and
252:
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In February 1990, he was chosen to be host of the TV show
780:"Obituary: Leslie Crowther – Independent, The (London)"
462:
In the months before the crash, Crowther was busy with
329:. He also narrated two storytelling LPs for children,
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Leslie Crowther was born on Monday 6 February 1933 in
975:"Leslie Crowther 'critical' after second operation"
960:"Crowther in fight for life as second clot removed"
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297:, a comedy sketch show, with three older comics,
245:, and later the long-running children's TV show
911:"Police still seek cause of Crowther car crash"
459:of the motorway. It was a complete write-off.
427:(who would later host the show for 11 years).
1214:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
1048:Western Daily Press Mon, 30 Sept 1996 ·Page 2
579:for the second time when he was surprised by
455:, overturned and ended up on its roof on the
8:
864:bute-gateway.org. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
723:when it was relaunched on 4 September 1995.
423:, and a fourth series, eventually hosted by
349:in performances on television and on stage.
635:, a drug and alcohol treatment centre near
470:where he was guest speaker. He then opened
1075:
1024:"Thin lizzy-arocklegend-philip lynott bio"
949:Newcastle Journal - Monday 05 October 1992
940:Newcastle Journal - Monday 05 October 1992
713:continuity announcement. Forsyth told the
370:Crowther was one of the many hosts of the
20:
285:From the 1970s, Crowther was the face of
777:Stewart, William G (30 September 1996).
569:it was published in the Autumn of 1994.
749:
289:, for which he appeared in a number of
270:From 1964 to 1967, Crowther presented
595:surprised him at an antiques fair at
7:
676:at 5pm on 28 September 1996 in the
986:from the original on 14 June 2022.
791:from the original on 14 June 2022.
419:special, which was then hosted by
14:
922:from the original on 14 June 2022
695:The 30 September 1996 episode of
615:Like his father, Crowther was an
583:during a book-signing session in
242:The Black and White Minstrel Show
639:. He never drank alcohol again.
884:"Prologue : Off the Telly"
154:Leslie Douglas Sargent Crowther
130:
42:Leslie Douglas Sargent Crowther
1239:Comedians from Nottinghamshire
1234:20th-century English comedians
734:dedicated an award he won for
1:
1186:Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
335:Tallulah and the Cat-Burglars
337:. Crowther also appeared as
202:Thames Valley Grammar School
16:English comedian (1933–1996)
998:"Obituary: Leslie Crowther"
803:"Obituary: Leslie Crowther"
492:Cheltenham General Hospital
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1229:People from West Bridgford
982:. London. 6 October 1992.
728:National Television Awards
672:Leslie Crowther died from
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558:Royal Variety Performance
543:Crowther was appointed a
539:Post crash and retirement
388:in 1977, standing in for
445:fell asleep at the wheel
382:'s children's game show
355:It's Leslie, by Crowther
295:The Leslie Crowther Show
1224:English game show hosts
113:Mid-1940s–1992; 1993-94
1219:English male comedians
698:Bruce's Price Is Right
652:, and her twin sister
567:The Bonus of Laughter,
561:, appearing alongside
447:and, as a result, his
291:television commercials
259:, on the newly opened
236:Billy Cotton Band Show
198:Nottingham High School
690:Lord's Cricket Ground
678:Royal United Hospital
184:until just after the
740:to Leslie Crowther.
529:occupational therapy
99:television presenter
1147:Stars in Their Eyes
1004:. 30 September 1996
860:10 May 2008 at the
809:. 30 September 1996
737:Stars In Their Eyes
591:in March 1973 when
408:Stars in Their Eyes
380:Southern Television
345:as Allen's partner
293:. In 1971, he made
276:Great Ormond Street
1180:1991 – 1992
1152:1990 – 1992
1124:1984 – 1988
1119:The Price Is Right
1096:1960 – 1968
918:. 5 October 1992.
721:The Price Is Right
707:The Price Is Right
400:The Price Is Right
395:The Price Is Right
287:Stork SB Margarine
1192:
1191:
1183:Succeeded by
1155:Succeeded by
1127:Succeeded by
1099:Succeeded by
758:"Leslie Crowther"
605:This Is Your Life
589:This Is Your Life
576:This Is Your Life
553:Buckingham Palace
509:Frenchay Hospital
451:skidded into the
331:Tallulah Supercat
229:Television career
218:Variety Playhouse
151:
150:
110:Years active
71:28 September 1996
1246:
1176:Lord's Taverners
1165:Preceded by
1137:Preceded by
1109:Preceded by
1079:Preceded by
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1049:
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1039:
1037:
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1030:on 29 April 2009
1026:. Archived from
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890:on 19 March 2012
886:. Archived from
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223:Crowther's Crowd
186:Second World War
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488:anti-coagulants
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280:A Merry Morning
267:'s blue Label.
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133: 1954)
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1034:25 September
1032:. Retrieved
1028:the original
1018:
1006:. Retrieved
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979:
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924:. Retrieved
915:
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892:. Retrieved
888:the original
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811:. Retrieved
806:
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716:Daily Mirror
714:
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671:
658:AA Roadwatch
647:
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633:Clouds House
614:
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547:in the 1993
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520:frontal lobe
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360:John Browell
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347:Bud Flanagan
334:
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327:Keith Barron
317:, alongside
314:
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271:
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215:programmes,
210:
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182:Isle of Bute
179:
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153:
152:
73:(1996-09-28)
18:
1209:1996 deaths
1204:1933 births
1091:Crackerjack
1008:28 November
926:28 November
813:28 November
705:version of
650:Phil Lynott
637:Shaftesbury
629:Glastonbury
597:Earls Court
563:Cilla Black
524:tracheotomy
498:revealed a
449:Rolls-Royce
376:Whose Baby?
323:Sylvia Syms
303:Chic Murray
265:Pye Records
248:Crackerjack
87:Occupations
1198:Categories
1139:First host
1130:Bob Warman
1111:First host
855:Bute's War
744:References
585:Selfridges
500:blood clot
496:brain scan
474:stores in
453:embankment
441:Cheltenham
421:Russ Abbot
413:Granada TV
366:Game shows
194:Ovaltineys
123:Jean Stone
48:1933-02-06
894:23 August
660:based in
625:fortnight
617:alcoholic
607:episode.
390:Mike Reid
385:Runaround
261:Radio One
200:and then
165:Biography
81:, England
62:, England
1168:Tim Rice
1144:Host of
1116:Host of
1088:Host of
1071:Obituary
984:Archived
920:Archived
858:Archived
789:Archived
662:Stanmore
251:for the
213:Ovaltine
141:Children
93:Comedian
505:Bristol
468:Swansea
313:called
188:ended.
135:
127:
701:, the
311:sitcom
118:Spouse
686:Renal
668:Death
439:near
341:with
129:(
125:
96:actor
1066:IMDb
1036:2009
1010:2019
928:2019
896:2011
815:2019
763:IMDb
682:Bath
623:. A
531:and
511:for
478:and
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