Veteran funnyman Roy Hudd will be guest of honour at the unveiling of a statue of his late friend and fellow star, Rochdale-born Dame Gracie Fields, in September 2016.
The comedian, actor, radio host and author, who is celebrating 55 years in showbiz in 2016, is taking time out from filming the new series of Broadchurch to pay homage to the late singer and actress.

Gracie, who was born above a fish and chip shop in 1898, went on to become the highest paid actress in the world in the 1930s and also enjoyed a long career as a singer and comedian.

Roy, who is best known for the BBC Radio 2 series The News Huddlines, which ran from 1975 to 2001, once shared the same agent (Morris Aza) with Gracie and he regularly visited her at her home on the Italian island of Capri.

“She was the finest female performer we have ever produced by a long, long way,” he said.
“She was technically superb. One minute she’d move you to tears with Ave Maria and the next she’d make you laugh with The Biggest Aspidistra in the World. I’ve never come across any performer with that range.

“And she was so down to earth. I remember the first time she met, she said ‘are you as funny as you look?’ If you are, you’ll do really well.’ She never forgot her roots either. She might not have lived in Rochdale her whole life, but she never forgot the place and she always went back. I remember she used to personally reply to every single letter she received. Every fan would get a handwritten reply. She would also stock up on M&S food when she was here and take it back for her Italian friends. She loved it.”

Despite being 80, Roy is still on the circuit, with regular trips down to Dorset to film Broadchurch, for his role as father to Olivia Colman’s Detective Sergeant Ellie Miller.The plot is a closely guarded secret and Roy says even the actors don’t know how series 3, which is expected to air in early 2017, will end.

He is also taking a turn as the Dame in this year’s Christmas Panto, Mother Goose, at Wilton’s Music Hall in London.

Roy, who is President of the British Music Hall Society, said: “Things were different when me and Gracie were both working. These days people go on X Factor, sing one song and they’re top of the bill. Gracie did her apprenticeship. When she hit the big time in the West End, with ‘Mr Tower of London’ people said she was an overnight star. It was a load of cobblers. She’d been singing professionally since she was 11 or 12.
“She was just special. I remember receiving a postcard from Capri after she’d had a fall. In it she said ‘this old girl is fit as a fiddle. 2 days later, I heard on the radio that she’d died. It was awful.”

On the subject of the statue, he’s more upbeat.

“At one time, you’d just have statues of generals who’d taken us into wars,’ he said.

“But with Spike Milligan, Morecame and Wise and the like, we’ve started honouring the people who made us laugh instead. And that’s why the Gracie statue is a great idea. Statues should honour people who make our lives better – and that’s what she did.”

The Statue will be unveiled outside Rochdale Town Hall on Sunday 18 September 2016

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