British comedy is at a very low ebb but can be revived, says Christopher Biggins

Asked if comedy is dying, Christopher told Mark Dolan on GB News: “Yes. It’s as simple as that. I think it is.

“Tonight, there’s a programme on as we’re now speaking, on Les Dawson. Now Les Dawson was a truly funny man. He knew what comedy was all about, he was brilliant, he was really funny.

“I don’t get it – that is what makes me laugh. People like Les Dawson, and some of the programmes we have now, I don’t laugh at all.”

Responding to a suggestion that some comedy was more like a political lecture, he said: “That’s the problem. I think you’re absolutely right. It’s become so political that it’s not true [comedy].

“They are having a go at all the parties and political parties, woke now is a big subject for everybody, it seems.

“It’s not like the good old days, when you’d have wonderful comedians like Benny Hill and Dick Emery.

“Those shows wouldn’t be able to be shown now. It’s an impossibility that we could enjoy any of that stuff.”

Asked if comedy should be naughty, he said: “Of course – it’s naughty, and it’s fun, and that is the joy, British comedy has always been like that.

“It’s always been essentially funny, really funny, belly-achingly laughing, it’s wonderful, crying with laughter.

“That’s what we want and that has been lost over the last few years.”

Mark asked about the role of victims in British comedy, he said: “Yeah, absolutely. Victims are perfect. You have to have a victim in order to laugh sometimes.

“That’s what makes comedy so joyous. Ronnie Barker, when I did Porridge with him, it was brilliant comedy.

“He was a true comedy actor, and I say comedy actor because if he felt one of his lines was better said by me or the rest of the cast, he would give it to them because he wanted to see the whole show.

“He was a true, true comedian, actor, comedy actor. He was brilliant and that I think is lost nowadays.”

He added: “Nowadays, things are really tough. We’re going through a bad financial situation, we’ve got problems with our families, we’ve got problems everywhere, with a government – life is not a bowl of cherries.

“What do we want? We want to laugh. We want to turn on something on television and laugh, ache with laughter.

“We want to have a good time because we’re surrounded by bad times. Now come on, let’s all get straight and make a laugh!”