Mike Yarwood

**Mike Yarwood** (Michael Edward Yarwood, OBE (14 June 1941 – 08 September 2023) was a British impressionist, comedian and actor. He was one of Britain's top-rated entertainers, regularly appearing on television from the 1960s to the 1980s.

In the mid-1980s Yarwood began to suffer from alcoholism. In 1986 he was banned from driving after being found nearly three times over the drink-drive limit. In 1990 he had a heart attack at his home in Weybridge, Surrey, and gave up alcohol completely the following year. In 1999 he underwent treatment for depression at the Priory Clinic.

TV
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### BBC One

* 06 October 1964 (earliest) *Club Night from* Palace Theatre Club Offerton, Stockport
* 14 May 1971 *Look - Mike Yarwood!* Starring Mike Yarwood, featuring Adrienne Posta (10 eps., S02 from September, S03 from May 1972, S04 from June 1973, ft. Cheryl Kennedy, S05 from May 1974, S06 from April 1975, S07 from Jan. 1976)
* 25 December 1971 *Christmas Night with the Stars*, incl. *Look - Mike Yarwood!*
* 03 April 1972 *A Question of Sport* - showbusiness celebrities ed., guest contestant
* 07 August 1972 *An Hour With..Mike Yarwood* A series featuring top names in light entertainment who talk to Cliff Michelmore about their careers. Look - Mike Yarwood followed by *Mike Yarwood's Cinema*. Cliff Michelmore invites Mike Yarwood to talk about his career and choose scenes from films which he has enjoyed.
* 05 November 1972 *The Royal Variety Performance* - Televised from the stage of the London Palladium in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother
* 25 December 1972 *Christmas Night with the Stars* incl. *Look - Mike Yarwood!* (rpt. 26 December 2017, BBC Four)
* 10 March 1973 *We Want to Sing* MY joins 300 children in a rousing sing-song - aided and abetted by The Settlers
* 25 December 1973 *The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show* featuring Cheryl Kennedy and Mike's special guest Eddie Waring
* 21 February 1974 *Show of the Week: Mike Yarwood* at The Talk of the Town starring Mike Yarwood in cabaret at this renowned London nightspot
* 04 May 1974 *Grandstand* Jimmy Hill talks to the supporters on their way to Wembley, and introduces Grandstand's special guest, Mike Yarwood.
* 15 November 1974 *Val Meets Mike Yarwood* Valerie Singleton and an audience of young people invite celebrities of their choice to join them in the studio.
* 25 December 1974 *The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show*
* 26 December 1975 *The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show*
* 31 May 1976 *Mike Yarwood in Persons*
* 15 November 1976 *The Royal Variety Performance* in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.
* 27 December 1976 *The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show*
* 08 January 1977 *Mike Yarwood in Persons* (new series; S02 Jan. 1978, S03 Sep. 1979, S04 Oct. 1981)
* 04 June 1977 *The Best of Yarwood*
* 25 December 1977 *Mike Yarwood Christmas Show* - special guest stars Wings
* 29 May 1978 *The Mike Yarwood Show* Tonight's holiday special includes 'This is Your Life - Margaret Thatcher', and a special interview from Buckingham Palace with Janet Brown and Sue Lawley
* 03 September 1978 *The Best of Yarwood*
* 25 November 1978 *Multi-Coloured Swap Shop* - guest
* 25 December 1978 *The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show* - special guest stars, the world's most popular singing group Abba. With Janet Brown (rpt. 03 November 1986, 10 April 1979)
* 25 December 1979 *The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show* special guest star from America Johnny Mathis with Janet Brown (rpt. 12 June 1980)
* 10 May 1980 *Cup Final Grandstand - Special contributions by John Cleese and Mike Yarwood*
* 24 May 1980 *Disney Time' introduced by MY*
* 25 December 1980 *The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show*
* 14 February 1981 *The Best of Yarwood* a selection of some of the highlights from past series.
* 26 December 1981 *The Mike Yarwood Christmas Show* with Marti Caine, Bucks Fizz and Suzanne Danielle
* 01 August 1987 *Seaside Special 87* Introduced by Mike Smith special guest star and your host for tonight Mike Yarwood
* 29 December 1990 *Thirty Years of the Royal Variety Performance* (archive material)
* 23 December 1995 *All the Best for Christmas* Mike Yarwood introduces favourite moments from the archives of BBC Christmas comedy and links the clips with impressions.
* 22 December 2001 *Night of a Thousand Faces* A one-off Christmas special in which Dame Edna Everage and Alistair McGowan celebrate the art of the impressionist. Classic archive clips are interspersed with sketches, music and chat featuring guests Harry Enfield, Barbara Windsor , Alan Hansen , Mo Molem , Abba tribute band Bjorn Again and vintage impressionist Mike Yarwood.

### BBC Two

* 12 June 1967 *Three of a Kind* - The first of a new series. Starring Ray Fell, Lulu, Mike Yarwood and The Gojos (6 episodes, second season in October/November - *see Wikipedia*)
* 19 October 1979 *Friday Night, Saturday Morning* Sir Harold Wilson MP presents this edition of the late night chat show with guests Robin Day, Winston Churchill, Mike Yarwood..
* 27 April 1995 *The Enemy Within* Mike Yarwood talks to Professor Anthony Clare about his **alcoholism** and describes the damaging effects the illness has had on both his personal and professional life.
* 08 May 1995 *Esther* Today Esther Rantzen talks to impressionist Mike Yarwood about his personal life, the collapse of his career and his hopes for a comeback.
* 10 November 1995 *Have I Got News for You* - guest
* 13 July 2003 *I Love 1973* - archive clips
* 26 August 2006 *The Story of Light Entertainment* 5/8. Impressionists (rpt. 14 March 2012)
* 24 December 2007  *The Comedy Christmas* A celebration of the shows that have tickled our festive funnybones over the years,

### ITV

* *Will the Real Mike Yarwood Stand Up?* (ATV) (1968–1969)
* *The Real Mike Yarwood?* (1969)
* 31 May 1978 *This Is Your Life* (ITV)
* *The Mike Yarwood Show* (Thames) (1982–1987)
* *Yarwood's in Town* (Thames) (1982) Live on-stage show

## Radio

* BBC Light Programme
	+ 29 July 1964 *Yes It's Great Yarmouth* - first entry in BBC Index
* BBC Radio 4
	+ 22 August 1971 *Mike Yarwood* invites you to hear Yarwood Weekly ("Radio's One-Man Magazine with Three Women" - own-name series, until end Sept.)
	+ 13 January 1973 *Desert Island Discs* Mike Yarwood, impersonator, discusses with Roy Plomley (in a recorded programme devised by him) the records he would take to a desert island. *(available on-line here)*
* BBC Radio 2
	+ 08 December 1973 *Listen - Mike Yarwood* The man who is a crowd is joined by Barbara Mullaney, Jacqueline Clarke and special guest Kenneth McKellar (series, until Jan. 1974, second series Dec. 74 - Jan 1975)
	+ 25 August 1975 *Mike Yarwood in The Les Dawson Show*
	+ 11 August 1979 MY presents his favourite records in Star Choice (3 programmes)
	+ 24 December 1996 *Yarwood's Christmas Impressions*
	+ 26 December 2012 *Mike Yarwood: So This Is Him!* Rory Bremner looks at the life and career of his hero Mike Yarwood - Britain's first "top of the bill" impressionist and the man other mimics call "the Governor". (*read more here*)

post-mortem
* 15 December 2023 *Last Word* (R4)

## External links

* Wikipedia
* theguardian.com Mike Yarwood obituary