So the long-awaited moment has finally arrived after much
campaigning and speculation on behalf of the public. Bruce Forsyth, entertainer
of the masses, has received a knighthood after a mere 70 years in show
business! The 83-year-old star, who entered the industry at a tender age of 14,
was made a Knight Bachelor in the 2011 Birthday Honours last Thursday, 12
October. The knighthood came after a year-long campaign by fans who were
adamant that Bruce, or ‘Brucie’ as he is affectionately known, should receive
recognition for his services to charity and entertainment.
Bruce was accompanied to the ceremony at Buckingham Palace
by his stunning 54-year-old wife, a former Miss World, Wilnelia Merced, and his
children Jonathan, Charlotte and Laura. When asked at how long he’d been in the
entertainment business for, the Queen seemed to express surprise at the answer.
Bruce joked after the ceremony: “Maybe I’ve been in the job longer than she
has!”
Bruce’s success began in 1958 on a weekly variety show, Sunday
Night at the London Palladium, where he established himself as a natural
performer and all-round variety star. Bruce’s talents include singing, acting,
dancing and telling jokes (albeit slightly more cringe-y ones nowadays). He
then became even more famous by presenting his own game shows, Bruce Forsyth
and the Generation Game, Play Your Cards Right and The Price is Right.
It is through these shows that he developed his famous catchphrases, such as “It’s
a Brucie bonus”, “Didn’t they do well?” and his show-starter “It’s nice to see
you to see you...nice!” Nowadays, he is still using the catchphrases by
co-presenting the successful ballroom dancing show Strictly Come Dancing with
Tess Daly.
Despite his long career and success, Bruce remains humble
about his award, thanking his fans first and foremost for being so incredibly
supportive. He attributes his success to being a family performer and always
working on family shows that can entertain any age. And, he doesn’t intend on
retiring any time soon!
Some may hate him and his dodgy jokes but I think it’s
wonderful that ‘Brucie’ has finally got the recognition he deserves after a
lifetime of serving the public through our TV screens! Although he stumbles over
his lines, looks in the wrong direction and drops jokes like a lead balloon, we
wouldn’t have him any other way. The words on his autocue are also rumoured to
be so big that the audience in Strictly Come Dancing have to be asked
not to mouth along. However, he is a true entertainer. A type of performer who
near-enough ceases to exist with the death of variety shows and the swearing
edu-comics that exist today. And I, for one, will be sad to see him go, as it
will mark the end of an era. Thanks Sir Bruce Forsyth CBE for entertaining us,
and here’s hoping it lasts for many years to come!
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