Tommy Cooper Biography

- The BBC described him as an "Unattractive young man with an extremely unfortunate appearance" in an audition for new talent.

- Tommy’s main trademark was his red fez, which he always wore on his live shows.

- Although Cooper always pretended to get magic tricks wrong, in reality he was an accomplished magician and member of the mysterious Magic Circle.

- In the middle of a live Sunday evening programme, he collapsed backwards through the centre of the stage curtain and began to snore loudly (often a symptom of a massive heart attack). The audience presumed this was part of his “unsuccessful magic trick” act and continued to laugh. After a brief confusion, the show changed to adverts, and the sequence has never been shown again, out of respect to his memory.