Julian Clary

After a deeply unhappy time at The Ealing Abbey School Catholic school where Benedictine monks tried to beat out his effeminite nature, he found more friendship at university studying drama.

After becoming an Equity member, he created the Joan Collins Fan Club - an outrageously dolled-up stage act comprising of himself and sidekick pet Fanny the Wonderdog. At a time when other comics were telling politically correct jokes in business suits, Clary camped it up big style.

He made Sticky Moments very much his own show. The more restrained appearances on ITV haven't been so successful, with Trick or Treat only lasting one series and the new version of Mr and Mrs getting moved to a different time slot after only two shows. In the 2000s he became more accustomed to frequenting the BBC, as a captain of It's Only TV... and hosting Come and Have a Go...'. He still regularly performs in pantomime and stand up comedy.

Trivia

His first job after university was with British Gas, doing the photocopying! He also worked as a gay Tarzan kissagram.

He appeared in the film Carry on Columbus, and the extravagant musical Taboo.

His autobiography is called A Young Man's Passage.

He suffers from regular panic attacks, one of which occured on an actual TV show.

Clary was the memorable subject of one edition of the BBC's family history series, "Who Do You Think You Are?" At one point, he wondered what his ancestors would have made of him and then added, "Been horrified, probably".