Anecdotes

With the death of Frank Williams (Rev Timothy Farthing) in June 2022 he became the last surviving regular/main cast member of Dad's Army (1968).

His character in Dad's Army (1968), Private Pike was actually based on one of the writers, Jimmy Perry, as a young man.

A huge Buster Keaton fan since childhood, after being taken to a screening of The General (1926). He has cited the time he found the star's grave in Hollywood's Fountain Lawns cemetery as his proudest moment.

Has appeared in many pantomines, one being Mother Goose.

He is a celebrity supporter of the Orchid Cancer Appeal in the United Kingdom.

Met Michele Hardy when she was the assistant choreographer during rehearsals for a stage production of Dad's Army and were together for 16 years before marrying in 1993.

As at October 2016 he and Frank Williams (the vicar) are the only surviving regular members of the Dad's Army cast.

His co-star in EastEnders (1985), Wendy Richard, also appeared in a few episodes of Dad's Army (1968).

He was colour blind.

Sons Daniel born 1973 and Sam born 1975 with Suzanne.

Father of Dan Lavender (b. 1973) and Sam Lavender (b. 1975) from his first marriage.

He was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder in 1993 and survived a mild heart attack in 2004.

An avid cricket fan and supporter of Aston Villa football club.

On 22 June 2015, Lavender was awarded a star on the Birmingham Walk of Stars.

Over Christmas 2008, Lavender appeared in Celebrity Mastermind. As presenter John Humphrys asked his name, fellow contestant Rick Wakeman shouted 'Don't tell him, Pike!', a reference to Captain Mainwaring's most famous line from Dad's Army.

He was 22 when he started in Dad's Army and was in it for 10 years.

Lavender toured with The Rocky Horror Show musical, playing the Narrator.

Younger brother of Edward Lavender (b. 1939).

First on stage at the Bristol Old Vic in a 1966 production of The Skin of Our Teeth.

Studied at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, with the assistance of a grant from the City of Birmingham, graduating in 1967.

Lavender grew up supporting Aston Villa F.C. When filming began on Dad's Army, he was allowed to choose Pike's scarf from an array in the BBC wardrobe. He chose a claret and blue scarf (the colours of Aston Villa) to remind him of his home city.

On 9 May 2015, Lavender gave a reading at VE Day 70: A Party to Remember in Horse Guards Parade, London that was broadcast live on BBC1.

In 2001 Lavender joined the BBC soap opera EastEnders, playing the role of Derek Harkinson, a gay friend of Pauline Fowler. He continued in EastEnders for four years, with storylines mainly involving the Fowler family, before leaving the serial in 2005.

Son of Edward (1908-1974) and Kathleen (née Johnson) Lavender (1908-1979).

Best remembered as the mother's boy Private Pike in Dad's Army, he also played gormless Ron in The Glums.

He first met Suzanne Kerchiss when they were in the play The Clandestine Marriage in Canterbury in 1967, They met again when they were in a play at Hereford Festival then again in the musical Ann Veronica at the Cambridge Theatre in London. It was during the run of he play that they got married.

In early 2013, Lavender appeared as The Mikado in three concert performances of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera, taking place in The Royal Festival Hall, London, the Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the Bridgewater Hall, Manchester. In August 2013 he made his Edinburgh Fringe debut in a stage version of The Shawshank Redemption.

Ian Lavender appeared as Monsignor Howard in the West End theatre production of Sister Act the Musical. The musical opened at the London Palladium on 2 June 2009, and ran through to October 2010.

Lavender made a cameo appearance as Brigadier Pritchard in the 2016 Dad's Army film, providing a link with the original series.

In 2022, after the death of Frank Williams, Lavender became the last surviving member of the main cast.

In January 2011, Lavender appeared at the Slapstick Silent Comedy Festival in Bristol. Lavender introduced Sherlock Jr., a 1924 silent film directed by and starring Buster Keaton.

In 2017, Lavender appeared alongside Rula Lenska, Johnny Ball, Judith Chalmers and Diana Moran in the reality show A Celebrity Taste Of Italy for Channel 5. During filming he fell ill with sepsis, and spent some time in an Italian hospital before returning to the UK to recuperate.

In 2019, Lavender appeared alongside Maureen Beattie, Jonathan Harden, Helen Vine and Rosin Rae in the mental health radio monologue series Talking Taboos, produced by Vine.

After Dad's Army, Lavender returned to the theatre, including a role in a production of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.

He was a big cricket fan.

In February 2015 he was a recipient of one of The Oldie magazine's "Oldie of the Year Awards" - specifically the "Stupid Oldie Boy of the Year".

He was reunited with producer David Croft for the television series Come Back Mrs. Noah (1977-78, co-written by Croft with Jeremy Lloyd), though it was unsuccessful.

Lavender recorded a special introduction for the 'lost' colour episode of Dad's Army entitled "Room at the Bottom", which was broadcast on 13 December 2008.

Lavender continued to be associated with Dad's Army, and took part in occasional fan conventions and cast reunions.

In 2014 Lavender appeared at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in a show with Steven McNicoll entitled Don't tell him, Pike!, in which Lavender talked about his time on Dad's Army and the subsequent effect it had on his career.