Biographie

He owned a Sony CV-2000, one of the first video recorders, which was introduced in 1965 and he used it to capture many of his own television performances which would otherwise not exist today. Over the period from the late 1960s until his death, his collection grew to a vast library of over 150,000 hours of material. As television companies routinely wiped their own copies in those days, many shows in the Monkhouse collection are unique. Upon his death all this material, in addition to hundred of hours of personal audio copies of radio shows commencing in the 1940s, were passed to an archivist for transfer to a permanent digital record.

His filmed role in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) ended up on the cutting room floor.

Monkhouse died of prostate cancer in 2003. Yet, in 2007, he made a "comeback", appearing in a new TV campaign advertising a prostate cancer charity. The ad, made with the blessing of his widow, blends footage of Monkhouse with that of a body double then adds CGI manipulation of his face to match what is being spoken by a sound-alike.

He owned a vast house, and because he was an art lover, he had a cinema in his basement where he screened silent movie reels from his collection. He had a deep respect for the physical comedy of the silent stars, but was frustrated that he couldn't perform it himself. He was said to be a student of comedy, which was why he liked collecting it.

Unlike most people in show business, it has been said that Bob Monkhouse always treated his own staff with the utmost respect.

Growing old is compulsory - growing up is optional.

As a comic, you need every wrinkle. Having a facelift would be like asking a tap dancer to have his feet lopped off. - Birmingham Evening Mail (UK) 25 September 1993

I'm rather relaxed about death. From quite an early age I've regarded it as part of the deal, the unwritten guarantee that comes with your birth certificate. - Birmingham Evening Mail (UK) 25 September 1993

When I said I was going to become a comedian, they all laughed. Well, they're not laughing now.

Next Thursday at the polls, it won't just be Bob it'll be Britain saying Opportunity Knocks (1956). And if we put Maggie (Margaret Thatcher) back in for the third time we'll all be winners. (During the 1987 general election campaign)