Opened his Manchester club, the Embassy, 45 years ago. A household name on 1970s TV show The Comedians. Now gives private performances for celebrities such as Madonna. This year Prince Charles booked him for a private function at Highgrove.

KEN DODD

Had his first break at the Empire Theatre in Nottingham in 1954 and within four years was topping the bill in Blackpool. A string of TV hit shows culminated in 1994 with An Audience with Ken Dodd. Cleared of tax evasion in 1989. Now 76, still performs with The Ken Dodd Happiness Show — a UK tour covering more than 100,000 miles a year

FRANK CARSON

Rose to fame through the The Good Old Days on BBC and The Comedians on Granada, followed by a record-breaking tour. Nearly died in a car crash in Dubai in June 1994 but soon returned to live performing. Aged 77, has just finished The Original Comedians Tour with Roy Walker, Mick Miller and Ken Goodwin

THE KRANKIES

Discovered by singer Gene Pitney in the late 1960s, Ian and Jeanette Tough had their own Saturday-night TV shows for eight years in the early 1980s. Their work has ranged from children’s entertainment to cabaret and pantomime. Both 56, they now perform in summer shows

...NOT ANY MORE

HALE and PACE

After ten years on ITV, joined the BBC in 1997 in a £1 million deal. Later dropped because of poor ratings. Pace appeared in Chicago in the West End for six months. In 2002 he launched Entertainment in Business, a company that specialises in livening up corporate meetings. Hale returned to TV in Five’s soap Family Affairs