General Chat

I was Tom Junior's best friend from the ages of 9 to 19. I spent much of my time with the family at their home in Chiswick and their cottage in Eastbourne. I was treated as a member of the family and have a wealth of happy memories.

Both Tommy and Dove treated me almost like a second son, so I was thoroughly disheartened to see them portrayed in such an unfavourable light. Tommy's undershot jaw gave him a speech impediment that made his speech seem slurred, which many mistook for drunkenness. He had an absolute rule that he would never drink before a performance and despised artists who did so.

As for his implied meanness, that could not be further from the truth. His generosity was such that he would often buy everybody in the bar a drink, strangers included. Anybody watching the drama would wonder why such a repellent figure would be attractive to women. In fact he was a powerful, confident, charismatic man whose conversations were engaging, articulate and informed.

He also had a taste for dirty jokes, even though none of them got into his act.

As a wartime Guardsman and a black belt in Judo he could certainly handle himself, but violence towards women was simply inconceivable. Unfortunately this drama left out all the wonderful things about him that made those within his orbit as devoted as his many fans.

Paul I enjoyed the program but am well aware that there are 2 sides to every story was never a fan of his I never got his humour at all, but if it was true that he never forgot his roots and still worked the clubs even when he could just do TV for that I admire him. I remember seeing his death on TV and saying to my mum see I don't think that is funny unbeknown to us he had died.

I do believe drama was based on Mary's book don't know if that is correct.

Perhaps you ought to write to the Producers, or one of the 'Feedback' programmes?? Unfortunately 'good news' doesn't sell a programme. :-0

His daughter didn't like it either:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2608922/Tommy-Coopers-daughter-Vicky-blasts-film-makers-cashing-memory-controversial-new-film-life-depicts-star-alcoholic-wife-beater.html

I didn't find Tommy Cooper funny but felt that was no reason to dislike him.

Any reports I had ever seen about his wife, Dove, had always portrayed her as a harridan and he as a womanizer, and who could blame him?

This programme showed Dove from a very different angle. She was, quite evidently, a strong, intelligent woman, faced with a lot of important decisions, who did the best she could for her family.

She was needed by her children at home and her husband on tour.

I liked the woman she was portrayed to be.

Sharron, your interpretation is spot-on. Dove was the most warm-hearted, loyal woman.

I must say that I too found his stage humour old-fashioned and childlike but I recognised his skill in getting laughs out of material that should have made people groan. In private, he was far funnier because he could drop the stage persona of the bumbling clown.

I thought he was hysterical and I didn't watch the programme simply because I didn't want to see him denigrated - there's a statue of him erected in Caerphilly a few miles up the road from me - he was a genius

I didn't care for Tommy Cooper's humour, but I think it is just horrid to denigrate a person when they are no longer here to defend themselves over what is their personal and family life. I didn't see the programme as I didn't want to have to see what was frankly none of my business to make a judgement about. What he was or wasn't in private is nothing to do with anyone except his family. He gave a lot of people a lot of pleasure and I think it is shameful to 'burst that bubble' for no other reason than 'MONEY!!'

Maybe Bruce Forsyth should get started on his bio-pic now, so that he has a chance to see it and respond in his lifetime.

I think you are probably right Paul!!!!!

I thought it was based on his mistress' book - if she didn't know him well then who would?

From what I have read about Mary Kay and her son, they have exploited the media for their own purposes. The son claims in the press to have been a close friend of the whole family, yet he refers to Tommy's daughter Vicky as Victoria, a name she never used and neither did the family. Bit of a giveaway I would say.

He left her out of the will - she has to make money somehow.

So what, she was only a mistress NOT a wife. It was a particularly spiteful thing to do and not one I would have thought any decent person would approve of.

I don't altogether approve of men who keep mistresses. Any decent man wouldn't have a long term mistress, surely? And if he did have one. any half way decent man would have provided for her after his death.

She was single he was the one committing adultery, yet people seem to defend him and have a go at her. Strange world.

My daughters friend is a mistress and also has a daughter by him. She knows the score. He pays for her to live the good life. She has many lonely holidays in Dubai etc where he cant make it. She snatches her time with him. He keeps his daughter and I should imagine if anything happens to him his daughter will be provided for. She knows she will get nothing. I cant see her writing a book about him.

To be honest this man was nothing more than a Cad
he had a good wife and children and he let them down

I think Mary didn't deserve anything
she could of ended it at any time
but no she messed around with somebody else's husband for 10 years

what choice did his poor wife and children have :-( :-( :-(

Maybe he isn't famous ............

He is a very rich man I can assure you ,where she could reduce his money. She knows what she is doing the same as what that Mary knew she was doing. At the end of the day you cant help who you fall in love with x

It takes two to tango, nobody MAKES anyone be someone's mistress, and if you are in that position, you must know the score, ie, at the end of the day a wife wins out every time because if a man is serious about his mistress he will leave his wife for her and make HER his wife. Sometimes this happens, but mostly it doesn't - endless promises are not the same. I'm afraid men will always be men for all their fine words, and it's a foolish woman who doesn't after a period of time realise this, and 'make hay etc', 'cos when that sun goes in she will be left in the cold, and having to resort to 'dirty tricks' and 'dirty washing in public' to get your hands on someone else's money, in ALL respects is not very edifying and certainly not very dignified!