Goodies pair honoured

Graeme Garden and Tim Brooke-Taylor have been awarded OBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

The pair have long mocked the honours system, from radio shows like I'm Sorry I'll Read That Again through to The Goodies – but they said they were delighted to be recognised.

Garden, 68, said: ‘It's quite ironic considering how rude we were about the honours all those years ago.’

And Brooke-Taylor, 70, added: ‘I'm very very pleased and not to say a little surprised – but very pleasantly so. At first I thought it was my son trying to con me.

‘At first I thought it was my son trying to con me. "We used to send up the honours, the OBE in particular. It was back in the 60s and Harold Wilson was giving them away like sweets to anyone he ever met. But I think the minute Bill got one, I changed my mind about them.’

They received the honours for services to light entertainment. Their fellow Goodies creator Bill Oddie, was made an OBE in 2003 for services to wildlife conservation.

Comic actor Bernard Cribbins was also awarded an OBE, saying he was ‘gobsmacked’ with the honour.

He said: ‘You can't go through life expecting to get prizes. You just get on with things, which is how it should be.

His credits include Carry On films, The Railway Children, Fawlty Towers, Doctor Who and The Wombles.

Other showbiz names honoured include Bruce Forsyth, who was made a knight, Colin Firth and Bryan Ferry, who received CBEs, and Jenni Murray, who was made a dame.

Sir Bruce said: ‘I just love getting out there and performing and this is a reward that I never expected and hope I'm worthy of.’

Published: 11 Jun 2011