Take the Mike...

Mike Reid Live: The Guv’nor’s Last Stand was recorded at both the Cliffs Pavillion, Southend and at Bury Cottage, Stansted in 2006. The Stansted gig was the last ever live recorded footage of the EastEnders star performing stand-up before he died in July 2007, aged 67.

Born in Hackney, East London in 1940, Mike first worked as a stand-up comedian in clubs and cruise liners in the Sixties, before landing a part on ITV’s hit Seventies stand-up show, The Comedians, along with the likes of Bernard Manning, Frank Carson and Charlie Williams.

He hosted the kids’ quiz show Runaround in the Seventies, however his fame really took off in 1987 when he landed the role of Frank Butcher in EastEnders, who he played for 13 years.

But he also continued to tour as a stand-up comedian throughout his 40-year career.

The Guv’nor’s Last Stand is released on Anchor Bay, priced £17.99, but to stand a chance of winning one of our copies, just answer the following question by November 10, when we will select the winners at random from all the correct entires. Bulk entries will be disallowed, and you must be over 15 to enter.

Published: 31 Oct 2008