Double act are estranged

Eddie Large and Syd Little have stopped speaking to each other, they have revealed.

The couple formed their partnership in 1962 and were a staple of primetime entertainment in the Eighties, attracting TV audiences of up to 15 million.

But 68-year-old Large told the TV Times: ‘I haven't seen Syd for years. He lives up near Blackpool and I live near Bristol, so I haven't spoken to him for a long time.’

Little continues to perform large cruise ships, notably on the QE2, while Large eased back on his showbiz work after a life-saving heart transplant seven years ago However, he is about to appear in the BBC Three comedy Dappers, which was filmed in South Wales..

Large, real name Edward McGinnis, said of his new life: ‘I'm not dashing 200 miles up the country to do a stand-up show, then 200 miles back. I don't do that any more because it's what made me ill in the first place. I don't really miss it.’

The duo shot to fame after winning ITV talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1971, and their Saturday evening BBC One series ran for 13 years before it was axed in 1991.

Published: 1 Jun 2010