Prince turns critic

Prince Charles has turned comedy critic, bemoaning the modern scene as dominated by the ‘witless humour of cruelty and smut’.

The Prince of Wales has famously been a fan of the Goons since his schooldays, and says their humour is a perfect antidote to today’s comedians.

His comments come in a foreword to a book about the comedy troupe, written by Sir Harry Secombe’s son Andy.

Charles wrote: ‘The tragedy, of course, is that these brilliantly funny men are no longer with us to lighten up our lives.

‘But, much as they are missed, their work survives and anyone wanting a respite from today's fashion for the witless humour of cruelty and smut could do worse than seek out the repeats of the Goons shows on Radio 7.’

The Prince is honorary president of the Goon Show Preservation Society.

Published: 1 Oct 2010