Hear show that was lost for 50 years

A Tony Hancock show not heard for more than 50 years is to be aired on Sunday – to mark the Olympics.

The special edition of Hancock's Half Hour was originally broadcast in 1958 to coincide with the Commonwealth Games – then called the British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

It originally went out live on the BBC Light Service from the London Coliseum as part of a variety show, designed to entertain athletes on their way home from Cardiff, where the games were being held.

In the nine-minute sketch, Hancock along with sidekicks Sid James and Bill Kerr make preparations for their varied roles in the Commonwealth Games.

It had been thought that no recording of the show existed, but was found in the vast archive left by Bob Monkhouse, when he died died in 2003.

Hancock's Half Hour: Welcome to London 1958 will air on Radio 4 Extra, at 10.45am on Sunday, but it can also be heard below:

Published: 27 Jul 2012