Bob Carolgees reveals the injury that has put paid to his famous act

Spit The Dog may have hoiked his last loogie.

Bob Carolgees, the comedy ventriloquist behind the 1970s favourite, has revealed that he has carpel tunnel syndrome, which make it hard for him to operate his phelgmy puppet sidekick.

The 73-year-old briefly performed his act at a reunion of the team behind the anarchic kids’ programme Tiswas last night, but predicted it would be Spit’s final appearance.

He told the audience in Bristol that he had been having problems for years with carpel tunnel syndrome in his arm but said he was willing to give Spit one last outing. Which he did, to loud cheers and applause.

A spokesperson for the Slapstick Festival, which organised the reunion, said: ‘The appearance was brief and Bob admitted afterwards that he could already feel his hand and arm going into spasm.’

She added: ‘During the Q&A at the end, there was much hilarity when a fellow sufferer of thesyndrome asked if he'd tried the cannabis-derived CBD. "No comment," said Bob, to guffaws from attendees and the panel alike.'

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a painful disorder of the hand caused by pressure on nerves that run through the wrist, often caused by repetitive hand movements. In most patients, it gets worse over time.

Carolgees first appeared on Tiswas in 1979 when presenter Chris Tarrant is said to have told him before the cameras rolled: ‘I don't know who the fuck you are, but stand there, you're going to be on the telly, it's great!’

And he soon became a firm favourite on the show alongside regulars such as Sally James  and John Gorman – who were at last night’s reunion alongside Tarrant, above.  – and Lenny Henry, who wasn’t.

At the event, organised to mark 40 years since Tiswas ended after an eight-year run, James unmasked retired Birmingham taxi driver Benny Mills, now 87, as the show’s Phantom Flan Flinger – although in reality his identity was exposed almost 20 years ago.

And Staffordshire firefighter Matthew Lewis reprised the memorably off-key performance of the Watership Down theme Bright Eyes he gave as a five-year-old on the show in 1980. 

This time he was accompanied by his daughter Nova, now five herself, wearing the original costume.

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Tarrant, James, Carolgees and Gorman also reprised their Four Bucketeers act, leading a messy audience singalong of their Bucket of Water Song – before receiving the Slapstick Comedy Legacy Medal, honouring entertainers who continue the comedy traditions of the silent film era.  

After Tiswas, Carolgees worked for eight years alongside Cilla Black on Surprise, Surprise and fronted the ITV game shows Hold Tight and Concentration. After stepping back from showbuisness he went on to run a candle shop in Cheshire.

Here he is on Tiswas with Spit and his companion, Cough The Cat:

Tiswas: The Reunion was staged at St George’s, Bristol. A fundraiser for Children’s Hospice South West, it was a co-production by Bristol’s Slapstick Festival and Bristol Ideas.

• All pictures © David Betteridge/Slapstick 

Published: 17 Apr 2022