Big in Budapest!

You Rang, M’Lord? star says he's 'treated like Elvis' in Hungary

comedy Sitcom actor Jeffrey Holland has told of how he is treated like a megastar – in Hungary.

Although best known in the UK for playing Hi-De-Hi! comic Spike Dixon, his fame in Eastern Europe comes mainly from the follow-up You Rang, M’Lord?

The show ran for 26 episodes over four seasons between 1990 and 1993 but became an unexpected hit in a nation newly free of the Soviet Union. It has been claimed that ‘not a week goes by without episodes appearing on Hungary’s TV channels.’

Holland, now 75, has told of how he was treated like Elvis when he paid a visit to the country four years ago.

He told the Daily Star Sunday: "You Rang, M’Lord is enormous in Hungary. It’s humungous.

‘When I walked out on stage the audience went wild. I’d never heard anything like it. It was like I was Elvis Presley. It was so moving.

‘When I came off I burst into tears because I was so overwhelmed by the love in the room. We were treated like royalty. I get emails every week from people there because it’s still so popular.’

You Rang M’Lord was written by David Croft and Jimmy Perry - creators of Hi-de-Hi! and Dad’s Army - and it co-starred Paul Shane, Donald Hewlett and Su Pollard.

In 2018, one Hungarian fan explained the sitcom’s appeal to The Guardian: ‘After the change of regime, most Hungarian people just didn’t have any connection with aristocracy. As we have to work hard to earn a living, we are longing to have such English traditions as having five o’clock tea from beautiful china in beautiful houses.’Here’s footage of Holland making a personal appearance there, in character as footman James Twelvetrees: