ATV Icon: Larry Grayson

The first of our annual Christmas inductees into the ATV Icons Hall of Fame for 2024 is the one, the only, Larry Grayson…

Larry Grayson was born William Sulley White on August 31, 1923. Best known as a comedian and television presenter, he graced television screens across the 1970s and 80s brining his camp persona, sharp wit, and catchphrases like “Shut that door!” and “What a gay day!”

Grayson was born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, but raised in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, by a foster family. He was adopted shortly after birth and raised in Nuneaton by a foster family, taking the surname “Hammonds.” His early years were marked by hardship and a fascination with show business, which began with local variety performances.

Grayson began performing in the 1940s, initially in drag under the stage name “Billy Breen.” Over time, he developed a unique comedic style that featured camp humour, gentle innuendo, and a host of fictional friends such as “Everard,” “Slack Alice,” and “Apricot Lil.” He was one of the first openly camp comedians in the UK, though he never publicly discussed his sexuality.

Motel moment: With pal Noele Gordon at The Variety Club of Great Britain’s ‘Tribute to Crossroads’ in 1980 / ATV

Larry found UK wide fame after agent Michael Grade saw him performing in a theatre show and it wasn’t long before Michael had secured Grayson a weekly slot on big primetime entertainment show Saturday Variety which aired live on ITV from ATV Elstree weekly. He performed alongside names such as Bob Monkhouse and Lionel Blair.

Viewers instantly took to Larry and his down-to-earth wit and in the same year, 1972, ATV offered him his own series, Shut That Door! He lured all his favourite stars to appear with him on it from Diana Dors to Noele Gordon. The latter was the star of Crossroads, Larry’s favourite TV show and it wasn’t long before he made a number of guest spots in it as himself.

More comedy came with London Weekend Television and a new sketch series simply entitled ‘Larry Grayson‘ for ITV. He was also popular on the TV scene at this time with spots on shows such as Sunday Night at the London Palladium (ITV/ATV), Parkinson (BBC), Celebrity Squares (ITV/ATV) and The Good Old Days (BBC). In 1974 he had a sell-out variety show, Grayson’s Scandals, at The London Palladium which later toured the UK in 1975.

It however was 1978 when Larry moved to the BBC and became the host of The Generation Game, taking it to record viewing figures. In 1981 Larry semi-retired from the business making occasional chat show appearances, becoming a team captain on A Question of Entertainment and one final game show, Sweethearts, in 1987 for ITV from Anglia TV. Despite his popularity, Grayson was uncomfortable with fame and eventually stepped away from television in the late 1980s, although he made several guest appearances on chat shows in the 1990s.

Happy on the Game: With Generation Game co-host Isla St Claire / BBC

After retiring, Grayson lived a quiet life in Nuneaton with his beloved foster sister, Flo. He returned briefly to television for special appearances but never resumed full-time work. Larry Grayson passed away in January 1995, aged 71, after complications following a hernia operation. He made his last TV appearance on the Royal Variety Performance in 1994.

Nearly 30 years on from his death Larry – or Laz to friends – is still fondly remembered. In 2017 ITV celebrated his life and work with ‘Larry Grayson: Shut that Door’ an extended documentary which has aired on both ITV1 and ITV3.

Last year he was portrayed by Mark Gatiss in ITV drama Nolly about his dear friend Noele Gordon who was played by Helena Bonham Carter. In Nuneaton itself he has been remembered with a pub which was called The William White, an area in the town called Grayson Place, a vibrant cultural and leisure destination for the local community and a there have been displays about his career in both the Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery and Nuneaton Heritage Centre.

No pout about it: Mark Gatiss portrays Larry in the ITV drama Nolly / ITVX

To mark Larry’s 100th birthday a portrait was commissioned by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council. It hangs in the Town Hall. The portrait was painted by artist Dave Miles and was unveiled on Nuneaton Town Hall steps in front of his great-nephew Mike Malyon and Isla St Clair, co-host of the Generation Game.

Grayson’s gentle wit left a lasting mark on British pop culture. His influence, along with the likes of Kenneth Williams and Frankie Howerd, paved the way for other entertainers and challenged perceptions of LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream media, even if in Larry’s case, subtly.

“Larry loved Nuneaton and it is fitting that we top off the centenary commemorations with this portrait that will take pride of place in the Town Hall. Being able to honour this larger-than-life champion of our town is a great way to celebrate his 100th birthday and keep his spirit alive.” – Cllr Kris Wilson speaking in August, 2023