Melvyn Hayes
Melvyn Hayes | |
|---|---|
| Born | Melvyn Hyams 11 January 1935 Wandsworth, London, England |
| Occupations | Actor, voice artist |
| Years active | 1950–present |
| Television | Quatermass II (1955) The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981) SuperTed (1983–1986) The Further Adventures of SuperTed (1989) EastEnders (2005) Drop the Dead Donkey (1998) Benidorm (2011) |
| Spouse(s) |
Rosalind Allen
(m. 1962, divorced)Jayne Male
(m. 1992; died 2022) |
| Children | 6, including Charlie Hayes |
| Website | http://melvynhayes.com/ |
Melvyn Hayes (né Hyams; born 11 January 1935) is an English actor and voice-over performer with a career spanning more than seven and a half decades. Performing in films, television shows and on stage, Hayes frequently portrayed camp-styled characters.
Hayes' professional career began on stage before transitioning to film and television in the late 1950s. He was a recurring actor in films starring pop musician Cliff Richard such as The Young Ones (1961), Summer Holiday (1963) and Wonderful Life (1964). He had a recurring role in the film series The Magnificent Six and 1/2 in the late 60s and its subsequent series, the short lived sitcom Here Come the Double Deckers! in 1971.
Hayes' appeared as the camp character Gunner (later Bombardier) "Gloria" Beaumont in the television comedy It Ain't Half Hot Mum, from 1974 to 1981. After the show ended, he moved to voice acting, and had a role in the children's animated show SuperTed as the villain Skeleton from 1983 to 1986, and in its short reboot show, The Further Adventures of SuperTed in 1989.
Hayes has more recently appeared as himself in entertainment shows such as The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Would I Lie to You?, and has made occasional performances as a one-off character in shows Benidorm and Not Going Out.
He is the father to actress Charlie Hayes, who was born while Hayes was married to actress Wendy Padbury.
Early life and education
Born on 11 January 1935[1][2] in Wandsworth, South London as Melvyn Hyams,[3] he was the third of four children to Jewish parents Isaac and Queenie Hyams, of Dutch and Polish ancestry.[4][5] His father worked at a fairground before opening a suit shop in Wandsworth, which the family lived above.[6] His mother was a housewife who sang in working men's clubs.[7] As Antisemitism was common at the time, his parents went under the names Peter and Sarah.[5]
When he was four, he was evacuated to Dawlish, Devon during the Second World War with two of his brothers.[5][8] They lived with many other children in a house owned by a woman called Mrs. Cobham; during Hayes' stay at the house, one boy died of Pneumonia and another was beaten for wetting the bed.[5] Eventually, their mother came and took the boys and moved back to London.[5] They lived in Devon until 1944, when they moved to Clapham, where they remained until the war ended. In the winter of 1944, Hayes' brother Colin was wounded by a explosion near their Clapham flat.[5]
His first experience with acting came in primary school when he played the Gingerbread Man in a school play.[9] After passing his 11 plus exam, Hayes attended Sir Walter St John's Grammar School For Boys, in Battersea,[5] where he was bullied because of his height and his Jewish background.[3] While there, he was in the schools Chess and Boxing clubs.
His inspiration to work in show business came in 1946, when at age 11 he saw The Jolson Story. He sent a letter to Columbia Pictures asking for an autograph from Al Jolson, which he received after a few weeks; Hayes kept the autograph and regarded it as his "most prized possession".[6]
He left Sir Walter St John's Grammar School in 1949 and was unsure on what to do with his life. Because of his short stature,[10] some suggested he be a jockey. Hayes sent a letter to Princess Elizabeth asking if he could be an apprentice at the royal stables; Elizabeth was on holiday in Malta but wished him the best on his journey.[6][7] Hayes got a job at a local stables, but quit the job after a fortnight because he did not like the experience. He got a job at News Chronicle in Fleet Street, carrying advertising print blocks between newspapers.[6]
Career
1950s and 1960s
In 1950, Hayes saw an advertisement seeking an assistant for the conjurer The Great Massoni.[4] He got the job and was soon "disappearing twice daily for £4 per week" performing the Indian rope trick in Maskelyne's Mysteries at The Comedy Theatre in London.[11] He was also in a theatrical troupe called Terry's Juveniles and later appeared in repertory theatres in Surrey, Derbyshire and the Midlands. Hayes revealed many years later that on the day of his audition, when he met the troupe leader Theresa Freedman, aka Miss Terry, she said to him: "'Can you sing?' No. 'Can you dance?' No. 'Are you Jewish?' Yes. 'You got the part.' "[12] It was around this time when Melvyn changed his surname from "Hyams" to "Hayes" in order to sound "less Jewish".[5]
He played Tommy at the Westminster Theatre between 15 May and 14 June 1952.[11] He returned to the Comedy Theatre in October 1952, playing Tommie, opposite Florence Desmond, Anthony Ireland and Geoffrey Kerr, in The Apples of Eve. In 1955, he was in three theatre productions: The Desperate Hours, South, and Edward's Son, as Jimmy. His last stage role of the 1950s was in Telescope, performed at the Salisbury Playhouse, as Joe Palmer.
Hayes slowly began his move to film and television in the late 1950s. One of his earliest televised roles was in the BBC Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School. He played Edek in The Silver Sword in 1957, a children's television serial about Polish refugees trying to find their father after World War II. His early film roles include the young Victor Frankenstein in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Willem in Operation Amsterdam (1959), and Cecil Biggs in Bottoms Up (1960). During the screening of The Curse of Frankenstein, he expericned his first dose of homophobia as a result of his effeminate role, a type of character Hayes would play on many occasions throughout his career.[5]
Throughout a seven-year span (1958–1965) Hayes reappeared four times on the police drama series Dixon of Dock Green portraying various minor characters: Larkin in series 4 episode 25 "Little Boy Blue" in 1958, Mick in series 5 episode 20 "Blue in the Night" in 1959, Dave "Cha-Cha" Charlton in series 7 episode 16 "The Burn-Up" in 1961, and finally as Atkins in series 11 episode 24 "The Inside Man" in 1965. However, none of these episodes remain the BBC archive, presumed to have been wiped.[13][14][15]
In 1959, Hayes guest appeared on an episode of This is Your Life dedicated to Ted Willis. Hayes would appear on the show another fifteen times over the course of 43 years, in episodes for Richard O'Sullivan (1974), Michael Bates (1974), Windsor Davies (1976), Richard Goolden (1978), Michael Aspel (1980), his own episode (1981), Peter Adamson (1981), Catherine Cookson (1982), Jim Davidson (1984), Paul Henry (1985), Gretchen Franklin (1995), David Croft (1995), George Layton (1999), Linda Lusardi (2000), and Ian Lavender (2002).
On 1 May 1960, he performed in the one-time stage show Change for the Angel at the Arts Theatre.[16] In 1961 he was on stage in The Fantastiks and Why the Chicken, and on 10 November 1962 began portraying Wilfred Compton in Spring and Port Wine, which would run at the Mermaid and Apollo Theatre for the next years, performing its last show on 12 October 1968.
In the mid-1960s, Hayes had recurring roles in films starring pop musician Cliff Richard; these include as Jimmy in The Young Ones (1961) Cyril in Summer Holiday (1963), and 'Brother' Willy in Crooks in Cloisters (1964). Hayes has mentioned many times, including on an episode of Would I Lie to You?, that filming was terrifying as he and Richard were only taught how to drive a double-decker bus half an hour before filming: "Coming round bends on the cliffs of Greece, I remember driving this big bus round a bend, first day of shooting, and wondering what the insurance would cost, with Cliff, The Shadows and Una Stubbs in the seats behind me., I was heading for the cameras, as I knew we wouldn't go over the edge that way, they told me if they waved their right arms, I was too near the wall, and if they waved their left, I was too close to the edge".[17]
Hayes appeared in an episode of the drama The Human Jungle starring Herbert Lom in 1963. A day after Hayes' last performance of Spring and Port Wine, he debuted in the show Staring at the Sun as Tom, on 13 October 1968 which lasted for another seventeen days. In December 1968, he was in Toad in Toad Hall at the Duke of York's Theatre.
1970s and 1980s
In 1971 he performed at the Thorndike Theatre as a part of the show Ballad of the Sad Cafe. In 1974, he toured South Africa in the stage show Habeus Corpus.[11] By 1973, Hayes was teaching drama at the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, during which he taught Tracey Ullman, Lesley Manville and Leslie Ash.[5]
Hayes' biggest role came in the sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974–1981) as Gunner "Gloria" Beaumont. He played the flamboyantly camp character Gloria Beuamont. For the first two series, the character held the rank of gunner, but after character Gunner Solomon left, he was promoted to bombardier. Hayes appeared in all 56 episodes of the comedy show, from 1974 to 1981. He has openly criticised the BBC on many occasions over the years for refusing to repeat episodes of the show[6][18] due to some of its dated language, and because Caucasian actor Michael Bates applied brown tan and an Asian accent to play the Indian character Bearer Rangi Ram. Hayes said to The Telegraph in 2014: "It was one of the most popular shows on television and I don't understand the decision. Now, people can swear on television - which we never did - and you're seemingly allowed to tell any homophobic joke you want, et cetera. Yet because Windsor Davies's character called us a "bunch of poofs" and Michael Bates, who was born in India, dressed up as an Indian, the BBC won't repeat it."[6]
During his time on the IAHHM, Hayes also appeared in Carry On England, Love Thy Neighbour and The Thin Blue Line. He was also on the show Potter's Picture Palace on two occasions (1976 and 1978). Between March and June 1979 he was in a production of Play It Again, Sam as Allan Felix at The Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare.
In 1980, he and IAHHM co-star Windsor Davies starred in the production Sink of Slim, in which he played Albert, which ran at the Shanklin Theatre and Marlowe Theatre from April to November.[19]
Hayes was the subject of a 1981 episode of This Is Your Life that aired on 28 January 1981. He was surprised by Eamonn Andrews during the curtain call of the pantomime show Dick Whittington at the London Palladium on 7 January.[20] Richard O'Sullivan, Edward Woodward and Alfred Marks all guest appeared to pay tribute to Hayes.
After It Ain't Half Hot Mum was cancelled in 1981, Hayes appeared with most of the cast in a year long stage show of the serires from 1982 to 1983, hosted at the Bristol Hippodrome. In 1983/1984, he was in Run for Your Wife. Afterwards, he started appearing on many popular talk and game shows as himself.
Hayes found a new career path as a voice actor in the 1980s, and shifted his career toward that. He mainly voiced characters on children's cartoons, most notably in SuperTed as the "flamboyantly gay" villain Skeleton[21] from 1983 to 1986 and its revived show The Further Adventures of SuperTed in 1989.
Hayes played the Mole in a production of The Wind in the Willows from November 1984 to February 1985. In 1988, he was a part of the shows In One Bed... Out the Other and Who Goes Bare? as Maurice and Eddie respectively.
1990s
Hayes provided his voice for roles in The Dreamstone, Little Dracula, Alfred J. Kwak, Pongwiffy and Budgie the Little Helicopter. He also provided the voice of characters in the English translation of the cartoon Alfred J. Kwak. In November-December 1993, he was at the Redgrave Theatre, Farnham as a Caretaker in A Step in Time.
He appeared in the final series of Drop the Dead Donkey in 1998.
2000s
From 2000 to 2006, he was a guest in Dictionary Corner on 27 episodes of Countdown. Also in 2000, he was in two new stage shows: The Bespoke Overcoat as Fender in June-July, and Saved by Sex as Maybelline in August.[22]
Adventure in the Hopfields, one of the first films Hayes ever appeared in, was deemed lost until a copy was found in 2002. He attended the film's first screening since the 1950s at an event in Kent.[23]
For eight episodes in May and June 2005, he was in EastEnders as Michael Rawlins, a character introduced for a storyline in which Rawlins, a driving instructor, tries to have his way with Dot Branning.[24] In 2007, Hayes played Uncle George in the stage show Cash on Delivery, which toured the UK from July to November.[25][26] In 2008, he returned to Run for Your Wife for a few shows in June and July.[27][28]
2010s
In March 2011, Hayes appeared as Mr Pink in the ITV1 comedy TV series Benidorm. He was also in the Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles audio The Scorchies (2013).
In February 2016, Hayes publicly expressed his disapproval of Dad's Army and "You Can't Teach a New Dog Old Tricks", a one off revival episode of Are You Being Served?, stating that the BBC should "let old TV series lie" and that David Croft, who co-wrote both series plus It Ain't Half Hot Mum, would have "turned in his grave" as Hayes claimed he was "very disappointed" in the revival film.[29][30]
Hayes was featured on a celebrity edition of Pointless in 2019, paired up with It Ain't Half Hot Mum co-star Stuart McGugan.[31]
2020s
Hayes was a guest speaker at a ceremony celebrating 65 years of Carry On films in June 2023.[32] In August 2023, he appeared in the BBC sitcom Not Going Out. In December 2023, he appeared on a Christmas edition of Would I Lie to You?, and was on Lee Mack's team, with Alex Brooker being the other guest on his panel.[33]
In 2025, Hayes was filming in Wakefield for an upcoming comedy film, Doubles, as Stan, a widowed pensioner.[34] In August 2025, he was a star guest at Comic Con at Weston-super-Mare.[35]
In 1986, Hayes started writing an autobiography,[7] which was finally released in January 2026. Its original title was If You Ain't Got Your Sock, after something his dad used to say to him ("if you ain't got your socks, you can't pull them up"), but he changed the title to It Ain't Half Late Mum, a play on words for It Ain't Half Hot Mum.[36][20] Hayes held a book launch at Goldsboro Books in London on 22 January.
Personal life
Family
Hayes has been married three times and has six children, thirteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.[37] He had three children with his first wife, Rosalind Allen.[10]
After they divorced, he married Wendy Padbury in 1974, and had two daughters before divorcing in 1987,[38] including actress Charlie Hayes.[10]
Hayes and his third wife, Jayne Male, wed in 1992 and were married for thirty years before her death from Lung cancer on 3 September 2022.[8][9][5] They fostered over 50 children and had a child of their own.[6][9][39]
Hayes and Jayne moved to the Cotswolds in 1997.[39] He moved to South London in 2022 following Jayne's death to live with his daughter and her husband.[8]
Health
Hayes broke his foot in while filming Wonderful Life, which delayed filming for a scene in which the cast dance on a boat.[40]
In 2009, Hayes was diagnosed with coronary heart disease, which at first only gave him indigestion but after a while began to affect his walking, which caused trouble as he was working on various theatre productions.[37] He had bypass surgery at St Mary's Hospital in Portsmouth.[37]
In 2026, Hayes mentioned he had a personal trainer, who helps him once a week,[5] and he goes to the gym twice a week.[41]
Interests
Hayes is a member of the Grand Order of Water Rats, having been initiated in 1994, and in 2004 was made King Rat.[42] Also in 2004, to raise money for the Grand Order, Hayes spent £3,000 on a signed photo of pantomime actor Dan Leno.[8] The organization held a special event in March 2025, for Hayes' 90th birthday, and in May 2025, awarded him two PKR medals.[43]
In 2025, he became a patron of The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America.
He is a supporter of the Green Party.[8] Hayes was once asked by Screaming Lord Sutch to step in as a candidate for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party but rejected.[5]
Hayes and his third wife, Jayne, managed three pubs.[5] He was at one time the pub landlord of the Stag Inn in the village of Offchurch in Warwickshire,[44] the White Hart Tap in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and The Brantham Bull, Brantham, Suffolk from December 1994 to January 1997.[39] When he owned the Brantham Bull, he was regularly in the local papers as he and the Suffolk County Council were in constant disagreement over Hayes writing comical jokes on a blackboard hung outside the pub.[39]
Hayes has cited Bob Monkhouse, Tommy Cooper, Billy Connolly and Lee Mack as some of his favourite comedians.[41] Haye was approached by Connolly in 1980, who told him he was his "biggest fan".[41]
Charity
Hayes donates to many charities including the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and The Salvation Army.[8] He has supported Barnardo's since the 1990s.[45] In 2006, he and a performing arts charity for children in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, held their own version of the Oscars for the students.[46]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | The Blue Lamp | Blond urchin | (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Top of the Form | Schoolboy with glasses | |
| Adventure in the Hopfields | Ned Reilly | ||
| 1954 | Face the Music / The Black Glove | Hotel Bellhop | |
| 1955 | The Man Who Loved Redheads | Sydney | |
| The Blue Peter | Nelson watch member | (uncredited) | |
| 1956 | Fun at St. Fanny's | Heckling boy at concert | |
| Stars in Your Eyes | Bit part | ||
| Anastasia | |||
| 1957 | The Curse of Frankenstein | Young Victor | |
| The Good Companions | Telegraph boy | ||
| Woman in a Dressing Gown | Newsboy | ||
| 1958 | Violent Playground | Kid in Johnnie's gang | (uncredited) |
| 1959 | Operation Amsterdam | Willem | |
| No Trees in the Street | Tommy | ||
| 1960 | The Flesh and the Fiends | Daft Jamie | |
| Bottoms Up | Cecil Biggs | ||
| 1961 | The Young Ones | Jimmy | |
| 1962 | The Silent Invasion | Jean | |
| 1963 | Summer Holiday | Cyril | |
| 1964 | Crooks in Cloisters | Willy | |
| Wonderful Life | Jerry | ||
| 1969 | A Walk with Love and Death | First Entertainer | |
| The Magnificent Six and 1/2: It's Not Cricket | Silly workman | ||
| The Magnificent Six and 1/2: Peewee Had a Little Ape | Clown | ||
| 1971 | The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins | Porter | Credited as "Melvin" |
| Bachelor of Arts | Mr. Jenkins | ||
| A Christmas Carol | Bob Cratchit | Voice | |
| 1972 | Go for a Take | Ambulance Man | |
| 1973 | Love Thy Neighbour | Terry | |
| 1974 | Man About the House | Nigel | |
| 1976 | Carry On England | Gunner Shorthouse | |
| 1978 | What's Up Superdoc! | Waiter / Pietro | |
| 1979 | A Touch of the Sun | Ginger Rogers | |
| 1984 | The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood | Father Luther | |
| 1985 | Santa Claus: The Movie | Goober the elf | |
| 1990 | King of the Wind | Twicker | |
| 1999 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Ambrose | Voice |
| 2014 | Shiner | The Limpet | Short film |
| 2018 | T. I. M: This Is Me | Myrtle | |
| 2022 | Absalom: Fight Night! | Harr Absalom | |
| 2025 | Doubles[34] | Stan |
Television
1950s
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953—1960 | Sunday-night Theatre | Various | Four episodes |
| 1953 | Face the Music | Page boy | One episode |
| 1955 | Quatermass II | Frankie | |
| The Explorer | Dai Davies | ||
| The Unloved | Actor | Television movie | |
| The Magic Idol | Christopher | ||
| The Running Tide | John | ||
| The Magic Fishbone | Gherkin | ||
| 1956 | No Man's Land | Miro | |
| Rex Milligan | Bubblegum Tucker | Six episodes | |
| Extra Item | Barry Green | Television movie | |
| Bill Radford: Reporter | Eddie Knowles | One episode | |
| Tearaway | Syd Shelton | Television movie | |
| 1956—1957 | Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School | Harold Skinner | Four episodes |
| 1957 | Playhouse | Jimmy Tait | One episode |
| The Wharf Road Mob | Clive | Television movie | |
| Armchair Theatre | Stephen Cantrell | One episode | |
| Overseas Press Club – Exclusive! | Gang member | Uncredited, one episode | |
| The Telescope | Joe Palmer | Television movie | |
| 1957—1958 | The Silver Sword | Edek | Seven episodes |
| 1958 | Television World Theatre | Willi | One episode |
| 1958—1965 | Dixon of Dock Green | Various | Four episodes |
| 1958—1959 | Our Mutual Friend | Charley Hexam | |
| 1959 | Jo's Boys | Dan | Five episodes |
| Probation Officer | Arthur Finney | Two episodes | |
| 1959—2002 | This Is Your Life | Himself | Sixteen episodes |
1960s
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Skyport | unknown | One episode |
| Whack-O! | Terry | ||
| 1961 | The Bun House Wedding | Youth | Television movie |
| Faces of Jim | Norman | One episode | |
| Mr. Pastry Hooks a Spook | John Groom | Television movie | |
| 1962 | Stryker of the Yard | The page boy | One episode |
| Oliver Twist | Artful Dodger | Five episodes | |
| 1963 | The Human Jungle | Bert Morgan | One episode |
| Taxi! | Barry Dobson | ||
| 1964 | The Chase | Scratch | Television movie |
| Six | Scratch | One episode | |
| Highlight: The Singing Cinema | Archive footage | Television special | |
| 1965 | A Slight Case Of... | Himself | One episode, television special for Roy Kinnear |
| Thirty-Minute Theatre | Chivers | One episode | |
| 1966 | In The West End Tonight | Wilfred Compton | Television movie |
| Rome, Sweet Home | Pentamus | ||
| It's a Knockout | Himself | One episode | |
| 1968 | Comedy Playhouse | Russell | One episode |
| Father, Dear Father | Les | ||
| 1969 | The Ugliest Girl in Town | Harry | |
| The Liver Birds | Simon |
1970s
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Here Come the Double Deckers! | Various | Eleven episodes |
| Beyond Bellet | unknown | Television movie | |
| 1972 | The Regiment | Private Hanks | One episode |
| Cosmo and Thingy | Pune | Television movie | |
| 1972—1979 | The Generation Game | Himself | Three episodes |
| 1973 | The Adventures of Black Beauty | Amos | One episode |
| The Gordon Peters Show | unknown | ||
| Ooh La La! | The Duke | ||
| Sir Yellow | Gregory | Seven episodes | |
| Stars on Sunday | Bob Cratchit | One episode | |
| 1974 | Charles Dickens' World of Christmas | Bob Cratchit | Television movie |
| 1974–1981 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum | Gunner/Bombardier "Gloria" Beaumont | Fifty-six episodes |
| 1975 | The Tommy Cooper Hour | unknown | One episode |
| Carry On Laughing | Charwallah Charlie | ||
| 1976–1978 | Potter's Picture Palace | Melvyn Disbury | Thirteen episodes |
| 1978 | Those Wonderful TV Times | Himself | One episode |
| 1979 | Star Turn | Two episodes | |
| 1979—1980 | Give Us a Clue |
1980s
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | It's a Knockout | Himself | Two episodes |
| 1981 | Looks Familiar | One episode | |
| The Childrens Royal Variety Performance | Television special | ||
| The Pyramid Game | One episode | ||
| Family Fortunes | |||
| 1982—1984 | On Safari | Two episodes | |
| 1983 | No. 73 | One episode | |
| 1983–1986 | SuperTed | Skeleton | Voice, thirty-five episodes |
| 1983—1984 | Punchlines | Himself | Two episodes |
| 1984 | Cannon and Ball | One episode | |
| Babble | |||
| Entertainment Express | |||
| 1984—1986 | What a Carry On | Gunner Shorthouse | Archive footage, nine episodes |
| 1985 | Whose Baby? | Himself | One episode |
| Ultra Quiz | |||
| 1986 | Galloping Galaxies! | Superbeing | |
| 1987 | Super Gran | P. C. Dumpling | |
| 1988 | Comic Relief | Himself | Television special |
| 1989 | The Further Adventures of SuperTed | Skeleton | Voice, six episodes |
| The Childrens Royal Variety Performance | Himself | Television special | |
| 1989—1994 | You Bet! | Four episodes | |
| 1989—1990 | Alfred J. Kwak | Dolf | Fourteen episodes |
| Sky Star Search | Himself | Fifteen episodes |
1990s
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Childrens Royal Variety Performance | Himself | Television special |
| A Tribute to Terry-Thomas | |||
| 1990—1995 | The Dreamstone | Frizz | Voice, fifty-one episodes |
| 1991 | Little Dracula | Deadwood | Voice, four episodes |
| The Happening | Himself | Television movie | |
| 1994 | Bygones | One episode | |
| 1995 | Omnibus | Himself/Bombardier "Gloria" Beaumont | |
| 1995—1996 | Budgie the Little Helicopter | Various voices | Voice, twenty-six episodes |
| 1996 | The Thin Blue Line | D. S. Quentin Courvoisier | Voice, one episode |
| An Audience with Freddie Starr | Himself | Television special | |
| Funny You Ask | One episode | ||
| 1997 | Shooting Stars | One episode | |
| Tellystack | Television special | ||
| 1998 | Drop the Dead Donkey | Sir Gordon | Three episodes |
| Top Tip Challenge | Himself | One episode |
2000s
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Top Ten | Himself | One episode |
| I Love A 1970's Christmas | Archive footage | Television special | |
| 2000—2006 | Countdown | Himself | Twenty-seven episodes |
| 2002 | Pongwiffy | Various voices | Voice, twenty-six episodes |
| Never Had It So Good | Himself | One episode | |
| 2003 | Doctor Who: Shada | Wilkin | Voice, four episodes |
| Hogmanay Live | Himself | Television special | |
| 2004 | Doctors | Ted Bryson | One episode |
| Revolver | Dave Davids | Four episodes | |
| Britain's Best Sitcom | Himself | Two episodes | |
| Today with Des and Mel | |||
| Richard & Judy | One episode | ||
| 2005 | EastEnders | Michael Rawlins | Eight episodes |
| 50 Questions of Political Incorrectness | Himself | Television movie | |
| The 100 Greatest Famiy Films | |||
| Best Ever Christmas Films | Television movie | ||
| 2006 | Carry on Quzzing | Gunner Shorthouse | Archive footage |
| 2007 | Comedy Connections | Himself | One episode |
| A Tribute to John Inman | Television special | ||
| 2009 | Movie Connections | One episode | |
| The Paul O'Grady Show |
2010s
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | The Slammer | The hamster | One episode |
| Double Decker Memories | Albert the street cleaner | Archive footage, television special | |
| 2010—2011 | The Legend of Dick and Dom | Blinky | Two episodes |
| 2011 | Benidorm | Mr. Pink | Uncredited, one episode |
| 2011 | The Alan Titchmarsh Show | Himself | One episode |
| You've Been Watching... David Croft | Himself / Bombardier "Gloria" Beaumont | ||
| 2012 | Frankenstein Reborn: The Making of a Hammer Classic | Himself / Young Victor | Archive footage, documentary |
| 2013 | Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicles | The Schorchies | Voice, one episode |
| BBC South Today | Himself | One episode | |
| Cinemassacre's Monster Madness | Himself / Young Victor | Archive footage, documentary | |
| 2014 | Perry and Croft: Made in Britain | Himself / Bombardier "Gloria" Beaumont | Archive footage, one episode |
| Lorraine | Himself | One episode | |
| 2016 | It Was Alright in the... | ||
| 2017 | Celebrity 5 Go Motorhoming | Four episodes | |
| 2019 | Pointless Celebrities | One episode |
2020s
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Mashed | Absalom | Voice, one episode |
| TV/Film Podcast UK | Himself | One episode | |
| 2022—2023 | Melvyn's Talking Pictures | Twenty episodes | |
| 2023 | National Comedy Awards | Television special | |
| Not Going Out | Ernest Walker | One episode | |
| Would I Lie to You? | Himself | One episode | |
| 2024 | Archive footage, one episode |
Stage
| Year | Show | Role | Venues |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Masklynnes Mysteries | Indian rope trick | Comedy Theatre |
| 1952 | The Trial of Mr. Pickwick | Tommy | Westminster Theatre, London |
| Apples of Eve | Tommie | Comedy Theatre, London | |
| 1955 | The Desperate Hours | unknown | unknown |
| Edward's Son | Jimmy | Arts Theatre | |
| South | unknown | Arts Theatre | |
| 1957 | The Telescope | Joe Palmer | Salisbury Playhouse |
| 1960 | Change for the Angel | unknown | Arts Theatre |
| 1961 | The Fantastiks | The mute | Apollo Theatre |
| Why the Chicken | unknown | Wimbledon Theatre/Streatham Hill Theatre | |
| 1962—1968 | Spring and Port Wine | Wilfred Compton | Mermaid Theatre/Apollo Theatre |
| 1962 | The Witch of Edmonton | The Dog | Mermaid Theatre |
| 1968 | Staring at the Sun | Tom | Vaudeville Theatre |
| Toad of Toad Hall | unknown | Duke of York's Theatre | |
| 1971 | The Ballad of the Sad Cafe | unknown | Thorndike Theatre |
| 1974 | Habeus Corpus | unknown | South Africa |
| 1979 | Play it Again, Sam | Allan Felix | The Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare/Key Theatre |
| 1970s | One for the Pot | unknown | unknown |
| 1980 | Sink of Slim | Albert | Shanklin Theatre/Marlowe Theatre |
| 1982—1983 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum | Gunner Beaumont | Bristol Hippodrome |
| 1983—1984 | Run for Your Wife | unknown | Theatre Royal, Bath/Ashcroft Theatre |
| 1984—1985 | The Wind in the Willows | Mole | Theatre Royal, Plymouth/Yvonne Arnaud Theatre |
| 1985 | My Fat Friend | Henry | Palace Theatre, Manchester/Playhouse Theatre |
| Seagulls over Sorrento | unknown | unknown | |
| 1988 | In One Bed... and Out the Other | Maurice | Devonshire Park Theatre/Theatre Royal, Hanley |
| Who Goes Bare? | Eddie | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham/Theatre Royal, Nottingham | |
| 1993 | A Step in Time | The Caretaker | Redgrave Theatre, Farnham |
| 1997 | Flahooley | unknown | unknown |
| 2000 | Saved by Sex | Maybelline | unknown |
| The Bespoke Overcoat | Fender | New End Theatre | |
| 2007 | Cash on Delivery | Uncle George | Gordon Craig Theatre/Globe Theatre |
| 2012 | You're Only Young Twice | Gordon "Brooksie" Brooks | Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton/Lyceum Theatre, Crewe |
| unknown | Bedside Manners | unknown | UK |
| unknown | Dear Miss Phoebe | unknown | UK |
| unknown | The Dresser | unknown | UK |
| unknown | The Long, The Short and The Tall | unknown | UK |
| unknown | Tomfoolery | unknown | UK |
Discography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | It Ain't Half Hot Mum - Featuring The Artists From The Popular BBC-TV Series[47][48] | Soundtrack from It Ain't Half Hot Mum[47] |
Bibliography
- Hayes, Melvyn (1980). "Contributor". David Jacob's Book of Celebrities' Jokes & Anecdotes. By Jacobs, David. Robson Books. p. 65. ISBN 0860511251.
- It Ain't Half Late Mum (2026)
References
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- ^ "It Ain't Half Late Mum". Foyles.co.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
- ^ a b Bletchly, Rachael (21 February 2019). "It Ain't Half Hot Mum's Melvyn Hayes calls on BBC to do a Windsor Davies tribute". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ a b Bletchly, Rachael (21 February 2021). "It Ain't Half Hot Mum's Melvyn Hayes calls on BBC to do a Windsor Davies tribute". The Mirror. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Cumming, Ed (15 January 2026). "Melvyn Hayes: Critics called It Ain't Half Hot Mum racist. They were wrong". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g Webber, Richard (19 October 2014). "Melvyn Hayes: 'BBC is too PC, so no repeat fees for me'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- ^ a b c The Lewis Nicholls Show (15 July 2025). Melvyn Hayes Interview - Life Stories - Celebrating 75 years in the industry. Retrieved 4 September 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e f Robertson, Peter (26 October 2024). "The Government is bad for pensioners: Actor Melvyn Hayes on money". This is Money. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ a b c "Home". melvynhayes.com. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- ^ a b c "It ain't half Dot!". Manchester Evening News. 12 January 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
- ^ a b c "Career | melvynhayes.com". Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ Richard Anthony Baker, "Terry's Juveniles", Music Hall Studies, No.12, 2013, pp.512-515
- ^ Dowling, Tim (19 July 2012). "Your next box set: Dixon of Dock Green". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ Montagu, Ralph. "How lost episodes of Dixon of Dock Green and Softly, Softly were returned to the archives | Radio Times". www.radiotimes.com. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ "Dixon of Dock Green". Archive Television Musings. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2025.
- ^ "UoB Calmview5: Search results". calmview.bham.ac.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ Campbell, Craig (5 August 2016). "Filming Summer Holiday was terrifying for Cliff Richard and crew, says co-star Melvyn Hayes". The Sunday Post. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ Wagstaff, Eve (22 June 2025). "It Ain't Half Hot Mum star was 'furious' over bosses' controversial decision". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "Portsmouth music scene". www.michaelcooper.org.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Biography". melvynhayes.com. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- ^ "SuperTed plans a cosmic TV comeback". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 26 October 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ "Other Theatre Directing". www.jamesmartincharlton.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Villagers queue to see rediscovered film". Kent Online. 15 March 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
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- ^ BBC. "Cash on Delivery". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Cash On Delivery, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, July 30 - August 11". The Argus. 27 July 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Roll up for farce, romps and a murder". Darlington and Stockton Times. 6 June 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ "Run For Your Wife, Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne, until July 26". The Argus. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2025.
- ^ Bryant, Tom (22 February 2016). "It Ain't Half Hot Mum star Melvyn Hayes slams remakes of classic comedy shows". Daily Record. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ Bryant, Tom; Robertson, Peter (21 February 2016). "Sitcom legend says Dad's Army remake would have creator 'turning in his grave'". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "BBC One - Pointless Celebrities, Series 12, Comedy". BBC. Retrieved 16 September 2025.
- ^ "Carry On At 65". www.retroboy.co.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ "BBC One - Would I Lie to You?, Series 17, At Christmas 2023". BBC. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Film staring comedy legend to be filmed in Wakefield". Wakefield Express. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ "What to expect at Stars of Time Comic Con this weekend - celebrity guests, tickets". BristolWorld. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ Jeffries, Stuart (22 July 2024). "'I lied to get the part': Melvyn Hayes on his 'angry young man' beginnings – and It Ain't Half Hot Mum". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ a b c Hayes, Melvyn (29 August 2017). "I need to stay young for my family". Daily Express (Interview). Interviewed by Lewis, Roz. Retrieved 6 September 2025 – via PressReader.
- ^ page 115 Who's Who on Television by Eddie Pedder 1985
- ^ a b c d "Suffolk pub man goes to Albert Square". Ipswich Star. 10 May 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ^ Robin Tripp (17 November 2018). Richard O'sullivan This Is Your Life 11 Dec 1974. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c Stephenson, Hannah; PA (27 January 2026). "Veteran actor Melvyn Hayes on comedy: Times have changed completely". The Irish News. Retrieved 8 March 2026.
- ^ "Members of the Water Rats". www.gowr.co.uk. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- ^ "Matinee: Grand Order of The Water Rats presents: Melvyn Hayes 90th Birthday Celebration: Ticket only". The Water Rats. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
- ^ McMullen, Marion (7 May 2005). "Melvyn's Dotty about Soap Role". Coventry Evening Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2015 – via HighBeam Research.
- ^ "FUNDRAISING NEWS: WHY I GIVE - Actor Melvyn Hayes". Third Sector. 19 March 2003. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ "It ain't half awarding, mum!". The Hunts Post. 10 May 2006. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ a b Various - It Ain't Half Hot Mum - Featuring The Artists From The Popular BBC-TV Series, 1975, retrieved 12 September 2025
- ^ "Melvyn Hayes discography - RYM/Sonemic". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 12 September 2025.