In pictures: Sir Ken Dodd
- Published
Sir Ken Dodd, the irrepressible king of goofy gags and one of the last great stars of the light entertainment age, tickled audiences for more than 60 years.
Dodd made his name in the 1950s and his unruly hair reflected his zany persona from the early days.
He worked his way up through the live circuit and with slots on TV and radio before the BBC gave him his own show in 1959.
He would, in the early days, occasionally adopt a more serious image.
But never for long.
He's seen here attacking the Liverpool FC team with his trademark tickling sticks in 1965.
The Ken Dodd Show lasted through the 1960s and 70s, and his catchphrases like "how tickled I am" and "by jove missus" became known throughout the land.
He also made regular appearances on the music hall nostalgia show The Good Old Days.
The Bluebell Girls accompanied him during a string of shows in Blackpool in 1965.
He also enjoyed a surprisingly successful music career. His 1965 hit Tears was the third bestselling single of the decade, behind The Beatles' She Loves You and I Want to Hold Your Hand.
His live shows continued to be huge draws, and his marathon performances, which often stretched to five hours, were legendary.
He even popped up in an episode of Doctor Who in 1987 serial Delta and the Bannermen as the Tollmaster, who took the Doctor to Disneyland in 1959.
Ken Dodd was made an OBE in 1982 - ensuring the gong was spick and span with his tickling stick.
That was upgraded to a knighthood in 2017, with Sir Ken holding a TV camera's microphone in the absence of a tickling stick.