That's really sad to hear that he was in a care home before he passed. What an absolutely great entertainer. What a beautiful human being Cilla was too. Two of the very best of British talent.
Indeed, I've just seen a few interviews here of him, he couldn't be further from Blakey, well spoken, I imagine very interesting and intelligent person, your era of actors and actresses are now a very rare breed, not too many left
I met Stephen Lewis outside Charing Cross station and asked could I speak to him. He was such a nice guy, he had a very kind soul and heart. He told me laughter is one of the greatest things in life, did I see the 'buses' shows. I said I saw them and had them on DVD, I said my mother had just died so I wasn't that happy. God bless her soul he said.
As someone has already mentioned that Stephen couldn't resist in doing Blakey at his residential home with everyone else enjoying it. But, like all of the rest of the cast ( less Anna Karen not passed yet thank goodness) I have in my own way felt extremely sadden by each main character of on the buses fame. From Jack to The Butler's & last was to go was dear lovable Stephen Lewis. I absolutely loved the shear torment, wind ups & practical jokes that Jack & Stan did to Blakey. But. That was just one part that made the show so much loved to watch by millions of people. R.I.P. STEPHEN. L. ( AKA BLAKEY) 😉
@@stevenwade7466 I have only just heard the sad news of Anna Karen passing away in the last few minutes. & like many i am quite devistated to hear of her passing. Although she was involved in a house fire. ( possibly her own home & she was possibly a bit careless with something that caused the fire). But, that will be down to the fire brigade investigation & a autopsy & proberbly the police investigating it. Anyway once again so very sad to hear of one of BRITAINS GREATEST STARS gone. R.I.P ANNA & deepest condolonces to her family & closest of friends. ( please excuse spelling errors).
My name also is Stephen Lewis and so i share the same name of talented man so sadly missed. Thanks for to the laughter you gave us and that laughter will live forever more.
He was a playwright as well . He wrote a play call sparrers can't sing for joan littlewoods theatre workshop, which became the movie sparrows can't sing .
Another example of a health and safety failure at the BBC. The BBC used painted concrete floors in their studios, and would repaint the floor for each production that used the studio. Spilling water on a painted concrete floor is asking for someone to fall over. Cilla even comments on the floor immediately afterwards, but despite this being prerecorded (according to kaleidoscope) they didn't stop the recording to clean it up before continuing. And I have a feeling that bringing on a 'gentleman's gentleman' to serve him a scotch and soda from a silver salver was written entirely to give them a plausible excuse to role out the phrase 'I 'ate you Butler', which was obviously part of an ITV (well LWT) intellectual property and therefore couldn't be used on the BBC in its normal context, or without any justifying context at all.
I'm interested in how you know this as it doesn't seem to have been reported in the papers at the time. According to kaleidoscope this edition wasn't live either so the incident could well have been several days before it actually aired.
He was a very funny bloke. I've just started watching On The Buses again. If only they'd made the Back On The Buses series. Does anyone know why they didn't? I know Michael Robbins wasn't in the best of health.
There was a series (decades later) that was - not _quite_ the same as On The Buses, but it involved London buses and a "pathetic" main character. The mini series was called Jane Hall, and it was shown in about 2006. Really made me laugh in other ways. Jane's pathetic disposition did it for me. Silly, yet memorable.
Least we forget his stint on last of the summer wine as smiler occasional employee of auntie wainwright, unpaid of course and the butt of jokes for clegy compo and dewhurst.
If that was filmed today, Stephen Lewis would be disgraced and cancelled, because he touched Cilla's butt at 3:38 (I'm quite surprised that no one has mentioned that, or the feminists haven't piped up, funny that)
