John Junkin

John Francis Junkin (29 January 1930 – 7 March 2006) was an English actor and scriptwriter who had a long career in radio, television and film, specialising in comedy.

Born in Ealing, Middlesex, the son of a policeman, he and his parents subsequently moved to Forest Gate so that he could attend St Bonaventure's Catholic School there, before qualifying as a teacher at St Mary's College, Strawberry Hill.

He worked as a primary school teacher in the East End for three years before becoming a professional actor and scriptwriter.

In 1960, Junkin joined Joan Littlewood's Stratford East Theatre Workshop and played the lead in the original production of Sparrers Can't Sing.

A few years later, he joined the Royal Court Theatre company, and was the foil to Tony Hancock in some of Hancock's last work for British television.

Junkin played a diverse range of roles on the small screen; however, he is best remembered for his comedy roles and his appearances as a television quiz master.

To international audiences, he may be best remembered for playing Shake, the assistant to Norman Rossington, in the Beatles film A Hard Day's Night.

In comedy roles, Junkin was rarely short of work, on account of his ability to play the stony-faced symbol of low level, petty-minded and unquestioning authority, whether the army sergeant, police constable or site foreman.

In 1964 Junkin recorded a number of radio programmes on land for the fledgling ship-based pirate radio station Radio Caroline.

His announcements did not include any topical references, and the music was played in by studio engineers.

When the programmes were broadcast, the onboard DJs occasionally cut in to give live time checks.

One of his rare leading roles was in the BBC series The Rough with the Smooth, in which he and Tim Brooke-Taylor played comedy writers (with both actors contributing scripts to the series as well).

He also hosted his own afternoon television series in the mid-1970s.

Titled simply Junkin, it was produced by Southern Television for the ITV network.

Junkin has an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the voice of Mr Shifter, one of the chimps in the PG Tips tea advertisement, the longest-running series of commercials on television.

He married public relations executive Jenny Claybourn in 1977 and had a daughter, Annabel.

With Barry Cryer, Junkin wrote for Morecambe and Wise from 1978 to 1983, in addition to two Christmas specials in 1972 and 1976.

Junkin lived in Wendover, Buckinghamshire.

Junkin and his wife separated in 1992.

He died from lung cancer on 7 March 2006 in the Florence Nightingale House, Aylesbury, several miles from his home.

A heavy smoker, he had also been suffering from emphysema and asthma.

His life and work were honoured at the British Academy Television Awards in 2006.