‘I’d better not’: Paul Elliott resists using ChuckleVision catchphrase with King

Comedian Paul Elliott joked he was tempted to reference the Chuckle Brothers’ famous “To me, to you” catchphrase when collecting a medal from the King, before deciding he had “better not” in case Charles was not a ChuckleVision fan.

Elliott, who is best known for starring alongside his late brother Barry in the long-running comedy sketch show, was one of 68 people to be honoured by the King on Tuesday, including Luther star Sir Idris Elba and comedian and actress Dame Meera Syal.

The 78-year-old, who was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for charitable service, said he had a “really good” conversation with the King, adding: “He was asking me about Marie Curie, and what I’ve been doing (as an ambassador), and how long.”

Paul Elliott after being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire by the King at Windsor Castle (Andrew Matthews/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Matthews

Asked whether he was tempted to reference the brothers’ famous catchphrase when collecting his medal, Elliott said: “I was at one point, and thought, ‘I’d better not’.

“He’s a year younger than me, not a ChuckleVision (fan)… I don’t think he watches ChuckleVision.”

A staple in many British homes, the show featured the hapless, accident-prone brothers causing chaos everywhere they went, and ran for nearly 300 episodes during the 1990s and 2000s.

Elliott described it as “amazing” that the show, and its best-known catchphrase, has had such an enduring impact.

He said: “The first series, back in ’97, we thought, ‘Let’s hope we get two or three series out of it’. Twenty-three series later, they take it off (air).

“At the top, Martin Hughes, who was the director and producer, he said they wanted us to do 30 weeks through the winter months before Going Live! on a Saturday morning, and he said, ‘I’ve told them we can’t think of 30 different storylines’ – 292 episodes later, and we never repeated anything.”

Barry (left) and Paul Elliott (Yui Mok/PA)PA Archive/PA Images - Yui Mok

Elliott became an ambassador for end-of-life charity Marie Curie alongside Barry in October 2016.

The charity’s nurses went on to help care for Barry in his final hours.

The entertainer died of bone cancer in August 2018 at the age of 73.

“Barry and I were ambassadors for four years before he died,” Elliott said.

“We love the things they do.

“They’re just wonderful people, not just looking after the person who was dying, but the family around them.

“That’s the main thing. They might give you a big hug around you, because everybody needs a hug when they’re losing somebody.”

Paul Elliott after being made an MBE by the King at Windsor Castle (Andrew Matthews/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Andrew Matthews

He added: “The year after Barry passed away, the wife’s dad passed away, and the nurses stayed up with her all night, so if he died during the night, she wouldn’t be alone.

“Just absolutely amazing the things that they do.

“And they’re there for you, two, three, four months, however long you need them for after somebody’s passed.

“You can just get on to ring them, and they’ll talk to you and comfort you again.

“It’s that big hug they give you all the time. Wonderful people.”

Asked what Barry would make of seeing his brother collect his award, Elliott said: “He’d love it.

“We used to think for years we’d never get any sort of recognition, at any time in our lives, so he would have loved to be here.

“Very much a royalist, like me. It’s just a wonderful day.”