Baby Boomers will have fond memories of watching calamity-prone Englishman Frank Spencer and his wife Betty in popular 1970s sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em.
From disasters with the Christmas tree to hanging off the back of a car perched precariously on a cliff-edge, Frank was a fan favourite thanks to his ability to get himself into the most ridiculous of situations.
Now Michael Crawford, the actor who played Frank in the much-loved series, has opened up about his close relationship with actress Michele Dotrice, who played his long-suffering wife Betty.
Crawford – who is best remembered for his “Ooh Betty” catchphrase – told The Daily Mirror that he calls Michele at least once a week, describing his 70-year-old co-star as “one of his closest friends”.
The 76-year-old actor added: “She’s still one of my closest friends to this day. We talk about once a week and we meet up with our families and she’s a dear friend to all of us.
“It would never have been the success it was without the wonderful Michele. She’s a terrific actress, wonderful actress, as has been seen through the years.”
He also revealed that Dotrice, who also starred in the likes of Not Now, Comrade, Vanity Fair and The Importance of Being Earnest, landed her most famous role by chance, revealing she was the last actress they saw during casting for the role of Betty.
“She came in and we just sat and talked, and laughed, and she had exactly the sense of humour that I felt was right,” Crawford added. “There was such a connection between us and Michael Mills too, who was the producer of the series and director, and he sat in on these of course. And we just talked and at the end, we turned to each other and said, ‘That’s it. We’ve got her. We’ve found Betty.’”
The hit sitcom ran on the BBC between 1973 and 1978 and was a huge hit worldwide thanks to its relatable style of slapstick humour. Coming to a close in ’78, the final episode of the BBC comedy – titled Learning to Fly – was aired on Christmas Day and drew in more than 19 million viewers, making it the most successful BBC show of that year.
And the sitcom enjoyed a resurgence in 2016 when the BBC brought the show back for a one-off special episode in aid of the UK charity Sport Relief.
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