Comedian Stanley Baxter dies aged 99

Scottish actor and comedian Stanley Baxter has died at the age of 99.

Born in Glasgow in 1926, he was one of the biggest stars on British television for several decades.

Baxter starred in a number of hit series between the 1960s and the 1980s, and was also known for his acting roles and as a pantomime regular.

His friend and biographer Brian Beacom said Baxter died on Thursday in Denville Hall, a north London care home for entertainment figures where he had lived since late 2023.

After starting his career in Scottish theatres in the 1940s, Baxter found fame in variety theatre.

This led to his casting in comedy sketch show On The Bright Side, where he first performed what became one of his most popular sketches – the Parliamo Glasgow spoof language programme.

The Stanley Baxter Show began on the BBC in 1963 and became a huge hit, before he moved to London Weekend Television (LWT) in 1973 with The Stanley Baxter Picture Show.

He played most of the parts in the show's parodies of film and television, winning several Baftas.

This was followed in 1981 by The Stanley Baxter Series, before returning to the BBC later in the decade.

He also appeared in the children's show Mr Majeika before retiring from television in 1990, but he continued to appear as a panto dame in Scotland for several more years.

Baxter always considered himself a character actor rather than a comedian and was a reluctant celebrity, giving few interviews and declining to appear on chat shows.

At the age of 94, he confirmed he had always been gay but said he had initially hidden the truth to avoid arrest in the years before decriminalisation.