King of television warm-ups and Bloxham comedian Bobby Bragg dies after cancer battle

Comedian Bobby Bragg, who has lived in Mollington and Bloxham with his wife, Gail, since 1979, worked on more than 5,000 shows including Only Fools and Horses, Ever Decreasing Circles, One Foot in the Grave, Open All Hours and Harry Hill’s TV Burp.

He also compered at the Fairport Cropredy Convention and hosted many celebrity golf days and raised thousands of pounds for deserving causes in the area.

He was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the British Music Hall Society in 2014.

Bobby’s extraordinary career began in the clubs and progressed to summer seasons, pantomimes, the London Palladium and a Royal Variety Performance.

Speaking to the Banbury Guardian, Gail Bragg, who Bobby was married to for 27 years, said: “Bobby always made me laugh – not in a telling-jokes-all-the-time way – but he was just funny, and very warm and generous.

“He was a real family man. Whenever he was in the studio, whether he was abroad or not, what he wanted to do at the end of the day was to return to the family.”

He also leaves children, Becky, 27, and Matt, 24.

Matt is following in his father’s footsteps by becoming a comedian, and has already performed on the same bill as Bobby Davro and Jim Davidson.

Mrs Bragg said: “He got to see his son do stand-up, which was lovely.”

His funeral is taking place at Banbury Crematorium, tomorrow, Friday, from 3pm.

Donations, via Humphris Funerals, will be going to Katharine House Hospice and research into pancreatic cancer.