Bob Holness, cult star of Blockbusters, dies aged 83

HE WAS a hero to students, school pupils and the indolent. Bob Holness, the host of ITV’s daytime quiz show Blockbusters, has died. He was 83.

A veteran broadcaster whose career spanned almost 60 years and included only the second portrayal of James Bond, in a radio adaptation of Moonraker, Holness adored the consonant-laden quiz show. Broadcast for 11 years, the show’s potential for double entendres increased from an innocent “Can I have a P please, Bob?” to the era of house music when student contestants took great delight in saying: “Can I have an E please, Bob?”

Ever the professional, Holness would, of course, smile and furnish them with a question based on the letter “E”, rather than a tab of the dance drug Ecstasy.

Holness, who had suffered a number of strokes and had been resident in a nursing home, died in his sleep yesterday. He leaves his wife Mary, three children and seven grandchildren.

In a statement, his family said: “Although Bob will be best remembered for being the host of the cult television programme Blockbusters, it should be mentioned Bob was also an accomplished theatre actor and his radio broadcasting career spanned over six decades.

“The famous Pinner resident was beloved by students everywhere for his catchphrase ‘I’ll have a P please, Bob’. Bob leaves behind a loving wife, three children and seven grandchildren.”

Holness was born in Natal, South Africa, but grew up in Kent after his family moved back to England. He returned to South Africa as a young man to begin a career as an actor and broadcaster that saw him star in radio plays, including one where he played an early version of Bond.

In a 2008 interview, he told the BBC: “Well, that just came up through a hole in the floor. I was doing lots of radio plays, but I wanted to do something a bit different, so when James Bond came up I ventured in and said yes. I had never even heard of him, but it became an amazing part to play and the response from listeners was terrific.”

However, it was roles as chairman of BBC 1’s Call My Bluff and host of Blockbusters that made him a household name.

One mark of his popularity was the widespread urban myth, that Holness played the trademark saxophone solo on the Gerry Rafferty hit Baker Street. It is believed to have been started as a spoof by music paper NME.