Entertainment
From King Charles to Iron Maiden, Sooty through the years as the iconic British puppet celebrates his 75th anniversary-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro
We chatted with Sooty and his friend Richard Cadell to celebrate the puppet’s special milestone.
Sooty has been gracing our stages and screens for 75 years (Picture: ITV)
Sooty, a British icon and one of the most famous glove puppets in the world is celebrating his 75th anniversary.
The lovable bear, who has now entertained generations of children via stage shows and been a fixture on TV since 1955, was famously discovered by Harry Corbett in a joke shop on Blackpool North Pier on July 19, 1948.
Since then, he has performed in (and on) the capable hands of Harry, who passed on the family business to son Matthew Corbett, and now Richard Caddell, who has been ‘Sooty’s friend’ since 1998.
Reflecting on the milestone anniversary of Sooty, Richard, 54, reckons his longevity is down to his simplicity.
‘He’s a teddy bear and every child knows what a teddy bear is, so immediately they will resonate with this. And of course, as they grow, through the generations, it’s survived because of the simplicity, really,’ he tells Metro.co.uk alongside his pal Sooty.
‘And the fact that you don’t say very much, he talks very quietly,’ he adds to Sooty, who only communicates via whispering his thoughts to Richard during their shows together.
The first known picture of Sooty performing with his ‘father’, Harry Corbett, in 1948 (Picture: Supplied)
Harry with Sooty and sons David, 9, on the left, and Peter (better known later as ‘Sooty’s friend’ Matthew Corbett), aged 6, in 1955 (Picture: PA)
Sweep made his first appearance as Sooty’s best friend in 1957 (Picture: Supplied)
‘So, he’s been able to move from seamlessly from hand to hand over the generations and be exactly the same. He hasn’t changed – he looks the same, very similar to how you looked 75 years ago, and you’re still doing the same stuff.’
Richard also reckons his popularity is down to the fact that ‘everybody at one point in their life has either had, or knows somebody that owns, a Sooty glove puppet’.
‘He pretty much looks identical to this, and pretty much does the same thing – so Sooty has been able to live in children’s bedrooms and in schools, and in all manner of places, on the hands of fans and be exactly the same thing. I think that’s the key – and he’s never changed.’
The illusionist and screenwriter also jokes that the secret to Sooty looking so good at 75 is ‘very good fabric conditioner’.
But with all the changes in technology and entertainment over the years, how has Sooty managed to stay relevant and continue to enjoy popularity and success into his eighth decade?
Richard Cadell has been performing with Sooty himself now for 25 years (Picture: S Meddle/ITV/Shutterstock)
Harry Corbett with Sooty and Sweep in 1968 (Picture: Thames Television)
‘I think the great thing with Sooty – and this is a famous Harry Colbert quote – is that he’s never really been in fashion, so he’s never really been out! It’s not like one of these children’s things that spike and then disappear.’
It’s also all about the consistency too with Richard explaining that they ‘haven’t had to change it’, keeping the same jokes, even if his presentation style is ‘maybe a little faster’ than either Harry or Matthew’s was.
He brings up the bedtime story routine, which he still does ‘verbatim’ and was Harry’s favourite routine.
‘It was written nearly 75 years ago and I do it word for word, and it still tears the audience apart. I love the fact that I know this material is 75 years old and is working in today’s audience. This is the unique thing with Sooty – he’s able to do what he’s always done in these modern times.’
That’s not to say that Sooty, Richard and their friends Sweep and Soo don’t embrace modern things that kids enjoy now – their latest TV series even features an iPad for the puppets to ‘disappear into and go on little adventures’.
‘You’re still going to get squirted with a horse, you’re still going to get a pie in your face, whether it’s with an iPad, or whether it’s with a xylophone from 50 years ago.’
Richard is celebrating his own anniversary, having taken over working with Sooty and co from Matthew Corbett back in 1998. In a recent conversation, Matthew told by him that ‘it will take you 25 years before they stop asking where I am’.
‘It took him 25 years for people to stop asking where his father was, and it has taken that amount of time for people to go okay, yes, you’re the new guy. So, I feel like I’ve earned my stripes!
‘But I started life as a huge fan of Sooty. Before I was involved with The Sooty Show I was a professional magician, and the first time children often see a magic trick, it’s [The Sooty Show’s famous magical catchphrase] ‘Izzy Wizzy, Let’s Get Busy’. The first time I saw a magic trick, it was in Sooty’s paws. I’m a lifelong fan, so I don’t think of it as my milestone. I’m very much aware that in this show I’m just a small part – he’s the star! Of course, I’m thrilled that I’ve been involved with it for so long, but I don’t take any of the credit.’
Sooty, Soo, Sweep and Richard are embarking on a multi-date national tour later this year to celebrate the special anniversary (Picture: Supplied)
To celebrate Sooty’s special anniversary, he’s taking to the road with Richard and the whole gang for his 75th Birthday Spectacular, a special UK national tour that kicks off on October 21 at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre and runs through until April 2024.
Richard promises that they are ‘pulling out all the stops to make it a brilliant show’, fit for Sooty’s special anniversary.
‘There will be lots of audience participation, some traditional routines that people will know and love and laugh at – and one or two new ones. We’re going to be doing some amazing magic tricks, including making somebody from the audience float in thin air. That’s one of my favourite illusions, actually, and I’m thrilled that Sooty is going to be able to present it in the show. We’ve got some special guests as well – only hardcore Sooty fans might remember Butch the Bulldog, and Ramsbottom the Snake, who were in this show a long time ago, and they’re going to pop into Sooty’s birthday party, which is the theme of the show. And, of course, Sweep and Soo will be there!’
Over an impressive career, there have been many celebrity encounters for both Sooty and Richard.
One that stands out to Richard is their invitation to the then Prince Charles’ 70th birthday party in 2018, which he called a ‘really humbling moment’ after seeing Charles and Camilla ‘genuinely laugh and genuinely interact’ with Sooty, and hearing Camilla call Sooty and his pals her favourites.
Sooty has, of course, met the late Queen (Picture: Supplied)
He and Sweep were also guests for King Charles’ birthday in 2018, with the monarch himself a few months younger than Sooty (Picture: PA)
Apparently, they are Queen Camilla’s ‘favourites’ (Picture: PA)
He also remembers being invited to 10 Downing Street with Sooty within three weeks of first starting working with him in 1998, for a special awards ceremony honouring brave children, hosted by then Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair and his wife Cherie – who Sooty decided to squirt with his water pistol.
‘She got soaked – she loved it. And it was front page news!’ he adds.
There are also smaller but no less significant moments in Sooty’s legacy that are dear to Richard’s heart, including his encounter backstage with an autistic young boy who rarely spoke.
‘The minute Sooty came out of the box, he froze. He put his arms around Sooty, and he held him so tight. And he looked at his mother and he said, “It’s Sooty.” And at that moment, his parents broke down in tears.’
Richard discovered from them afterwards that it was the first time their son had ever dressed them directly.
‘You just think wow, this little character does so much for so many people on so many different levels.’
Sooty still holds plenty of appeal to adults as well, with Richard proudly noting that two-thirds of the audience for his stage show is often adults, which is something ‘that doesn’t happen at the Peppa Pig show’.
Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees was also a long-time fan of Sooty (Picture: BBC)
Not only did Iron Maiden’s Nicko McBrain appear on Sooty’s TV show but he also performs with him on his drum kit (Picture: Redferns)
‘After the show, we always do a meet and greet, which is a very important part of it. And there are so many elderly people that come without kids because they want to relive a bit of their nostalgic youth. And that’s why we deliver the same show that they hoped [for], we don’t change anything, it’s the same format.
‘There’s always been a few lines we throw in for the parents – Harry Colbert did it, Matthew Corbett did it – we always know who bought the ticket and who’s really watching, so we do play a little bit wide and we make sure everyone is included. And that’s the key to it as well, it’s something a lot of kids’ characters can’t get away with.’
Over the years, Sooty has gained quite the fanbase, members of which have included Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees and Nicko McBrain, the drummer from Iron Maiden, who actually engaged in a battle of the drums with Sooty on his show.
Other legendary guests on The Sooty Show have included Spike Milligan and magician Paul Daniels (who Sooty accidentally knocked out with a flying pizza in a stunt gone wrong) although someone Richard wants to credit as one of the ‘best sports’ is former MP Ann Widdicombe.
Ann Widdicombe, who has made three appearances on TV with Sooty between 2017 and 2019, is considered a great sport by Richard (Picture: ITV)
Naturally Sooty has become a full member of The Magic Circle (and David Copperfield is a fan) (Picture: Supplied)
‘She came on at the height of her political career and allowed us to make a complete fool of her and she was such a hoot. I think she deserves the credit for being so game for everything we threw at her, quite literally. I mean, it would be so wrong to pick out favourites because everyone’s been fabulous – they all they all love the little fella.’
So much so, that no one has ever actually turned down a guest spot on the show.
‘Whenever we do the TV show, we’ve never had a celebrity say no. Unfortunately, kids’ TV is very underfunded, so we offer very little in terms of fees, but it hasn’t put anyone off. They all want to be part of The Sooty Show.’
Die-hard Sooty fans will easily recognise Richard as Sooty’s best friend wherever he is, and in whatever context, so is it possible for him to ever spend a little time away from the bear?
‘The answer is I never go anywhere without him – ever. He’s always in the car,’ Richard laughs, acknowledging that ‘there’s an expectation that Sooty is always with me’.
‘I’ve got loads of mates from school and people that I know for work and they’ll message me and ask, “Oh, could you do a video message for my little girl?” and they just assume that wherever I am in any part of the world, whatever I’m doing, that he’s sort of on the end of my arm! There is this kind of given – so I don’t disappoint,’ he shares.
Everyone’s favourite TV hun Alison Hammond helped celebrate Sooty’s 70th birthday on Blackpool Pier (Picture: Supplied)
Did you know Sooty got his own OBE alongside Harry Corbett in 1976? (Picture: Supplied)
It’s something that was inspired by Harry Corbett’s attitude, who is known as ‘Sooty’s dad’ as the original, whereas Matthew and then Richard are ‘Sooty’s friend’.
‘When Harry retired, he lived in a little house down in Dorset. It didn’t matter whoever knocked on the door, any time of day, any age, they all got to meet Sooty. So, I feel that it is my duty to make sure that if anybody stops me that Sooty says hello to them.’
However, Richard also enjoys having some fun with Sooty’s recognisability factor on his own terms too, though.
‘We have the Sooty van, which we take our theatre show around the country in. We can’t resist – on the passenger side, may I add – just bringing Sooty over to the window and waving and people nearly swerve off the road sometimes!’
One of the greatest misconceptions about Sooty, Richard reckons, is that his show is no longer airing on TV – but repeats air daily on ITVBe, and there’s even new episodes ‘in the can’ according to the presenter.
He adds: ‘People often think I’m Matthew Corbett because I’ve got the beard and I’m similar colouring but Matthew’s as old as Sooty, he’s 75 now, you know! I’m new and even I’m [nearly] 55, I’m getting on a bit.’
Michael McIntyre with Sooty and Sweep (Picture: Supplied)
He also celebrates Sooty still finding an audience among children’s shows that look very different to him and his friends now.
‘In today’s world, every kid’s show is CGI animation, dubbed in multiple languages, and it’s all looking very samey – as good as it is. Now suddenly, you’ve got live action, you’ve got a very British sense of humour, doing the same old pie in the face thing. Where [else] do you see slapstick?’
He also points out that it would be unlikely to be commissioned now from a safety point of view – ‘but we get away with it on The Sooty Show because he’s done it for years’.
‘We’re the only show that can deliver that sort of high energy slapstick stuff now. We’ve cornered a niche market by never changing.’
Before we part, Richard can’t resist sharing another classic Sooty story about taking over the role with from Matthew Corbett.
Matthew Corbett, Sooty’s second puppeteer, with Sweep, Sooty and Soo, in 1990 (Picture: TV Times via Getty Images)
‘When I first took over, Matthew was put together with me and was told by the people that had cast me that he had to spend a day with me teaching me the ‘intimate workings of Sooty’ – and I couldn’t believe that was going to happen!’
‘Talking about the simplicity, he then literally said to me, “You put it on your hand, and you wiggle it about”, and that was that was the extent of the teaching!’ he cackles.
‘That’s why Sooty has worked because that’s pretty much it. And that’s why it’s been easily translated onto everybody’s hands who’s ever had a Sooty the puppet – because it ain’t that difficult to do!
‘I don’t know what I was expecting…’
Catch Richard and Sooty on their 75th Birthday Spectacular! theatre tour, October 21, 2023 – April 12, 2024. Tickets at: thesootyshow.co.uk
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