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Paul Shane (born George Frederick Speight, 19 June 1940 – 16 May 2013) was an English comic entertainer and character actor best known for playing Ted Bovis in the BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!. Raised in Thrybergh, South Yorkshire, he worked as a coal miner before a back injury in 1967 ended his mining career and led him to become a professional entertainer. After years performing in clubs and pubs he was seen by writer Jimmy Perry following a 1979 appearance in Coronation Street, and cast as the camp comedian Ted Bovis. Shane enjoyed steady television work through the 1980s and 1990s, later returning frequently to theatre and pantomime; his warm, straightforward stage and screen presence made him a familiar face of British light entertainment.

... Born George Frederick Speight in Thrybergh, West Riding of Yorkshire, Paul Shane began performing part-time while working in the mines. After sustaining double herniated discs in 1967 and leaving coal-mining, he turned professional as an entertainer in 1969, mounting club and variety appearances as a singer and comic. Shane’s screen work began with small parts and guest turns in the 1970s; a 1979 appearance in Coronation Street led Jimmy Perry to offer him the role of Ted Bovis in the holiday-camp sitcom Hi-de-Hi!. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 and made Shane a household name. Perry and David Croft subsequently cast him as Alf Stokes in You Rang, M'Lord? (1988–1993). He was given his own sitcom, Very Big Very Soon, in 1991 and later co-starred in David Croft’s Oh, Doctor Beeching! (1995–1997). In later years he continued to work in television guest roles, voice work and frequent theatre and pantomime appearances. He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 and remained active until the early 2010s. Shane was married to Dorothy Shortt from 1961 until her death in 2001; he died in May 2013 aged 72. Then & Now The 1980s In the 1980s Paul Shane became a household name as Ted Bovis in Jimmy Perry and David Croft’s BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!, which ran from 1980 to 1988 and showcased his cheeky, club-trained comic presence. The role brought him steady television work throughout the decade and made him one of the familiar faces of British light entertainment. A late-1980s casting as Alf Stokes in You Rang, M'Lord? helped consolidate his place in popular sitcoms and reinforced his reputation for warm, straightforward character acting. Now (2026) Paul Shane died in May 2013; by 2026 his legacy endures in British television and theatre. He is chiefly remembered for Ted Bovis and for bringing his club-and-variety comic warmth to both sitcom and stage, with regular returns to pantomime keeping him a familiar presence beyond television. His performances remain a touchstone of British light entertainment from the 1980s and 1990s. Career timeline 1940 Born George Frederick Speight on 19 June in Thrybergh, West Riding of Yorkshire. 1955–1967 Worked as a miner at Silverwood Colliery while performing part-time in pubs and clubs. 1967 Suffered double herniated discs and was pensioned from the coal mines; turned professional in entertainment two years later. 1970s Made small television appearances and developed a club-comedy reputation as a singer-turned-comic. 1979 Spotted by writer Jimmy Perry after a guest part in Coronation Street; offered the role of Ted Bovis. 1980–1988 Played Ted Bovis in the BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi!, appearing across the series' run and becoming widely recognised. 1981 Subject of the television biography series This Is Your Life. 1988–1993 Played Alf Stokes in the BBC sitcom You Rang, M'Lord?, written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft. 1991 Starred in his own sitcom Very Big Very Soon. 1995–1997 Played Jack Skinner in the sitcom Oh, Doctor Beeching! and continued theatre and television guest work. 2013 Died on 16 May in Rotherham hospice, aged 72; funeral held at Rotherham Minster on 31 May. Public reference sources Public biography and credit reference.Paul Shane – Wikipedia reference search Public biography and credit reference.Paul Shane – IMDb name search Biographical and credit details were checked against Paul Shane – Wikipedia reference search, Paul Shane – IMDb name search.