Comedy star Inman dies at 71

Published Thursday 8 March 2007 at 10:20

John Inman, star of the hit TV series Are You Being Served?, died early this morning in St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. He was 71.

With a hand on his hip and the catchphrase “I’m free!”, he made the character of the camp Mr Humphries one of the most memorable in the show. The series, which ran on BBC Television from 1973-85, was also a huge success in America.

Preston-born Inman had a long career in theatre before he found television fame. He made his stage debut in a play called Freda at the South Pier, Blackpool and joined Crewe Rep at the age of 21. He also worked briefly as a window dresser in Austin Reed in London’s Regent Street.

For many years he was half of a celebrated ugly sisters act, with Barry Howard, in pantomimes around the country. More recently he was widely regarded as one of Britain’s best pantomime dames.

His West End appearances included roles in Let’s Get Laid, Pajama Tops and Charley’s Aunt but his big break came when he was asked to play Mr Humphries in 1973.

Inman claimed he based the role on assistants he had known in his days as a window-dresser but his portrayal of Mr Humphries outraged many gay people in the seventies and his stage shows were often picketed by the Campaign for Homosexual Equality.

For much of his career Inman told interviewers that he was heterosexual but in 2005 he ‘wed’ his long term partner Ron Lynch in a civil ceremony in London.

In 1976 he was named both BBC and ITV Personality of the Year and TV Times readers’ Funniest Man on Television.

A full obituary will be published in The Stage.