Simon Dee is dead

[Guilbert]

Simon Dee has died.

Those of you who are old enough will remember the rapid rise (and fall) of Simon Dee.

Started as a pirate DJ, moved to TV, then got his own chat show, which for a brief while was very popular.

Then he got too big for his boots, got out of his depth, and fell from favour, being one of those people from TV who are then forgotten.

[Steve R]

I never did like him much.

[max_tranmere]

Wasn't he the inspiration for Austin Powers? I remember seeing a series of programmes on Channel 4 all about the 60's and they were interviewing many prominent people from the arts and television from that era. It stated that Elizabeth Hurley said a while ago that someone or other was the inspiration for Austin Powers, and when I saw the thing on the news today about his death that came into my head. I'm sure she said it was him.

[jj]

Mike Myers has said that he based the character in large part on SD.

[andy at handiwork]

I used to watch Dee Time.

[johnsix]

As a teenager I enjoyed his shows, I guess the first British version of the American 'Late late show' format.

His fall was a salutary lesson in not believing your own publicity / invulnerability.

He did a one off talk show on channel four a couple of years back, It was desperately sad really as the bitterness he felt was still plainly haunting him.

RIP.

[steve56]

I recall him smashing up a toilet seat and suffering a breakdown debt problems etc i recently saw a picture of him in the early 00s and he looked terrible