Rest in peace, Lionel Blair
Legendary showbiz entertainer Lionel Blair has died at the age of 92.
His management company said that he had died surrounded by his family.
“He got to a very ripe old age, he was loved by his family, and I think he died in their company, which is lovely,” said his agent.
The Give Us a Clue star was popular on British TV screens since the 1970s, appearing on Celebrity Big Brother and The Real Marigold Hotel in recent times.
Born Henry Lionel Ogus in Canada, he and his family moved to Britain when he was just two years old.
In 1944, he attended the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford after developing a love for performing when he was a child – performing in plays throughout his childhood.
Having worked his way up to the West End, the entertainer and dancer chose to stop acting in 1947, which occurred around the same time when he took up the stage name Lionel Blair.
Showbiz veteran Lionel Blair has died at the age of 92, his agent has said.
His career spanned seven decades, including appearances as an actor, tap dancer, presenter and choreographer.
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Despite his decision to give up acting, Lionel continued to find himself in the limelight in the 1960s after appearing on a host of variety shows as part of his dance troupe, as well as featuring in films like The Beauty Jungle, A Hard Day’s Night and Maroc 7.
In the 1970s, Lionel began to write – producing the script for a musical based on Tolstoy’s War and Peace, which was performed in the UK for six months.
During this time, he also appeared as one of the team captains on the popular show Give Us A Clue, which aired through until the 1990s.
Lionel’s versatility saw him star in a variety of sketches throughout his career, one of which saw him work with Ronnie Corbett and Rob Brydon, with another coming alongside Ant and Dec.
In recent years, he was a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2014, but he was the third housemate to be evicted from the show.
He leaves behind wife Susan Davis and their three children and grandchildren.
