Larry Grayson
Larry Grayson (1923–1995) was a comedian and presenter who shot to national fame late in his career. He hosted the Generation Game on BBC1 (1978–1982) and also had his own show The Larry Grayson Show(1975–77).
His camp stand-up act consisted mainly of anecdotes about a cast of imaginary friends; the most frequently mentioned were Everard and Slack Alice. He is often cited as one of the first gay entertainers to have enjoyed mass appeal, although he never made any reference to his sexuality.
Grayson was born 31 August 1923 as William Sulley White [1]. He was adopted as a baby by Alice and Jim Hammonds. After his step mother's death when William was just six years old,he was raised by his step sister called Flo (known as Fan).
Grayson died 7 January 1995 in Nuneaton.
Shut That Door: The Definitive Biography of Larry Grayson by Tony Nicholson was published in 2022 by Great Northern Books Ltd.
