Hot topic

MELVYN HAYES TALKS ABOUT HOW MUCH COMEDY HAS CHANGED SINCE HE BEGAN HIS CAREER. BY HANNAH STEPHENSON

- 

was, he said, 'Melvyn Hayes was free.

It ran from 1974-81 for eight series and attracted up to 17 million viewers in its heyday, but later faced racist, homophobic and colonialist allegations, and was deemed out of step with what was acceptable for modern audiences. The BBC pulled repeats from its schedule.

A major criticism was the casting of white actor Michael Bates as an Indian character, in brown face makeup. Today, Hayes reflects: "Times have changed completely."

He remembers the era of Al Jolson - who was known for his pervasive use of blackface in his comedy.

"Now you wouldn't do that today, and I understand. Why should you do entertainment that would offend people, that upsets people? That box [the TV] or the film or the theatre is to make people happy."

But he admits: "I did films like Love Thy Neighbour [a show criticised for its use of racial slurs]. I should never have done that."