Bob Holness - Gentleman

Alan Coren, Bob Holness, Sandi Toksvig.

Bob Holness, the broadcaster, actor, presenter and one of the nicest people you could ever meet has died.

He was the long-time host of ITV's Blockbusters, a game that required contestants to chose a letter and then get a question associated with it. The phrase "can I have a P please, Bob" became a national catchphrase. After three pints in the pub grown men would slam down an empty glass and announce "can I have a pee please, Bob" then troll off to the gents. As the game was played by teenagers they also latched onto, what could be construed as a drugs reference, the phrase ' can I have an E please, Bob'

Bob and I shared another phrase, "less is more".

In 1996 the BBC asked me to revive the panel game, Call My Bluff. It had been a staple of the BBC2 schedule for years with erudite, witty folk explaining the meaning of obscure words. I had always loved it. The revival saw the game transfer to a lunchtime slot on BBC 1. I knew immediately that I wanted Alan Coren to captain one team, and the series producer of the show suggested Sandi Toksvig. We were set. But who was going to host it. Actually, host is the wrong word and if I write about a show that was all about words I should use the correct one, who was to Referee it. Robert Robinson had been the referee for much of its TV life but he was considered wrong for the resurrection.

A hundred names were thrown into the pot. The first was Bob Holness. Whoever was mentioned after Bob could never compete in terms of experience. Bob had enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a broadcaster. His biggest claim to fame, aside from Blockbusters, was that he'd been the first actor to play James Bond. I see today that many sources are saying he was the second actor. I dispute this. The only actor to play the spy before Bob was an American who played a spy called Jimmy Bond. I therefore stand by the fact that Bob was the first to play James.

Bob was our man; smart, articulate, warm, avuncular Bob Holness. But it soon became obvious that in this game of words the referee's role is best kept brief. The duties were : the introduction of the teams and then the summing up, in just a few words, what the panellist had taken a lot of words to describe. Bob's easy way with words led him to use too many in his summaries. In fact they were going on and on. I had a word, "On this show, Bob, less is more". This worried him, he thought that by contributing less he wasn't really doing his job, shortchanging us.  I assured him less is more. It took quite a few shows to get there - and every time we met I'd say 'less is more' but he cut back and cut back and soon it was just right. It seems a silly little thing but every show needs a kind of internal balance. When we got there we knew we had it.

Bob was a gent. I enjoyed our many conversations, I enjoyed his company and his stories. He wasn't funny as such but had a lightness of touch and warmth of personality that drew you to him. It was always a delight to be in his company.

The writer and broadcaster Stuart Marconie stared a rumour that Bob had played the saxophone solo on Gerry Rafterty's Bakers Street. Gullible jocks picked up the ball and ran with it. Soon a hefty wodge of credulous folk embraced it as a truth. I don't know what Raphael Ravenscroft, the true saxophonist on the record, thought. I do know Bob thought it was hilarious. 

Whenever we bumped into each other after that he'd say "I know, I know, less is more'. Then flash that fabulous smile and do that thing that came so easy to him - laugh.