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Count Arthur Strong Q&A

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LucyGransnet (GNHQ) Thu 22-Jan-15 15:45:58

We're thrilled to announce a special question and answer session with the legend that is Count Arthur Strong for Gransnet!

The Count, for those of you still unfamiliar with him, is a semi-retired variety star who, unrelated to sharing the same shoe size as Barry Cryer, is now starring in his very own situation comedy on BBC2.

In Count Arthur Strong, the ever optimistic Arthur goes through life ready to try anything to make a few quid - and ready to give a performance whenever he feels he has an audience. Unfortunately he's not very good at either and his efforts usually end in chaos.

Arthur has also written his auto-biography Through It All I've Always Laughed which traces his life from humble beginnings as a newborn baby in Doncaster to playing tiny parts in Juliet Bravo and appearing alongside Alec Guinnesses in Bridge Up The River Kwai, he has always laughed through it all, and these memoirs of his will surely jog the memories of all those who have laughed along with him - including Count Arthur himself. He lives a life based on those minor triumphs, plus some other ones he may or may not have been in.

If you have a question for Arthur - whether it's about the many, many famous actors and entertainers he's worked with over the years, or how he feels about modern Britain today as a 70-something part-time thespian, Arthur would be delighted to respond to you all.

Please add your questions before Thursday 29th January.

Count Arthur Strong is on BBC2 22.45 on Tuesdays. You can find out more about the Count on his website.

CountArthurStrong Thu 12-Feb-15 15:17:27

rosesarered

Dear Arthur,is it the world that is out of sync with you, or the other way round? Have you ever given this thought any consideration? grin

rosesarered

Dear Arthur,is it the world that is out of sync with you, or the other way round? Have you ever given this thought any consideration? grin

"I've never given this question any thought whatsoever. In fact I'm not giving it any thought now. I plough my own furrow and always have. I think the world is a wonderful place for those who go out there and grasp it with both hands. That's a metaphor by the way. In real life you'd look like an idiot if you tried to do that."

CountArthurStrong Thu 12-Feb-15 15:19:45

elena

We LOVE the Count in our house smile

I'd like to ask Arthur if he ever thinks there's another shot at stardom round the corner, or if he's content to be semi-retired now. I also wonder what his friend Michael does for a living....do we know (apart from finding errant apostrophes, and that doesn't pay much)?

"Well you're a little cheeky chops aren't you! Trying to sneak three questions in for the same price. I'm not sure I fully understand the first one? I think it's widely perceived that I am a star. As for retirement, never! If you watched the first TV series you should know that Michael is a writer of books. His most successful one was a book about me and his stupid father."

CountArthurStrong Thu 12-Feb-15 15:21:10

petallus

Arthur, are you really a member of the nobility or is Count a courtesy title you have bestowed upon yourself? I've always wondered.

"Count' was a monica from my variety days. We all took names then to stand out from the crowd. The difference with me was that I touched the Queen Mother and that made it official I believe. I stood on her foot inflaming her bunions. It's all in the book."

CountArthurStrong Thu 12-Feb-15 15:21:58

petallus

Arthur, I was thrilled to discover you have agreed to do a Q and A session on GN.

Your radio show was so good, i wasn't a bit surprises when you landed your own tv prog. I'm pleased to see it hasn't gone to your head.

My question is, from your long career in showbiz, do you have any interesting bits of tittle tattle regarding other celebrities you could share with us?

"Well it's where to start really. Roger Moore's legs are unusually thin. 'Boxers legs' I call them. He only needs them for leverage really."

CountArthurStrong Thu 12-Feb-15 15:24:20

mustardgravy

Dear Count Arthur, pardon my impertinence but have you ever come close to or, ever seriously considered attaching yourself, (matrimonially that is not with...um...blu tak or sellotape or even gloy) to a potential Countess?
Respectively, Rich Musgrave

"I'm often asked this question and I do go into it fully in one of the most poignant chapters of my wonderful and highly memorable autobiography of myself. I don't remember the chapter number offhand but it's just after the one where I was sick on a bus and found a Tom Jones LP."

elena Fri 13-Feb-15 17:23:30

Thank you, Count Arthur. I now have a big smile on my face!

rocketstop Fri 13-Feb-15 20:00:31

Excellent, huge thanks to Arthur for answering our questions and to Gransnet for hosting them, Great fun !!!