Likely Lads star left with mortgage and overdraft in his 70s: 'It's cruel'

Despite appearing on one of the most famous sitcoms in history, Likely Lads star Rodney Bewes was struggling financially all the way into his seventies, until his death in 2017. He shot to fame as Bob Ferris in the and its sequel, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads, along with a feature film release in 1976.

He also racked up acting credits in everything from to Jackanory, with his last on-screen role coming in a 2009 episode of Heartbeat, in which he played Edward Walton. But a fall-out with his co-star James Bolam, 89, left him almost destitute.

It all erupted when Rodney spoke to the press about his co-star expecting a baby while his own wife was pregnant - before realising afterwards he'd messed up, and James liked to keep his personal life incredibly private. When the story went to press, Rodney phoned James to apologise, only to have him slam the phone down on him.

The pair wouldn't speak for 40 years, and James reportedly blocked the BBC from airing repeats of the Likely Lads - meaning Rodney was left struggling for money. A single showing of its 26 episodes could have helped to clear his mortgage and overdraft, and he could have earned £4,000 an episode.

Speaking in 2010, Rodney explained: "Jimmy Bolam's killed it, which is such a pity. I'm very poor so I have to tour one-man shows because Jimmy has buried The Likely Lads. You have to sign a waiver for them to repeat it and he stopped it while he did New Tricks. Well, New Tricks has been on so long, and is so repeated, that he must be very wealthy; me, I've just got an overdraft and a mortgage."

He added: "He should let it be repeated on BBC2 or BBC1; to stop other people earning money is cruel."

The star fumed: "It's this actor's ego thing: he thinks he is important. Actors aren't important. I'm not important; I have fun. I think Jimmy takes himself very seriously as an 'actor'."

Bolam later denied he had any power to block repeats of the series, though at the time he refused to comment.

Born in Yorkshire in 1937, Rodney was the son of a teacher and a showroom clerk, and was eventually able to attend RADA after two years of national service in the RAF. To afford his school fees, he had to work nights doing washing up in hotels - and was so exhausted he regularly fell asleep in class, leading to his expulsion in his final year.