Bio[]
Phone In With Ludovic Kennedy is a British news program that covers and analyzes major political events in the news. Hosted by Ludovic Kennedy (Henry McGee), the series features questions phoned in from the audience as well as appearances from local politicians, such as Humphrey Bumphrey (Benny Hill), the British Minister Of Food.
Interviewed by Kennedy, Bumphrey looks confused and bewildered as if he doesn't know where he is. He begins by talking about the recent Food Convention before talking about the Queen and later forgetting his name, recalling it by singing "Happy Birthday" to himself to stir up the memory. From there, he further mumbles and rambles while looking around and describing natives from Africa, going on to describe housewives as spoiled, high prices of groceries and several unrelated references. His response to the call-in viewer is just as confused as his incoherent speech. In closing, his assistants (Kay Frazer and Barbara Wise) arrive in French maid outfits come out. Bumphrey then mentions it's birthday, and he's only twenty-seven.
Trivia[]
- Henry McGee plays Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy FRSL; he was a real Scottish journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author best known for re-examining cases such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the murder convictions of Timothy Evans and Derek Bentley. He passed away in 2009.
- There was no Minister of Food in England after 1958, the position getting merged with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food held by Joseph Godber from 1972 to 1974.
- Benny's portrayal of Humphrey Bumphrey in this sketch is basically the same as Colonel Eatwell from Meeting People with Hugh Paddick in Woodstick.
- Bob Todd voices Lester Wester from West Chester, the call-in viewer, formerly referenced as Hector Chester from West Leicester.
