Comic Sykes receives CBE honour

Eric Sykes was the highest-paid scriptwriter of 1950s Britain

Comedian Eric Sykes has received a CBE for services to drama from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

The veteran actor and writer is best known for his TV sitcom Sykes with Hattie Jacques, which attracted up to 20m viewers during the 1960s and 70s.

He scripted radio hit Educating Archie and acted in films like The Others.

The comic, 82, joked that his grandchildren said the honour surpassed his previous career high of doing the voiceover for the Teletubbies TV show.

Sykes is deaf, has failing eyesight, has suffered a stroke and undergone a heart bypass operation.

But he has refused to slow down, regularly appearing on stage and screen.

"I've just finished a big international film and turned another one down," he said.

Versatile actor

Sykes suffered tragedy in his early life - his mother died giving birth to him.

The son of an Oldham millworker, he left home for the RAF where he became interested in showbusiness and joined Ensa, the forces' entertainment arm.

After the war, he became a comedy scriptwriter and supplied gags for the likes of Frankie Howerd, Peter Sellers and Tony Hancock.

By 1955 he was Britain's highest-paid comedy writer and scripted Entertaining Archie. Sykes also co-wrote episodes of The Goon Show with Spike Milligan.

Best known for his comedy, Sykes has played several straight roles and has appeared in plays by Shakespeare and Chekhov.

MPs signed a motion demanding that Sykes be honoured after he was missed off the Queen's 2004 Birthday Honours List.