Bernie Winters

Bernie Winters (born Bernie Weinstein; 6 September 1930^[1] – 4 May 1991) was an English comedian, actor, musician and TV presenter, and the comic foil of the double act Mike and Bernie Winters with his older brother, Mike. Winters later performed solo, often with the aid of his St Bernard dog, Schnorbitz.

Bernie Winters
Born	Bernie Weinstein (1930-09-06)6 September 1930 Islington, London, England
Died	4 May 1991(1991-05-04) (aged 60) London, England
Nationality	British
Occupation(s)	Comedian, musician, actor, TV presenter
Years active	1957−1990
Spouse	Siggi Winters
Children	1
Parent(s)	Samuel Weinstein Rachel Bloomfield
Relatives	Mike Winters

Memorial to Bernie Winters, Golders Green Crematorium

Biography

Bernie Winters was born Bernard Weinstein at the City of London Maternity Hospital, 102 City Road, Holborn, on 6 September 1930.^[1] His father was a bookmaker. Winters served in the merchant navy and performed as a musician at dances and weddings before forming the double act Mike & Bernie Winters with his brother Mike, who he called "Choochie-Face" on stage.^[2] In October 1957, the duo appeared on Six-Five Special and were described in the Daily Mirror as top comics for Britain's teenage TV audience.^[3] They had been recommended to the show's presenter Josephine Douglas by Tommy Steele, with whom they had been on a stage tour. They both left the show the same day she did, 10 May 1958.

The two brothers split up in 1978 and Winters hosted his own comedy show, Bernie (1978–1980), for ITV. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Winters also presented The Big Top Variety Show, a television series of variety shows from a circus ring. In 1984 he presented the second series of the game show Whose Baby?. He became a regular on shows such as Punchlines and Give Us a Clue and gave an impression of Bud Flanagan on television and later on stage, with Leslie Crowther as Flanagan's partner Chesney Allen.

Winters was a member of the showbusiness fraternity the Grand Order of Water Rats.^[4]

Winters appeared as himself in the London Weekend Television sitcom Bottle Boys in 1985.

On 14 August 1990, after several months of discomfort and stomach pains, he had a nine-hour operation on his stomach to remove a tumour. Though he was never told, Winters' condition was already terminal, and he died on 4 May 1991 at The London Clinic, aged 60.

He was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium in London on 8 May and his ashes interred in the Garden of Remembrance. Among mourners in attendance were John Inman and Rose-Marie.^[5] A memorial plaque was erected in the crematorium's West Memorial Court.

Partial filmography

• Six-Five Special (1958) – himself
• Idol on Parade (1959) – Joseph Jackson
• Jazz Boat (1960) – The Jinx
• Let's Get Married (1960) – Bernie
• In the Nick (1960) – Jinx Shortbottom
• Johnny Nobody (1961) – photographer
• Play It Cool (1962) – Sydney Norman
• The Cool Mikado (1963) – Bernie
• Simon, Simon (1970) – man on roof with book
• Confessions from the David Galaxy Affair (1979) – Mr. Pringle
• Mary Millington's World Striptease Extravaganza (1981) – blue comedian