Chuckle Brothers
With their clumsy choreography and infectious catchphrases, this slapstick duo delivered pure, physical comedy to generations of British children.
Born 1947 (age 79)·English children's entertainers·Birthday: October 18·Baby Boomers
Biography
For over 50 years, Barry and Paul Elliott, the Chuckle Brothers, were a fixture of British childhood. Their comedy was a throwback to silent film slapstick—full of dropped props, tangled ladders, and perfectly timed confusion. Their show, 'ChuckleVision,' ran for an astonishing 22 years on the BBC, built on a simple, winning formula: the brothers attempting a task, failing spectacularly, and uttering their famous lines 'To me, to you!' and 'Oh dear, oh dear!' Their genuine brotherly bond was palpable, making the chaos feel warm and inclusive. More than entertainers, they became beloved uncles to a nation, their humor transcending generations with its wordless, universal appeal.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Chuckle was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chuckle Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Chuckle's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Starred in the long-running BBC children's series 'ChuckleVision' for 22 years, from 1987 to 2009.
- Won the BBC's 'Opportunity Knocks' talent show in 1974, which launched their national television career.
- Toured extensively with their live stage shows, performing their physical comedy for family audiences across the UK.
- Their catchphrase 'To me, to you!' entered the British cultural lexicon as shorthand for clumsy cooperation.
Did You Know?
They were part of a larger family entertainment act called the 'Chucklemores,' which included their older brothers.
Paul was a talented amateur footballer and had a trial for Sheffield United.
Barry's son, also named Paul, joined the act in later years for stage tours.
They were awarded the British Academy Children's Award for 'ChuckleVision' in 2008.
“We've never done blue comedy. We're a family act and we've always stuck to that.”
