With Big Yellow Friday just around the corner, we’ve caught up with one of our high profile supporters, Sooty. As all his fans will know, Sooty doesn’t do public speaking but he does whisper to his right- hand man of over 25 years, Richard Cadell, who was happy to have a chat.
Tell us how you and Sooty got involved with Big Yellow Friday.
A few years ago, one of Sooty’s young fans who has a poorly liver, got in touch to tell us she was taking part in Big Yellow Friday and what it was all about. Sophie thought that Sooty, being very yellow himself, would be interested, and she was right! Since then we’ve found out more about the wonderful work which Children’s Liver Disease Foundation do and have always been happy to support Big Yellow Friday.
Sooty has been around for a very long time hasn’t he?
Yes, he’s 75 now and The Sooty Show is actually the longest running TV show in the world!
What is it like working with such iconic characters?
I’ve been working with Sooty, Sweep and Soo for 25 years now. I’m very much aware of their history and there’s no doubt that Harry and Matthew Corbett, who so many people remember fondly, were big shoes to fill. But I see myself as a trustee of these characters. They don’t change and the fact that our live shows sell out and our viewing figures remain high demonstrates that this is part of their appeal.
Children’s entertainment has changed a lot over the years. What do you think is Sooty’s appeal to today’s children?
Because Sooty and friends have been around for so long, we get parents and grandparents coming to our shows who all remember Sooty from when they were young and they love sharing the fun with a new generation of children. Also, in an era dominated by CGI animation, a live action show is different. Many children realise that Sooty and Sweep are puppets but it doesn’t spoil the fun. The fact that they can buy the puppets and recreate Sooty’s antics at home just adds another dimension.
How can children get to see Sooty now?
We’re on tour until April 12th. Full details of dates and venues are here See Us Live | Official Website | The Sooty Show . The Sooty Show is also on ITV Be every morning and available on ITV X and YouTube at any time.
Sooty is supporting Big Yellow Friday is on March 1st. For details on how you can join in go to Big Yellow Friday | Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (childliverdisease.org)
