Tommy Cooper

Tommy Cooper (1921–1984) was a Welsh comedian and magician who became one of Britain’s best-loved television entertainers. Born in Caerphilly, Wales, he developed a distinctive act that mixed magic tricks with deliberate mishaps, deadpan pauses, and broad slapstick, often performed while wearing a fez. Cooper served in the British Army during the Second World War and later built a successful career on stage, radio, and TV, becoming a familiar face on UK variety programmes. His humour relied on timing and audience rapport as much as illusion. Cooper died after collapsing during a live television broadcast in 1984.