Scottish comedy legend was the first person to impersonate the Pope and Queen on TV

Scottish comedy legend Stanley Baxter has died at the age of 99.

His friend and biographer Brian Beacom said he died yesterday in Denville Hall, a north London care home for entertainment figures where he had lived since late 2023.

Baxter's career spanned decades, from the variety theatres of the 1940s to big-budget TV specials in the 1960s,  1970s and 1980s, that would attract audiences of up to 20million and feature elaborate film and television parodies making full use of Baxter's mimicry skills.

Among those paying tribute today were First Minister of Scotland John Swinney, who said: 'Very sorry to hear of the death of Stanley Baxter - a giant of Scottish entertainment. He brought incredible joy to generations. My sympathy to his family.'

Radio presenter Gary Crowley added: 'We grew up watching this fella. His Stanley Baxter Picture Show was an essential watch in our house. We absolutely adored him. Safe travels Stanley and thank you for the magic.'

Born in May 1926, Baxter  began his performing career as a child impersonating stars of the day in a vaudeville act with his mother. He went on to appear regularly in the Scottish edition of the BBC's Children's Hour, but it was during his national service he honed his skills, as part of the Combined Services Entertainment unit.

On demob, he joined the Citizens Theatre in his native Glasgow before moving to London. He made his television debut on the BBC's Shop Window in 1952, but his break came with the satirical sketch show On the Bright Side in 1959, which he co-hosted with Round The Horne’s Betty Marsden.

His self-titled TV sketch show ran on the BBC from 1963 to 1971 (with a break for the six-part Baxter On... co-starring June Whitfield) which became known for its extravagant production values. He moved to London Weekend Television for the Stanley Baxter Picture Show, which ran from 1972 to 1975, followed by a number of specials, plus another series in 1981.

However, the cost of the lavish show proved prohibitive, and LWT dropped him, even though the shows attracted audiences of up to 20million. Baxter also courted controversy, becoming the first person on television to impersonate the Pope and the Queen.

He returned to the BBC with Stanley Baxter's Christmas Hamper in 1985 and Stanley Baxter's Picture Annual for the following festive season, but again budget constraints meant there would be no more specials.

With his own shows drying up, he took a role in the ITV children's series Mr Majeika, which ran from1988 to 1990.

On stage, he performed in the original production of Joe Orton's controversial farce What The Butler Saw in the West End in 1969, and was a perennial favourite on the Scottish pantomime circuit until his retirement in 1991.

He appeared in a series of three half-hour radio sitcoms for BBC Radio 4 in 2004, entitled Stanley Baxter and Friends, and another radio trio aired in 2008, called The Stanley Baxter Playhouse.

In 1997, he was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the British Comedy Awards.

Baxter was married to his wife Moira for 46 years before her death in 1997. In his 2020 biography The Real Stanley Baxter,   he revealed that he was gay and had told his wife before they married.

Off-screen he was a private man, giving few interviews. When his friend Kenneth Williams's diaries were due to be published posthumously in 1993, he took legal action to ensure nothing about his private life would be revealed.

BBC One Scotland had already scheduled a profile of Baxter to run on New Year's Eve. Being Stanley Baxter is billed as charting his 'extraordinary professional journey and personal life... [drawing] on rare archive footage and candid interviews to celebrate the Scottish legend’s enduring legacy'.

The BBC add that the hour-long documentary will reflect the complex aspects of his long and distinguished life as well as celebrating his comedic genius, particularly his impressionist and satirical work.'

Published: 12 Dec 2025