BY HIS SIDE
Who is Jim Bowen’s wife Phyllis and how many children did she have with the Bullseye TV host?
Including news of a Christmas special
LEGENDARY Jim Bowen was well-known for hosting the 1980's ITV gameshow - Bullseye.
Fans of the iconic game of darts will be pleased to know that Bullseye is set to return for a one-off Christmas special on December 22, 2024, with Freddie Flintoff taking over from the late comedian, Jim Bowen.
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Who is Jim Bowen's wife Phyllis?
Jim met wife Phyllis when the pair worked together at a school.
The pair met at Caton Primary School in Lancaster when Phyllis was a PE teacher and Jim was the deputy headmaster.
He once described that moment as, “The biggest and best thing that every happened to me."
They tied the knot in 1959 in St Oswalds Parish Church, Oswestry.
The pair had two children together - Peter and Susan.
Jim previously revealed how Phyllis used to drive him to all his gigs, and he credited her for holding their family together.
He told the Daily Express in 2017: "Phyllis is absolutely indispensable and indestructible.
"I was often away from home working in the clubs, then filming Bullseye, so I wasn’t a great father.
"She held the family together, giving up teaching when we had our first child. When I packed in teaching she just went with it.
"It was a gamble to give up a safe salary and a so-called ‘proper job’ but she never cast any doubt on my ability to succeed in stand-up comedy.
"The secret of a long marriage is to marry someone like Phyllis."
Freddie Flintoff to host reboot of legendary darts quiz show Bullseye in first big TV job since crash ordeal
What has Phyllis said about Jim's death?
Phyllis confirmed Jim's death on 14th March, 2018.
She announced the sad news to BBC Radio Lancashire, confirming that the beloved TV host had passed away at the age of 80.
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His agent Patsy Martin also released a statement about his passing.
Patsy told the Press Association: "I will very sadly miss Jim. He was a very lovely, genuine man."
Family friend John Pleus told PA: "He passed away very peacefully, she [Phyllis] was with him. We are all shedding a tear.
"I've known him since the Bullseye days.
"It wasn't completely unexpected, he's been ill for several weeks in hospital.
"The Royal Lancaster Infirmary were wonderful, we couldn't have asked for better.
"As with people getting on, Jim has had several strokes, one in 2011. Strokes just make you weaker and more susceptible to infections but we don't know what the cause of death will be."
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Who was Jim Bowen?
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Jim Bowen was a British comedian, actor and TV personality.
Born in Wirral, Cheshire on August 20, 1937, the much loved comedian spent his early years in a local orphanage, but was eventually adopted at nine months old.
In early adulthood, Bowen was a teacher and took part in local drama groups.
Jim became a household name in the 1980s thanks to the cult darts game show and for his much-loved catchphrase "you can't beat a bit of Bully".
The former headmaster, who grew up in Lancashire, had started his career in the 1960s but found fame with the much-loved ITV show.
At its peak, Bullseye enjoyed up to 20million viewers, with three sets of contestants made up of a ''knower'', who would answer general knowledge questions, and a ''thrower'', who would throw the darts, competing for prizes.
The show later became the butt of jokes for its often impractical star prizes like speedboats or caravans, with Bowen delighting contestants and audiences alike with his friendly banter and catchphrases including: "Let's look at what you could have won."
He presented the show from 1981 to 1995, before turning his hand to radio where he ran a live morning programme on BBC Radio Lancashire from 1999 to 2003.
He also enjoyed acting roles and appeared in Peter Kay's hit series, Phoenix Nights and in BBC drama Jonathan Creek.
One of his last television appearances was in an interview about the game show Bullseye, recorded a few weeks before his death, for the countdown show Top of the Box.
Before his two strokes, Jim performed on cruise liners and gave speeches at several corporate events.
By 2012, Jim seemed to be recovering and regaining some mobility once more.
The much-loved host even started performing his stage show, "You Can't Beat a Bit of Bully", but after he suffered a third stroke in November 2014, it left him struggling to walk and talk.
Reminiscing about his time working on the cruise ships, Jim told The Mirror in 2018: "They were glorious times.
"I wouldn’t mind doing an afternoon in a church hall for fifty quid where there’s no pressure.
"I’d just tell them stories about life at sea, The Comedians and some of the acts of my day.
"We’re definitely in the out tray. We’re not in it but at the edge of the desk”.
Jim is survived by two children and two grandchildren.
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