Russ Abbot, the comedian who dominated Saturday night television in the 1980s with sketch shows attracting 18 million viewers, retired quietly in 2016. Now 78, he splits his time between Barbados and the Algarve, where he lives with his wife, Trish, to whom he has been married for 60 years.
Abbot's shows, Russ Abbot's Madhouse (1980-1985) and The Russ Abbot Show (1986-1991), united kids, parents, and grandparents around the TV. He was joined by Bella Emberg and a cast of young comics, including Les Dennis, Dustin Gee, and Michael Barrymore. At his peak, he attracted 18 million viewers an episode.
From the Black Abbots to solo stardom
Abbot left school at 16 to join a band called the Black Abbots, supplementing his income as a stagehand at the Royalty theatre in Chester. The band won Opportunity Knocks six weeks in a row and became huge in working men's clubs, but never had a hit record. By 1973, he was appearing on The Comedians, and his manager, Mike Hughes, suggested he change his name from Russell Roberts to Russ Abbot.
In the late 1970s, Abbot starred in the original Madhouse series with Freddie Starr. After 17 years as a Black Abbot, he left to go solo, and within months, Russ Abbot's Madhouse started on ITV, making him a Saturday night fixture.
Marriage, family, and a life away from the spotlight
Abbot met Trish at the stage door of the British Legion in Ellesmere Port. She had come to see the bass player, Paul Dodd, but left with Abbot instead. They married and had four children, with Trish raising them while Abbot worked constantly. In 1984, he worked 363 days.
Despite his fame, Abbot says he never considered himself a star. "I always think I'm playing that role of Russ Abbot. I go in the stage door as Russ Abbot and come out as Russell Roberts." He was too reserved for chatshows, saying, "I never used to like chatshows, because I was shy and I found them embarrassing."
Retirement and reflection
Abbot fell out of fashion in the 1990s with the rise of alternative comedy. He says he wasn't distressed when his TV show was cancelled, as he had just cracked the West End. He retired in 2016 when his manager retired, wanting to spend more time with Trish.
Stories circulated that he retired embittered, but he insists they are nonsense. "I've seen something on YouTube saying 'The tragedy of Russ Abbot' and 'He's run away to Portugal'," he says. Looking out at the cloudless sky and swimming pool, he says, "I've had a wonderful career. Wonderful!"
