Who was Hughie Green?
FANS of the hit show Opportunity Knocks will well remember its host, Hughie Green.
But after his death in the late 90s, the TV presenter’s personal life became a hot topic.
Who was Hughie Green?
Born in Marylebone, London on February 2, 1920, Hughie Green began his career as a child actor in Hollywood in 1935.
However, his showbiz career really took off in Britain with the launch of commercial television in 1955.
His game show Double Your Money, which boasted a £1K top prize, was the first of its kind in the UK and caused a sensation.
It became a major success for the fledgling ITV network and ensured maximum celebrity status for its star, whose brash presentation shocked viewers who had only known the more formal BBC approach to programme-making.
But Hughie will always be remembered for the TV talent show Opportunity Knocks, which he created and starred in.
The show – which ran from 1956 to 1990 – launched the careers of a host of famous entertainers including, Les Dawson.
When did Hughie Green die?
In July 1993, Hughie was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.
The cancer then spread to his lungs and he died in hospital on May 3, 1997.
Hughie’s son Christopher postponed his wedding and flew from Canada to be at his dying father’s bedside.
His memorial at Golders Green Crematorium, reads: “You were the star that made opportunity knock. You will never be forgotten.”
Was Hughie Green married?
Green met Montreal socialite Claire Wilson on a cruise liner in the mid-1930s when both were still teenagers.
They married in 1942 and settled in Montreal, Canada, before moving to London in 1947.
The Greens separated in 1961 and filed for divorce in March 1975.
Hughie never married again after Claire, although his final partner for the last five years of his life was Christina Sharples.
Did Hughie Green have any children?
During his life, Hughie had four children, and welcomed son Christopher, and daughter Linda with Claire.
However, he also had two more kids.
Hughie fathered his first child in 1937, at the age of 17, after a fling with a Birmingham usherette.
He died without ever meeting his first son, Barry Hands.
In 1997, shortly after Hughie’s death, it was revealed by the News of the World that Hughie was in fact the biological father of TV presenter Paula Yates.
The Big Breakfast star – who sadly died herself in 2000 had always believed her real dad was TV producer Jess Yates.