Betcher! (1971)

Few child stars have managed to maintain such a varied career into adulthood as Cheggers (aka Keith Chegwin). Did Elizabeth Taylor end up on Naked Jungle (2000) or harassing GMTV viewers with cheques for £10k at the crack of dawn? No she didn't.

A very young Cheggers started his career in a clutch of comic capers for the Children's Film Foundation. He even turned up as Martin Shaw's son in Polanski's Macbeth (1971). After various episodes of The Liver Birds (1972), Z Cars (1972) and The Adventures of Black Beauty (1974), Cheggers finally found his niche as Noel Edmonds' sidekick in Multi-Coloured Swap Shop (1976-81) before unleashing the hyperactive madness that was Cheggers Plays Pop (1978-86).

Here is one of Cheggers' earliest performances - as an improbably angelic (and just a little prissy) chap demonstrating his cycling prowess in this film made to promote the National Cycling Proficiency Scheme. Notice how Cheggers hardly says a word; clearly the filmmakers didn't think that delicate southerners were quite ready for his Scouse accent. (Robin Baker)

You can watch 1000 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the new BFI Mediatheque - http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• BFI
• London
• 1970s
• Seventies
• Chopper
• Chegwin
• Cheggers
• Bicycles
• Bikes
• Cycles
• Peter
• Noone
• Cycling
• Proficiency

[bakerloobadboy]

hehe, this was when kids would sooner have good old fashioned clean fun, these days they would sooner knife each other

[sunryze08]

That opening music was used in 1978's 'Dawn Of The Dead' in the shopping mall, lol! Quality kitsch!

[hemsleyj]

I'm convinced that the down the bridge bit to the traffic lights towards the end is on the Hanworth Road in Hounslow!

[rankingtrevor]

Betchya LOL

[scurrie42]

This takes me right back to my childhood, especially the shirts.

[xxbundyboyxx]

thats peter noon not chegger

[Timmertube75]

@enfieldlock Puts me in mind of the classic Viz letterbocks article "Cheggars Can't be Boozers"

[enfieldlock]

I bet he sold the bike and spent it on booze.

[uncled39]

I wish I could go back to 1971 and tell Cheggers not to do Naked Jungle so I would not be mentally scarred for life.

[polgal27]

i have an incredible urge to beat the shite out of all these kids