Nigel Planer

Along with Rik Mayall and Adrian Edmondson he was plucked from the club scene by the BBC's Paul Jackson and thrust into groundbreaking and anarchic sitcom "The Young Ones", taking the part of eternally miserable hippy Neil.

So successful was this role that a single of "Neil" singing Traffic's "Hole in My Shoe" reached number 2 in the charts in 1984.

Since then Planer has taken both comic and dramatic roles, appearing in everything from "Filthy, Rich and Catflap" and "Blackadder" to Dennis Potter's "Blackeyes".

He also created the character of Nicholas Craig, a terribly self-infatuated luvvie who regularly turns up on BBC2 and BBC4 to impart his actorly knowledge.

He has also made many appearances on stage and in musicals from "Evita" to "Wicked!".