Editing Ken Dodd (section)

==Early career==
Before becoming a full-time professional performer, mostly on stage, his first known appearance on radio was in ''Variety Fanfare'' (producer: [[Ronnie Taylor (scriptwriter)|Ronnie Taylor]], venue: [[Hulme Hippodrome]]) made by the BBC in Manchester in 1950–1952.<ref>{{cite book |last=Barfe |first=Louis |title=Turned Out Nice Again: the story of British Light Entertainment |publisher=Atlantic Books |year=2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Barfe |first=Louis |title=Sunshine and Laughter: The story of Morecambe and Wise |publisher=Apollo Books |year=2021 |page=51}}</ref> 

He said he gained his big break at age 26 when, in September 1954, he made his professional show-business debut as Professor Yaffle Chucklebutty, Operatic Tenor and Sausage Knotter at the [[Nottingham]] Empire. He later said, "Well at least they didn't boo me off".<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2005/01/14/entertainment_theatre_and_dance_features_amazing_facts_about_ken_dodd_feature.shtml |title= Ken Dodd: Twenty things you never knew |work= [[BBC Online]] |date= 6 July 2005 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071228182556/http://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2005/01/14/entertainment_theatre_and_dance_features_amazing_facts_about_ken_dodd_feature.shtml |archive-date= 28 December 2007}}</ref><ref name=bbcobit>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13360811|title=Obituary: Ken Dodd|work=BBC News|date=12 March 2018|access-date=12 March 2018}}</ref> 

He continued to tour variety theatres up and down the UK, and in 1955 he appeared at [[Blackpool]], where, in the following year, he had a part in ''Let's Have Fun''. His performance at the [[Central Pier, Blackpool|Central Pier]] was part of a comedy revue with [[Jimmy James (comedian)|Jimmy James]] and Company. Also on the same bill were [[Jimmy Clitheroe]] and [[Roy Castle]].<ref>Theatre Programme, Central Pier, Blackpool, 1956. Cyril Critchlow Collection, Blackpool Central Library, Vol. 38 p. 12.</ref> Dodd first gained top billing at Blackpool in 1958.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/whats-on/tv-and-film/looking-back-at-ken-dodd-s-love-of-blackpool-1-9058544|title=Looking back at Ken Dodd's love of Blackpool|newspaper=Blackpool Gazette|date=12 March 2018|access-date=12 March 2018}}</ref>