Editing Bob Monkhouse (section)

== Personal life ==
Monkhouse was married twice, firstly to Elizabeth Thompson on 5 November 1949. The couple separated in 1967<ref>''The Secret Life of Bob Monkhouse'', 3 January 2011</ref> and [[divorce]]d in 1970.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://transdiffusion.org/2024/06/01/now-lets-hear-it-for-ashby-de-la-zouch-and-bob-monkhouse |title=Now let's hear it for Ashby de la Zouch and Bob Monkhouse! |last=Knowles |first=Stewart |date=1 June 1990 |website=Transdiffusion |publisher=TVTimes |access-date=1 June 2024 |quote=}}</ref> His second marriage, to Jacqueline Harding, lasted until his death. He had three children from his first marriage, but only his adopted daughter survived him.

His eldest son, Gary Alan, who had [[cerebral palsy]], lived at Naish Farm House, a residential home for the disabled in Christchurch Road, [[New Milton]], Hampshire. He went to Saint Michael's School in [[Pinner]] and died in [[Braintree District|Braintree]], [[Essex]], in 1992, aged 40. Monkhouse devoted much time and energy to campaigning for the disabled. His other son, Simon, a stand-up poet, from whom he had been estranged for 13 years, died aged 46 from a [[heroin]] overdose in a hotel in northern [[Thailand]] in April 2001.<ref name="BBC obit" /><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/showbiz/1325054.stm |title=Monkhouse 'shattered' by son's death |access-date=31 August 2008 |work=BBC News |date=11 May 2001 }}</ref>

Monkhouse lived in a house called "Claridges" in [[Eggington]], near [[Leighton Buzzard]], and had a flat in London and a holiday home in [[Barbados]].

In his [[autobiography]], he admitted to hundreds of sexual liaisons and affairs, but claimed that he only undertook this course of action because his first wife was unfaithful.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2000/aug/20/features.magazine27 | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Lynn | last=Barber | title=Interview: Bob Monkhouse | date=20 August 2000|access-date=22 January 2014}}</ref> His lovers before his second marriage included the actress [[Diana Dors]], about whose parties he later commented after her death: "The awkward part about an [[orgy]] is that afterwards you're not too sure who to thank."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2002/sep/29/features.review137 | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Andrew | last=Anthony | title=Television: Under the weather | date=29 September 2002|access-date=22 January 2014}}</ref>

Throughout his career Monkhouse had jotted down jokes, odd facts, one-liners, sketches and ideas in a series of leather-bound books, which he took with him to every television, radio, stage and nightclub appearance he made. In July 1995 two were stolen, and Monkhouse offered a £15,000 reward. They were returned after 18 months,<ref name="Times obit" /> but the thief, although arrested, was never charged. On Monkhouse's death, the books were bequeathed to Colin Edmonds.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/3898261.stm |title=BOB Monkhouse passes on jokes in will |work=[[BBC News]] |date=15 July 2004|access-date=22 January 2014}}</ref>

Monkhouse was a vocal supporter of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] for some years. He later told his friend Colin Edmonds that this may have been a mistake, but that he wanted to be associated with a winner and he knew [[Margaret Thatcher]] could not lose the [[1987 United Kingdom general election|1987 general election]].<ref name="youtube1" />