The World According To Kenny Everett

Radio Times review

"He was not scared to wander along the edge," says Billy Connolly of the creative cyclone that was Kenny Everett. Anyone who grew up with Cuddly Ken on the radio will remember wanting the records to finish just to hear his ingenious links and in-fills, beautifully sung jingles and out-takes. And archive of the DJ at work in his sound lab, his hands a blur over his beloved tape recorders, is wonderful.

Pop stars from the Beatles to Kate Bush wanted to work with the man comedy writer Barry Cryer calls an "imp from another planet", but he was prone to biting the hand that fed him.

This excellent tribute takes us from Ev's early days in radio (he was the first DJ in the world to play Strawberry Fields and a driving force in getting Bohemian Rhapsody launched), through his various sackings and anarchic TV series, to his 1995 death from an Aids-related illness.

Some of Ev's rougher edges, including his unfortunate flirtation with politics, are passed over. But his wife Lee - talking of her little gay friend - and sister Cate provide most insight into a conflicted talent, and a huge personality that masked shyness and insecurity.

Mark Braxton, Radio Times, 14th December 2015

The World According to Kenny Everett, review

The documentary didn't offer much that was new for those familiar with his story but it was a fitting reminder of his genius, says Jasper Rees.

Jasper Rees, The Telegraph, 13th December 2015

"He was a sort of imp from another planet!"

This documentary about Kenny Everett, who died in 1995, is packed with contributions from his showbiz friends, including Barry Cryer, Chris Tarrant, Billy Connolly and Paul Gambaccini but we also hear from Kenny himself in generous archive footage.

We start with his childhood. He was born in Liverpool on Christmas Day during the war and Everett makes affectionate fun of his mother, a polite and traditional lady who would have hated to be considered 'common' so would carefully arrange a fruit bowl on top of the TV (a terrible place to put your fruit, Everett declares) and would never permit her young son to take a piece as it would upset her nicely arranged display.

His father wasn't quite so genteel, being a tugboat captain on the Mersey and possessing a wicked sense of humour.

From this childhood, a combination of strict manners and cheeky jokes, we trace his journey as he became one of the most beloved and daring comedians of the 1980s.

Julie McDowall, The National (Scotland), 11th December 2015