A FAN who spearheaded a campaign to win a knighthood for Bruce Forsyth has vowed to fight on after the veteran entertainer was snubbed.
Vince Finlayson, from Dunbar, said he was “astounded” by the decision to deny 80-year-old Bruce a gong in the New Year Honours, despite a drive backed by thousands of supporters.
Vince runs the
Give Bruce Forsyth A Knighthood campaign on the social networking site Facebook, which has 15,000 members, including the star’s showbusiness pal Jonathan Ross.
He hit out on hearing there was no “Brucie Bonus” in the honours list.
“Bruce being passed over yet again for a knighthood, in his 80th year, is nothing less than a travesty and brings shame upon the whole system,” fumed Vince.
“The complaints about the voting on Strictly Come Dancing will pale into insignificance compared with the backlash there will be from the British public to this scandalous omission.
“Bruce has given decades of outstanding contribution to British culture, not forgetting his work for charity.
Commons motion“The support for his knighthood has included a motion by MPs, two petitions on the No.10 website and our campaign on Facebook. More than 25,000 have backed him online.”
Channel 5 joined the campaign and had tribute programmes to Bruce on New Year’s Eve.
Vince added, “Sir Sean Connery was 69 when he was knighted, Sir David Jason was 64 and Sir Terry Wogan was 66. Why is Bruce still waiting?
“I’ve been a fan since the days when he presented Sunday Night At The London Palladium.
“After that he became the face of weekend TV and has made a great contribution to culture in this country.”
Vince is well known among Internet campaigners as Dr Blockbuster. He runs a business manufacturing collectible animal figures and helps publicise the books of his friend
Ken McClure, the well-known Scots author of medical thrillers.
Bruce, who already has an OBE and a CBE, has refused to be drawn into the controversy.
Vince pledged to continue the battle to honour the entertainer, saying it would be nice to see it, to see it nice, if he became a Sir.
He said, “We won’t let up until he gets recognition for his lifetime achievement and is known as Sir Bruce Forsyth.”
http://www.sundaypost.com/postindex.htm (resets 11/01/2009)
Bob Smyth, The Sunday Post
4 January 2009.
