Kenneth Williams: Born Brilliant: The Life of Kenneth Williams

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I don't own a copy of the diaries so I couldn't check, but the sense of missing detail was constant. My biography of the Carry On star Kenneth Williams, BORN BRILLIANT, was authorised by his estate, and I was lucky enough to be entrusted with all his diaries and his archive of letters, more than five million words of comedy history. In 2014, the Parole Board cleared the then-78-year-old for release from prison 48 years after being told by a judge he should never be released.

An example is on page 226 of the hardback where the author talks about the casting of Carry on Doctor. Originally sentenced to life without parole in Arkansas for killing a cheerleader in 1998, Williams escaped from prison in a 500-gallon barrel of pig slop in 1999. On December 18, 1998, Williams was charged with one count of capital murder, one count of attempted capital murder, two counts of kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery, two counts of theft of property, and one count of arson. His roles in Round the Horne included Rambling Syd Rumpo, the eccentric folk singer; Dr Chou En Ginsberg, MA (failed), Oriental criminal mastermind; J. On December 13, 1998, Williams, then 19, abducted University of Arkansas pre-med student Dominique "Nikki" Hurd, 19, and her boyfriend, Peter Robertson, from a parking lot in Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Yet it is his writing, and especially these remarkable, candid, painful and frank diaries, which (alongside his radio and film comedy performances) will keep him alive for a very long time.

Still, there’s a certain sadness that such a celebrated figure could feel so devastatingly alone, especially at the end of his life, when ill health, a dying mother and a severely reduced workload placed a strain on him. I am currently writing a series of reviews on books that I have read in the past, in part because I am new to goodreads. He was released in 1971 and got a job in a factory in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, where he began poisoning work colleagues, resulting in two fatalities and several critical illnesses. He then dressed himself in some of Cecil's clothes before taking his truck and driving north to Missouri.

He had an obsession with suicide (and he actually killed himself) that's very Morrissey like - in fact one can hear the voice of Morrissey throughout the diary. How little things like that are given any more than minimal headspace in Williams’ private thoughts are testament to the importance of things other than that in his life. Williams then dragged his body inside, stole his wallet, some of his jewelry, several more of his guns, and other valuables.

A truly encapsulating figure, this book delves firsthand into events that left their mark in British history and popular culture: the Second World War, the murder of Joe Orton, the hurricane of 1987 and so on. This was my first experience of reading a set of personal diaries encompassing such a prolonged period of time and it’s a disorientating experience to see the weft of a life laid out in front of you so starkly.Personalised advertising may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have a right to opt out. He appeared on Michael Parkinson's chat show on eight occasions, during which he told anecdotes from his career. As he got older his insecurities about his life are on full show in the diaries, especially around his health.