Finally the BBC2 documentary, made by Sir Les in 1997, called Sir Les and The Great Chinese Takeaway has been added to YouTube. Thanks to MaskedApple this rare historical footage has been saved for fellow Sir Les fans to study and enjoy.

This only begs the question, considering that it was uploaded at the beginning of the year, why has it taken me so long to find it?

The clip of the recent Channel 4 documentary, Barry Humphries: The Man Inside Dame Edna, that featured Sir Les has now been added onto the media page.

It shows Sir Les relaxing in an exclusive Melbourne bar, with a glass of scotch and a government sponsored research assistant called Holly close to his side.

I met Barry Humphries only about twice in my life, and it was two times too many. He’s up himself, and I don’t get the point of him. He’s not my type and he is not a good representative of Australia. That’s all I want to say, I’m saying no more.

Sir Les confesses that when he was younger he was worried that he was deformed, he also puts to rest the superstition that Australia doesn’t have any culture and that he hasn’t picked anything up in Bangkok that has lasted for very long. He also gives valuable advice on dry cleaning garments.

According to the Reuters news agency Barry Humphries has been ordered to rest for six months by his doctors after complications over his appendix surgery. This, of course, means that his North American tour and his appearance at the Magners Glasgow International Comedy Festival have both been cancelled.

At last, and only a week or so later than previously mentioned, the documentary Barry Humphries: The Man Inside Dame Edna is being shown on Channel 4 in the UK next Wednesday at 10:00pm.

According to the TV Times Barry goes back to his roots during his 2007 tour or Australia, reflecting on the people and places that inspired his two most famous creations, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.

Barry Humphries had his appendix removed on Sunday, according to NEWS.com.au.

His illness interrupted festive plans including missing the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Sydney. Harley Medcalf, his manager, said that the Melbourne comic was recovering well.

Barry is due to start the Dame Edna Live and Intimate tour in the US later this month.

We wish him well.

A copy of the Back with a Vengeance tour brochure has been purchased for the archive. It contains a few photos of the great man and also a poem entitled In Terms of My Natural Life.

Thanks to Kurt, a fellow Sir Les fan, for pointing out that Sir Les wrote the preface to The Complete Barry McKenzie publication.

The web-site has had a formal and more business-like redesign that befits the high-powered image of an Australian elder Statesman.

The UK’s Channel 4 will screen a new documentary called Barry Humphries: Behind The Make-Up next month according to The Sun. A camera crew will follow Barry as he returns to his Australian roots including the streets where he grew up and the school he attended.

A C4 spokeswoman said: “He’s a comic genius who has produced some of the most enduring characters of the past 50 years such as Dame Edna and Sir Les Patterson.

“The programme investigates how he has turned unadulterated vulgarity, snobbery and pretension into comedy gold.

“It features some of his oldest and closest friends recalling how he emerged from the Melbourne suburbs to conquer the world. It’s a rare glimpse of the man behind the diamante glasses.”

Barry Humphries received his CBE from the Queen today reports the Daily Mail.

Regarding his little chat with the Queen he said that: “Les wasn’t mentioned either. He’s already a knight but I’m not certain it’s legal.”

Is this the first time that the validity of Sir Les’s knighthood has been questioned?

Update
Bazza’s big moment at the palace - The Sydney Morning Herald
Queen awards Humphries CBE - ABC News Video

Another Update
Rod Baxter at Beyond The Billabong has posted the Herald-Sun cartoon by Mark Knight (original 3.3 MB).

You will know doubt recall that Sir Les starred in a McDonald’s advert that was shown during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Well the actual suit that he wore for the advert is up for sale on eBay.

SIR LES PATTERSON SUIT (BARRY HUMPHRIES - DAME EDNA)

Genuine suit worn by Barry Humphries to promote Mcdonalds campaign, in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Items include : Jacket complete with “Sir Les” Mayo dribble, trousers and tie.

Authentication letter written by “Sir Les” himself

Will make ideal focal and talking point

Must not be missed by any fans of Barry Humphries

Of course what the description fails to mention is that it has been handcrafted from the finest Australian polyester. It’s also fair to assume that it’s a ‘large’ size. The starting price is £299.99 and it has a reserve so don’t all bid at once.

More content has now been added thanks to fellow Sir Les fan, David Tanton.

David kindly sent in scans of two newspaper clippings which are now on the articles page. Also an audio interview with Sir Les by fellow Australian Clive James is now on the media page.

Another YouTube clip of Sir Les was added to the media page during the week taken from The Dame Edna Experience DVD.

A Sir Les Patterson Google Group has now been set-up so that fans can discuss the life, the work and the sartorial elegance of the great man. There is also a files section so that members can upload any rare pictures that they may have. Currently there are only two members. There must be more fans of Sir Les out there!

The photograph of Sir Les is from an article on the BBC web-site which reports on Barry Humphries being honoured the CBE. If only they could spell our heroes name correctly.

The last clip of Sir Les on The Dame Edna Treatment show has been added to the media page. The final show in the series was aired in the UK on ITV1 at the weekend.

Brother Les congratulated Dame Edna on fifty fantastic years, proving that the finest medical minds have not cured his projectile saliva affliction. Sir Les says that he has found his true calling and has formed his own production company making tasteful and informative adult fillums and fly-on-the-wall documentaries.

Barry Humphries has been awarded a CBE in today’s birthday honours.

The Guardian report that the actor and author heard the news as he came off stage in Australia. “I’m deeply honoured,” he said. “At last I can address Sir Les Patterson and Dame Edna Everage on an improved footing.”

Mark Shenton, in his blog at The Stage, reports on the Back With A Vengeance show in Sydney.

He describes Sir Les as “Edna’s legendary warm-up artist” and quotes the great man as saying: “I’m as busy as Heather Mills in an arse-kicking contest.” Sir Les was also noted mentioning an idea for a reality TV show set in an all-woman prison. The general public, would vote for “which lezzos you want to see locked up together for the night.” This was no doubt followed by “are you with me?”

Dame Edna is continuing her celebration of 50 years in showbiz with a dozen shows at the Lyric Theatre The Sunday Mail reports.

The show will be a heady concoction of “beautiful gowns, gladdies and gifts, psychic readings and a little healing”.

Sir Les will also be making a “tasteful and hopefully sober appearance”.

More video clips of Sir Les have been added to the media page via YouTube. The majority were taken from the Heroes of Comedy: Barry Humphries programme that was shown on Channel 4 on October 30^th 1999.

The show was an hour and a half long and featured interviews with Barry Humphries and Dame Edna with contributions from Joan Rivers, Kylie Minogue, Geoffrey Rush and Spike Milligan.

This weeks Health & Lifestyle Around the World clip has also been added. Joe Calzaghe and Amir Khan both hit the canvas at high speed after meeting a man at the height of his powers as a diplomat and a pugilist. I think Sir Les had ‘Notable Australian Cheese’ on the back of his shirt. It was hard to tell because his well-honed physique was just a blur.

The clip of Barry Humphries, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson on Channel 4’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups has been added to the media page. The three took the 82^nd spot as voted for by visitors to the Channel 4 web-site.

Details of the cassette version of Live & Rampant! Les Patterson Has A Standup have been added to the lectures page. The tape inlay has an extensive note from Sir Les and includes a list of 10 Reasons Why You Should Buy Someone The Les Patterson Tape & Video.

Two new documents have been added to the articles page. The first entitled Mongrel B*st*rds from The Spectator in 2000 and the other Pop your cork this Christmas from the London Evening Standard of the same year.

The Sun have managed to get the scoop on tonight’s The Dame Edna Treatment. Sir Les, as part of his Health & Lifestyle Around the World segment, will be taught how to lap dance by Carmen Electra from Baywatch.

A new media page has been added. This has the A Late Lunch with Les television programme and also the new Health & Lifestyle Around the World segments from The Dame Edna Treatment shows.

Before you ask, no Sir Les has not lost a lot of weight, the show is broadcast in the 16:9 widescreen ratio and YouTube only use the standard 4:3.

It seems that Shilpa Shetty gets to meet Sir Les during The Dame Edna Treatment, The Sun reports.

The Bollywood actress was not impressed by Sir Les and looks a little overcome at meeting a man at the height of his sexual powers.

Times Online talks to Dame Edna about The Dame Edna Treatment, which airs on ITV1 in the UK tonight. She says that only “real stars” will be invited and that her greatest achievement to-date is the creation of the Prostate Olympics.

Sir Les gets a brief mention somewhere.

Dame Edna gives an interview with TV Times magazine talking about her new show The Dame Edna Treatment. The show airs on ITV1 in the UK on Saturday at 9.40pm (repeated Monday at 11.00pm).

Dame Edna will interview guests as they are receiving beauty treatments in her own health spa. The spa has been setup to help her dysfunctional daughter, Valmai, who will act has Dame Edna’s helper after Madge retired.

Sir Les also makes an appearance, offering his own lifestyle advice.

A new articles page has been added containing an interview with Sir Les that was printed in the Autumn/Winter 1988 copy of Arena. This is Britain’s original style magazine for men. Sir Les discusses his loyalty to Australian polyester and assures us that his kangaroo leather shoes are made from animals that were humanely culled.

Barry Humphries, who was 73 last Saturday, talks to The Sydney Morning Herald about slowing down being the last thing on his mind. He spoke about London in the 1960s, a television series for Dame Edna called The Edna Treatment and the possibility of a Dame Edna film which would be directed by Douglas McGrath the man behind Infamous. Apparently Sir Alec Guinness once described Sir Les as “ghastly”.

Dame Edna tells The Daily Telegraph that the Back with a Vengeance show will contain references to current affairs and politics. Sir Les was described as an ‘old acquaintance’.

The Sydney Star Observer report on the Back with a Vengeance press conference that Dame Edna gave and quiz her about her gay following. Sir Les was called an ‘alter ego’. Barry Humphries also managed to get a mention.

The Sydney Morning Herald report that Dame Edna held a news conference to announce her new Back with a Vengeance stage show in Sydney in May. Sir Les will also appear but only under contractual obligation.

Sir Les was apparently last seen entering a Bangkok ‘Rub & Tug’ shop clutching a fistful of hard currency generously donated, as always, by the Australian tax-payer.