70s comedians Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise’s real names revealed

Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise formed one of Britain’s most iconic comedy duos with Morecambe and Wise, and they dominated the comedy scene from the early 1960s all the way until Eric’s unexpected death in 1984.

However, despite their surnames forming the basis of their partnership, neither Eric nor Ernie was actually using their real names during their performances, with Eric majorly changing his moniker.

Eric, who lived between 1926 and 1984, was born as John Eric Bartholomew, and during the 1940s, he formed a close friendship with Ernie, with the pair starting their comedy careers in the same decade. Due to World War II, the pair had to put their act on hold as they served their country, but following the war, they reunited.

In the 1960s and 1970s, their popularity exploded and they initially hosted Two of a Kind on ATV, before swapping to the BBC, where they started presenting The Morecambe & Wise Show. The show became a Christmas institution, and in 1977, the pair secured one of the largest viewing figures in British TV history.

Reports vary on the real number, but the pair secured between 21 and 28 million viewers, which at that time made up nearly half of the British population.

Eric sadly passed away at the age of 58 in 1984 and suffered a near-fatal heart attack in 1968. The star had several heart-related problems for the rest of his life, suffering another heart attack in 1979, before undergoing bypass surgery later that year. After performing at a charity show in 1984, Eric collapsed from a third heart attack which ultimately claimed his life.

Ernie passed away at age of 73 in 1999, less than four years after he retired from showbusiness following a second stroke. On 22 January 1999, the star underwent a triple heart bypass in the United States, before being flown back to the UK for further treatment. He died two months later at Nuffield Hospital from heart failure and a chest infection.

Real names

The pair initially performed under the moniker Bartholomew and Wise, but their act failed to take off, prompting Eric to decide to use a stage name. The comedian decided to honour his roots and chose Morecambe, which was the place of his birth.

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Although there were reports that Eric took the name after his mother, Sadie, held up a copy of The Morecambe Visitor, Greg Lambert, a former chief reporter, revealed: “According to books on the life of Morecambe and Wise, Eric Bartholomew took the name of his home town on the advice of an American singer when they appeared on the same bill in 1941.”

Likewise, Ernie Wise also shortened his name, with the comedian, who passed away in 1999, being born as Ernest Wiseman. According to a fansite on the pair, Ernie also considered taking his birthplace of Leeds as surname, but he ultimately opted to just shorten his name instead.