Why Benny Hill Was Bumped from British Stamps

UK's Daily Mail reports documents reveal comic Benny Hill was dumped from a set of Royal Mail stamps because of concerns about his "saucy" style.

According to the paper, "Slapstick, burlesque and double entendre were always his hallmark. Some critics accused the show of sexism but Hill maintained that the female characters kept their dignity while the men chasing them were portrayed as buffoons."

The article went on to say, "Royal Mail deemed that his jokes were in direct opposition to the company's policies on harassment in the work place."

A set of six stamps were issued in September 2005 to commemorate 50 years of ITV. They honored six British television programs which were made famous on ITV. These included Emmerdale, Rising Damp, The Avengers, Morse, The South Bank Show and Who Wants to be A Millionaire?

The Benny Hill Show which ran from 1955 to 1989 and was aired on the BBC and Thames Television in the UK and broadcast in more than 140 countries was not selected to be featured on the set.

Hill died in 1992.

Shown above, Hill in a skit involving Royal Mail wearing a "postie's" uniform.

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