Sooty returns to Worthing

Looking back on 75 years of magic

Spring 2024, Sooty, Sweep and Soo are back in Worthing for Sooty’s 75th birthday extravaganza! 

Sooty is officially the longest-running children’s TV program in the world! This cheeky yellow and black bear has been enchanting children and adults alike with his antics for 75 years. His skills as a magician have also made him the only non-human member of the magic circle! To wish Sooty a happy birthday, we’re looking back on his incredible career and many visits to Worthing over the last 75 years.

Sooty in Blackpool

Who created Sooty?

Sooty began life in Blackpool in 1948, when an engineer named Harry Corbett purchased a little yellow hand puppet to entertain his children on holiday. Just four years later, Corbett and ‘Teddy’ went on to win a BBC talent competition and became regular guests on children’s television. Now a TV star, Corbett redesigned Teddy’s appearance to stand out more in black and white. He darkened the bear’s ears, eyes and nose with soot, thus renaming him Sooty.

Sooty on TV

After the duo got their children’s TV show in 1955, they gradually introduced puppet friends for Sooty, adding a new dynamic. Sooty remained the mute leader of the gang, who would perform magic tricks and squirt people with his water pistol. Sweep, a clumsy, innocent dog communicating with squeaks, was introduced in 1957. Then Soo came along in 1964, a sensible and caring panda who is the only one of the trio to speak. 

Taking the British entertainment world by storm, Sooty became a household name, once even feeling cheeky enough to squirt Prince Philip with his water pistol during a royal visit! Sooty’s brand branched out into licensed games, instruments, magic sets, and replica puppets for children to enjoy at home. In 1976, Corbett and Sooty were honoured with an OBE for services to children’s entertainment.

Sooty’s Presenters

Corbett passed the franchise to his son Matthew in 1975 but continued working with Sooty for the rest of his life. Matthew carried Sooty’s legacy for over 20 years, relaunching The Sooty Show with more of a sit-com structure. He devised new touring stage shows that brought Sooty closer to his audiences. In 1999, Matthew Corbett handed care of Sooty and his friends over to Richard Cadell, a skilled magician. Cadell has continued to develop the franchise and entertain families all over the UK ever since. Cadell and Sooty make regular guest appearances on TV, and in 2017, Sooty was officially inducted into the Magic Circle! When he’s not on tour or TV you can now find Sooty in Sooty Land, at Crealy Theme Park and Resort in Devon.

Where is Sooty now?

It has been 25 years since Richard Cadell took on the role of Sooty’s handler. When asked about his time with Sooty, Cadell said: “Well, it only seems like five minutes ago, that’s for sure. It’s never felt like work. It’s hard to believe that for the last two and a half decades, I’ve made a living having pies put in my face and talking to myself!“

Sooty’s Impact

WTM’s resident film expert, James Tully, is a lifelong Sooty fan and shared his memories of Sooty: 

“Sooty was the first theatre show I ever went to. I remember being absolutely mesmerised. I was at the front, and Sooty squirted me with a water pistol.

“Once, when I was out with my grandparents, we came across a film crew making Sooty near Ditchling. They always hid behind things so you couldn’t see that Sooty was a puppet. When they finished filming, I got to say hello to them all, and to Matthew Corbett. It’s one of my all-time fave celeb meetings. 

I had my own Sooty, who is very well loved now, he was so real to me. Once when I was angry I threw my Sooty puppet across the room and he hit the wall. Then I was upset that I had hurt Sooty so I cried and apologised to him for a long time. Sooty is the best.”

A recent survey by SKY revealed that Sooty and Sweep are still the nation’s favourite childhood TV characters. Considering why Sooty and his friends have remained so popular, Cadell said, “Well, firstly it’s a teddy bear and most children know and love teddy bears before they can speak… Everybody has had, or knows somebody who has, a Sooty or Sweep puppet at home. And everyone can pretty much do the show behind their settee! It’s also one of the very few shows that hasn’t changed, and therefore when grandparents switch the television on for their children to watch, they know and recognise the same old things, and they remember and love it all the more for that.”

Sooty in Worthing

We are honoured that Sooty, Sweep and Soo have been visiting Worthing on their tours for decades. The Sooty Show regular, Connie Creighton, would present Sooty and perform here alongside Spencer K. Gibbins, who would often tour as host in Matthew Corbett’s place. Our Pavilion theatre hosted The House that Sooty Built in 1998, which was part of Matthew Corbett last tour as Sooty’s handler. We also hosted Richard Cadell’s first tour in Sooty’s Magic Factory in 2000! To look back on Sooty’s visits to Worthing, we dug through our archive to find Sooty’s most memorable visits to Worthing.