Ken Dodd Statue by Tom Murphy, "Chance Meeting", at Liverpool Lime St,, Railway Station, England, UK

Kenneth Arthur "Ken" Dodd, OBE (born 8 November 1927) is an English comedian, singer-songwriter and actor, identified by his trademark unruly hair and protruding teeth, his red, white and blue "tickling stick" and his famous, upbeat greeting of "How tickled I am!". He also created the world and characters of the Diddy Men, with 'diddy' being Liverpudlian slang for small. He works mainly in the music hall tradition, although, in the past, has occasionally appeared in drama, including as Malvolio in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night on stage in Liverpool in 1971; on television in the cameo role of 'The Tollmaster' in the 1987 Doctor Who story Delta and the Bannermen; and as Yorick (in silent flashback) in Kenneth Branagh's film version of Shakespeare's Hamlet in 1996. In the 1960s his fame in the UK was such that he rivalled The Beatles as a household name, with his recording of "Tears" being the UK's third-best-selling single of the 1960s. His records have sold millions worldwide. As of 2016 he continues to tour with his comedy and music show.