Melvyn Hayes is an English actor known for playing the effeminate Gunner "Gloria" Beaumont in the 1970s BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum, and the Cliff Richard musical films The Young Ones, Summer Holiday and Wonderful Life and Here Come the Double Deckers.
Early life and career
Born in Wandsworth, London, Hayes attended Sir Walter St John's Grammar School For Boys, Battersea. He was also in a theatrical troupe called Terry's Juveniles and his stage career stretches back to 1950 when he was "disappearing twice daily for £4 per week" performing the Indian rope trick in Maskelyne's Mysteries at the ComedyTheatre in London. He also appeared in repertory theatres in Surrey, Derbyshire and the Midlands. One of his earliest roles was in the BBC television adaptation of Billy Bunter of Greyfriars School. He played Edek in The Silver Sword in 1957, a children's television production about Polish refugee children trying to find their parents after the Second World War. His film roles include the young Victor Frankenstein in The Curse of Frankenstein, Cecil Biggs in Bottoms Up, Jimmy in The Young Ones with Cliff Richard, Cyril in Summer Holiday, again with Cliff Richard and 'Brother' Willy in Crooks in Cloisters. He also performed voices on children's cartoons such as SuperTed, The Dreamstone, Little Dracula, Alfred J. Kwak, Pongwiffy and Budgie the Little Helicopter. Hayes featured in It Ain't Half Hot Mum, as Gunner "Gloria" Beaumont for the first two series, then after Bombardier Solomon left he was promoted to Bombardier. Hayes played dames in British Christmas Pantomimes – his most recent roles being Nanny Nellie in Sleeping Beauty in Worthing, and Widow Twankey in Aladdin in Chatham. Other roles include parts in EastEnders as Michael Rawlins. Carry On England, Love Thy Neighbour, The Thin Blue Line, Here Come the Double Deckers, Potter's Picture Palace and the final series of Drop the Dead Donkey. He also provided the voice to characters in the English translation of the cartoon Alfred J. Kwak. In March 2011, Hayes appeared as Mr Pink in the ITV1 comedy TV series Benidorm. His latest theatre appearance was in You're Only Young Twice He was also in the Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles audio The Scorchies.
Personal life
Hayes first married actress Rosalind Allan, with whom he has two daughters and one son. He has two daughters with his second wife, former actress and theatrical agent Wendy Padbury; their daughter, Charlie Hayes, also became an actress. He is now married to Jayne Male and lives in Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Hayes has one child with Male. He was at one time the pub landlord of the Stag Inn in the village of Offchurch in Warwickshire and also of the White Hart Tap in St Albans, Hertfordshire.
