Who are The Krankies, how did they become famous and what is their new BBC show The Real Marigold On Tour about?
Husband-and-wife duo Ian and Janette Tough are starring in the BBC One series The Real Marigold On Tour.
SHOWBIZ legends The Krankies return to TV this week for a new show on the BBC.
The pantomime favourites Ian and Janette Tough, both 71, are set to star in The Real Marigold On Tour.
The revealed to The Scottish Sun all about the highs and lows of their adventure through Mexico for the show.
It sees them sharing hotels with scorpions and getting kinky offers from their hosts.
Here's everything you need to know about The Krankies.
Who are they?
The Krankies are made up of husband and wife Janette and Ian Tough.
The Scots comedy duo found fame in the 1970s and have gone on to carve a successful career in music, TV and panto.
Janette was born in Queenzieburn, near Kilsyth, and Ian is from Glasgow.
The pair met in 1967 at Glasgow's Pavilion Theatre, aged 18.
Janette was performing as a dancer while Ian worked as an electrician. Ian would throw sweets at Janette from stage to get her attention.
The couple got married in 1969 in Kirkintilloch and recently celebrated 50 years together.
They are best known for their catch phrase Fan-Dabi-Dozi.
Why are they called The Krankies?
The pair started out as a cabaret act but it wasn’t until the birth of Wee Jimmy Krankie that people really started to take notice.
A comedian told Janette, who is 4ft 5in, she should take advantage of her height and create a character for her stand-up gigs.
In 1976, Wee Jimmy was born. And after a rummage in Ian’s loft, the pair found the perfect costume for the schoolboy.
Janette previously told The Independent: “That's where we found his grandfather's boots, his little brother Colin's red school cap and his older brother Alistair's shorts."
Ian added: “I knew we were on to a winner.”
The pair then found fame as comedy duo The Krankies with Janette as Wee Jimmy and her hubby as Ian Krankie.
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Career timeline
1963 - Janette starred in Jack Milroy's World Of Widow Krankie panto at just 16.
1964 - She formed her first showbiz act The Krankie Kids with friend Margaret Murray.
1976 – The birth of Wee Jimmy and comedy duo The Krankies.
1977 - They win Club Act of the Year at Jollies Club, Stoke On Trent.
1978 - Dancer Karen Long coins the catchphrase Fan-Dabi-Dozi.
1978 - The Krankies were picked as the surprise act for The Royal Variety Show. They did their ventriloquist act and met The Queen Mother. This was their big break.
1979 - Ian and Janette were asked to judge Miss Blackpool and toured Down Under - dodging creepy crawlies.
1980 - The Krankies join BBC show Crackerjack with Jan Michelle and Stu Francis. They only did the show for two years but it shot them to stardom.
1981 - Their single Fan-Dabi-Dozi peaked at number 46 in the UK Singles Chart.
1983 - The pair performed for the third year running at the Children's Royal Variety Show - the only act to ever achieve that record.
1988 - Worked with panto dame Christopher Biggins for the first time for Dick Whittington production at Bradford's Alhambra.
1989 - The launch of TV series K.T.V filmed for ITV at Border television.
1992 - Career came to a halt when kids' show K.T.V. got axed.
1998 - The pair started working on cruise ships and returned to Glasgow Pavilion panto in Pinnochio.
1999 - Janette bounced back, appearing in the French and Saunders Christmas special. She also played Anakin Skywalker in a Star Wars: Phantom Menace spoof.
2000 - Janette starred as a bag lady alongside Julie Walters in the Christmas special of the Victoria Wood BBC series Dinnerladies.
2003 - Janette appeared in Absolutely Fabulous alongside Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley.
2004 - Their Kick Up The Eighties variety show at the Glasgow Pavilion saw Janette star as Batman.
The release of their best-selling autobiography Fan Dabi Dozi shocked fans as the pair reveal their raunchy past as swingers.
Scottish Sun man Matt Bendoris had a cameo role in Jack And The Beanstalk at Glasgow's Pavilion. Just weeks later the mechanic beanstalk collapsed and Janette fractured her skull.
2005 - Janette returned to the stage seven months after the fall at Blackpool's North Pier.
2007 - The Krankies starred in Peter Kay's Comic Relief version of The Proclaimers I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).
2009 - Janette appeared as Susan Boyle in a panto sketch.
2010 - Janette impressed in a skit as Lady Gaga during Aladdin at the Clyde Auditorium.
2011 - Janette and John Barrowman appeared as Jedward at the same venue.
2013 - Janette and John Barrowman launch Dick McWhittington panto in Glasgow.
Pair filmed scenes as wife swappers for ITV series Benidorm.
2014 - John Barrowman and The Krankies star in Cinderella at Glasgow’s Clyde Auditorium for Christmas panto.
2015 - David Hasselhoff joins pair for Christmas panto Peter Pan at Glasgow’s Armadillo.
Krankies appear on BBC show Pointless.
2016 – Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie is released.
Janette’s cameo appearance as male Japanese fashion designer called Huki Muki sparked controversy after comedian was accused of ‘yellowface’.
It recently emerged that Janette turned down the chance to play an “evil granny” on Hollyoaks over fears it would ruin her image.
A 20ft national monument to the Krankies is to be made from melted down £1 coins.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon admits she likes being compared to wee Jimmy Krankie in a Scottish Sun interview.
The Krankies revealed how they love being anonymous in Australia, insisting: “Down Under, we’re just Ian and Janette Tough.”
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