Christopher biggins autobiography in five shorts

Christopher Biggins recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, Biggins My Story, reproduced here with kind permission of the author...

A pack of divas were unleashed as my 50th birthday approached in 1998.

They were planning a top-secret party, which of course I knew almost everything about.

The divas were Joan Collins, Carole Bamford, Jeanne Mandry, Sue St John, Dame Maureen Thomas, Billy Differ – oh, and last but not least, dear Neil.

As I wasn't supposed to be aware of the plans, I couldn't ask Neil how it was all going.

Christopher Biggins (Smile) Big Head.

He subsequently stormed off when told he'd have to line up with the parting retort of 'I'm Christopher Biggins'.

Christopher Biggins, 72, (pictured) shares items of significance in his dressing room at the Orchard Theatre in Kent.

What was the last book you read?

Christopher Biggins – former best friend of the late Cilla Black – who has said he can't believe it's being revived.

But I could well imagine it was fraught with ego problems and dramas. I thought it was all hilarious.

What I didn't know was that something else was going on. The surprise party was real, but it was really only a smokescreen.

I found out when I was on stage at the end of my panto matinee in Brighton. We didn't have an evening performance that day and I was looking forward to putting my feet up. I began my curtain speech as normal an