Chic Littlewood: Kiwi kids' Chicaboom telly star dies at 84

Television entertainer Chic Littlewood, of Chicaboom fame, died yesterday in Auckland, after a long illness.

Littlewood, 84, was described by his agent Karen Kay as an "amazing man who will be very fondly remembered".

"It is very sad news," Ms Kay said. "At least he's in peace now. He's had a fantastic life."

Born in southeast London, Littlewood moved to New Zealand in 1964 with his wife, Betty - whom he met when they both worked as cake icers - and their two sons.

He worked as a baker before his first breakthrough on New Zealand television screens on Howard Morrison's variety show, performing as Cockney character Golf Cap Charlie, after which increasing opportunities in entertainment meant he gave up his day job for good.

According to his New Zealand On Screen biography, Littlewood had a regular weekly slot as the caped Super Shopper in a series of commercials in the early 1970s, and in 1975, he began after-school TV show Now C Here.

Later renamed Chicaboom, the show ran five afternoons a week for half an hour.

In 1977, he was the first variety performer to win Entertainer of the Year and in 1978, he was awarded the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand's supreme Benny award.

In the same year, Chicaboom was renamed Chic Chat and by the time the show ended in 1983, Littlewood estimated he had written and presented more than 500 editions.

Littlewood was also known for the Basil Brush Show, and a three-year stint from 1993 on Shortland Street where he played Laurie Brasch, a policeman who married the hospital's receptionist Marj.

He also played roles in Mercy Peak, Hercules and in Peter Jackson's King Kong.

Many fans took to Twitter yesterday to pay tribute to the entertainer.

TV veteran

Chic Littlewood was the 1977 Entertainer of the Year.

• Born in southeast London, Chic Littlewood's neighbour was Spike Milligan.

• Worked as a baker, as did his father.

• Moved to New Zealand in 1964 with his wife and two sons.

• Gave up baking to focus on a fulltime career in entertainment, before taking on weekly slot in series of TV ads in the early