William Rushton

William Rushton was an English satirist, actor, comedian and cartoonist who helped found the magazine Private Eye. Born in Chelsea, London, he began character acting in films in 1963. His screen work included cameos in The Best House in London (1969) and Monte Carlo or Bust (1969), and later sex comedies such as Adventures of a Private Eye (1977). On television he appeared in episodes of The Persuaders!, Colditz and Up Pompeii!, and he provided all the voices for the claymation series The Trap Door. For BBC Radio 4 he was a panellist for 22 years on I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, joining as a regular in 1974, and he recorded readings including Winnie the Pooh for Jackanory and books for The Railway Stories. He also wrote musicals and drew for Private Eye, including illustrations for Auberon Waugh's Diary, and the Victoria and Albert Museum commissioned his Great Moments of History illustrations.