Don Maclean

Who is Don Maclean?

Don Maclean KSS is an English actor and comedian, who appeared on the BBC television series Crackerjack with Michael Aspel, Peter Glaze and Jan Hunt in the 1970s.

Born in Birmingham, Warwickshire, he attended Clifton Road School in Balsall Heath and St. Philip's School, Edgbaston. His first job was as a civil servant at the Inland Revenue.

Maclean usually performed a live routine or routines with Glaze in front of a studio audience of children and a filmed insert with Glaze, in the style of a silent comedy film. Live routines would almost always work in the 'joke' where an exasperated Glaze would exclaim 'Maclean!' to which Maclean would answer 'Yes, I had a bath this morning!'. Also notable was that when responding to Glaze's exasperation, Maclean would regularly give an alliterative reply, such as "Don't get your knickers in a knot" or "Don't get your tights in a twist", the combination of which has passed into popular vernacular.

Early in his career, Maclean was a comedy compère of the BBC Television Series The Black and White Minstrel Show. He also appeared in Crossroads and Carry On Columbus. A practising Roman Catholic, from 1990 Maclean presented BBC Radio 2's religious show Good Morning Sunday, until he was replaced by Aled Jones in 2006.