Julian and Sandy

Julian and Sandy were characters on the BBC radio comedy programme Round the Horne from 1965 to 1968 and were played by Hugh Paddick and Kenneth Williams respectively, with scripts written by Barry Took and Marty Feldman.

Barry Took describes the original conception of Julian and Sandy as two "old theatrical chaps" who were doing housework in the flat of Kenneth Horne (the "straight man" in the sketches), while waiting for their next acting job.

However, the producer of Round the Horne, John Simmonds, did not like them and viewed the characters as "too sad" and suggested making them younger "chorus boy" types.

Such innuendo and double entendre was the predominant form of British humour at the time, with the Carry On Films – in which Kenneth Williams featured prominently – being an iconic example of such.

[7] At other times, Horne's character would pretend not to understand the more risqué meanings in Julian and Sandy's dialogue, although it was always hinted that he was secretly in on the joke.

Ad-libs were a prominent part of the sketch (although on 'That Reminds Me', Barry Took denied this,[9] saying that most of what seemed to be ad lib was scripted), and were one of the reasons for how well the humour worked, as both Paddick and Williams were accomplished and very familiar with Polari in real life conversation.

In the stage show Round the Horne ... Revisited, which ran from 2003 to 2005 and was filmed for BBC Four, Paddick and Williams (and therefore Julian and Sandy) were played by Nigel Harrison and Robin Sebastian.