The same night Butlin decided that for his camp to work he would require an army of people to carry out the same job as Norman, and the role of Redcoat was formed.

[2] In the evening the Redcoats form part of the live entertainment team, starring in Gangshows and X Factor style game shows.

[3] Throughout the years, Redcoats have been expected to lead ballroom dances, stage and judge competitions, and steward theatrical performances as well as meeting and greeting guests in public areas.

[5] The BBC television series Hi-de-Hi!, written by former Butlins employees Jimmy Perry (a Redcoat) and David Croft (a summer show actor),[6] featured the Yellowcoats as a fictional analogue.

The title of the show "Hi-de-Hi" originated with Norman Bradford who claimed to have taken it from an American film; he began using this as a cheer to which the audience spontaneously responded "Ho-de-ho".

The book The Butlins Girls by Elaine Everest is predominantly set at the Skegness camp in 1946, the first year of its re-opening after the war.

However, prior to this, in 1957 Russ Hamilton recorded a UK number 2 hit, "We Will Make Love" (held off the top spot by Elvis Presley's "All Shook Up").

[10] Other artists have gone on to find success building on the skills they learned as a Redcoat, such as Des O'Connor, Jimmy Tarbuck, and Michael Barrymore.

[11] Other famous Redcoats include Ted Rogers, a comedian best known as the presenter of the variety/game show 3-2-1, Northern Irish entertainer Jimmy Cricket.