Who is The Cotswolds and Beyond presenter Pam Ayres?
PAM Ayres has been on our screens for over three decades.
With her witty sense of humour, the star has become one of the most widely adored poets in the UK.
Who is Pam Ayres?
Pam Ayres is a British poet, comedian, songwriter and radio and TV presenter.
She was born in Stanford in the Vale, Berkshire and is the youngest of six children.
In 1975, she debuted on the television talent show Opportunity Knocks, marking the beginning of her remarkable career.
From 1996 until 1999 Pam presented a two-hour music and chat show every Sunday afternoon for Radio 2, followed by two series of Pam Ayres’ Open Road.
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Since then, she has gone on to sell millions of books, record albums, CDs, and DVDs.
What is Pam Ayres' most famous poem?
One of Pam Ayres' most famous poems is "Oh, I Wish I'd Looked After Me Teeth."
The poem reflects on the importance of dental hygiene and has resonated with audiences for its witty and light-hearted approach to the concern.
Her poetry adopts a straightforward style, addressing everyday topics and experiences.
Oh I wish I’d looked after me teeth Poem
Oh, I wish I’d looked after me teeth,
And spotted the dangers beneath
All the toffees I chewed,
And the sweet sticky food.
Oh, I wish I’d looked after me teeth.
I wish I’d been that much more willin’
When I had more tooth there than fillin’
To give up gobstoppers,
From respect to me choppers,
And to buy something else with me shillin’.
When I think of the lollies I licked
And the liquorice allsorts I picked,
Sherbet dabs, big and little,
All that hard peanut brittle,
My conscience gets horribly pricked.
My mother, she told me no end,
‘If you got a tooth, you got a friend.’
I was young then, and careless,
My toothbrush was hairless,
I never had much time to spend.
Oh I showed them the toothpaste all right,
I flashed it about late at night,
But up-and-down brushin’
And pokin’ and fussin’
Didn’t seem worth the time – I could bite!
If I’d known I was paving the way
To cavities, caps and decay,
The murder of fillin’s,
Injections and drillin’s,
I’d have thrown all me sherbet away.
So I lie in the old dentist’s chair,
And I gaze up his nose in despair,
And his drill it do whine
In these molars of mine.
‘Two amalgam,’ he’ll say, ‘for in there.’
How I laughed at my mother’s false teeth,
As they foamed in the waters beneath.
But now comes the reckonin’
It’s me they are beckonin’
Oh, I wish I’d looked after me teeth.
Is Pam Ayres still married?
Pam is married to theatre producer Dudley Russell.
She met her husband on Lewisham Broadway.
At the time, he was a concert promoter and went on to become her agent.
Together they share two sons, William and James.
She previously revealed that her husband's goings-on in the bedroom inspires her work.
She admitted: "My husband, Dudley, has snoring issues.
"So I decided to write about it.
"Everyone has this kind of guilty secret, it’s very intimate.
"And I wanted to talk about it."
What does Pam Ayres do now?
More recently Pam has become a regular contributor to Radio 4.
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She has published six books of poems, toured in a one-woman stage show, hosted her own TV show and even performed her show for the late Queen.
She starred in Channel 5's The Cotswolds with Pam Ayres which aired from Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 6pm.