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Video: Bruce Forsyth’s Big Night: The 1978 ITV Variety Show Featuring Bette Midler (Full Episode)
By Mister D
Oct 7, 2025
Bruce Forsyth’s Big Night: The 1978 ITV Variety Show Featuring Bette Midler
Mister D: Bette Midler appears in the last 20 minutes of Bruce Forsyth’s Big Night. The October 7 premiere kicked off with Midler, fresh off her Clams on the Half-Shell Revue and Trash with Flash tours, performing at London’s Palladium that week. At 33, she was the edgy American “Divine Miss M,” known for her bawdy humor and showgirl flair—a stark contrast to Forsyth’s wholesome, cheeky UK variety style. Her appearance is legendary for its bizarre, unscripted energy, often described as a “clash of sensibilities.”
Midler opened with a high-octane cover of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” dressed as an Old West madam in a feathered headdress and satin leggings. She followed with heartfelt renditions of “Hello In There” (from her 1972 debut album) and “Leader of the Pack” (her 1972 hit). The set was playful and physical—she’d been incorporating floor-diving bits into her live shows, which Forsyth later riffed on.
This is where it gets weird and iconic. Forsyth, admitting he was a “devoted fan” who’d only discovered her two weeks prior, suggested they chat lying on the floor to mimic her stage antics (and jokingly sip tea). What followed was a squirmy, giggly exchange: Midler, possibly “relaxed” from pre-show weed (as fans speculate from her squinty eyes and ornery grin), bantered about her career while sprawled out. When rising, Forsyth gallantly offered a hand but accidentally grabbed her bottom—leading to her bursting into laughter and quipping, “No hard feelings!” He then helped her up, getting a faceful of… well, assets, as she goofily “sandbagged” him.
The whole thing clocks in around 15-20 minutes and feels like a fever dream: Midler’s brash New York wit bouncing off Forsyth’s flustered politeness. It’s been called “hilarious” and “bizarre,” with fans wishing for a Midler-Emu puppet crossover (a nod to the show’s later chaotic guests).
