Profile of William Rushton on Famous Like Me

William George Rushton, commonly known as Willie Rushton (August 18, 1937–December 11, 1996) was a British cartoonist, satirist, comedian, actor and performer.

As well as co-founding Private Eye (along with his Shrewsbury School peers Christopher Booker, Paul Foot, and Richard Ingrams), originally acting as its layout artist and serving as one of its cartoonists until his death, he found fame in That Was The Week That Was and other television programmes with David Frost. Towards the end of his life he appeared as a guest on countless TV shows of varying quality, including Through the Keyhole. He also provided all the voices in the claymation-style animated series The Trap Door, and was also the voiceover on a number of TV adverts and at least one public information film.

He was a founding team member in the long-running BBC Radio 4 radio panel comedy game show I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue. He also illustrated Auberon Waugh's "Way Of The World" column in The Daily Telegraph from 1990 until his death.

Whilst working for Private Eye, in 1963 (under the slogan 'Death to the Tories') he fought the Kinross and West Perthshire by-election (where Sir Alec Douglas-Home, a.k.a. Baillie Vass was elected in order to become Prime Minister) as an independent candidate. On the eve of poll he retired from the election and endorsed the Liberal candidate, who seemed the most credible challenger; this was too late to take his name from the ballot paper and he received 45 votes.

He illustrated many books and, after the Spycatcher controversy, wrote the send-up Spy Thatcher: An Insult to British Intelligence.

He is honoured by a blue plaque at Mornington Crescent tube station, a reference to his skill at the game Mornington Crescent on I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue.

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