ZapGossip

Les Dennis super-fan wanted to name pub after ex-Corrie star

A Les Dennis super-fan has been left devastated after claiming the star refused to give him permission to name his pub "Les Dennis Lounge".
Jake Goldstein wanted to pay tribute to the ‘Family Fortunes’ host by naming his Brighton boozer after the 65-year-old star, but he says Les rejected his proposal, and the 28-year-old landlord now feels "let down" by the ex-‘Coronation Street’ actor.
He told The Argus newspaper: "Les Dennis let me down. Don’t get me wrong Les, I think you’re all right.
"I have followed you for years, your highs and lows, I feel like I was there with you, I feel like I understood you. But now Les, now I understand nothing.
"All I wanted was to open a lovely little bar in Brighton for all little Les Dennises in the world to play, but you had to ruin it, didn’t you, Les?
"When we called you up full of hope, ‘Can we open the Les Dennis Lounge, your name in lights Les,’ you seemed so into it.
"But then we got the call the next day, ‘My agent wouldn’t like it.’ Be your own man, Les. A whole pub in your honour, Les, but you turned it down, Les, you turned it down."
However, Jake is still planning to put pictures of Les on the pub’s walls, alongside photos of other TV greats, and he has even created a cocktail in Les’ honour.
Following the Les name dejection, Jake has called the pub Cease And Desist.
As well as TV presenting and soap acting, Les has done some theatre work with The Royal Shakespeare Company, but recently admitted he suffered from "impostor syndrome" on his first day.
He said: "On the first day of rehearsals, impostor syndrome – I think we all suffer from it.
"I got there on that first day thinking before I went in, I’m the only one here who hasn’t done the big drama school thing, who hasn’t been trained.
"I’ve done all the variety and the game shows, and then the theatre, but I’m not trained and I’m going to be with all these Shakespearean actors.
"I walked in and the first person I saw was Caroline Quentin and she said ‘I’m really nervous, I haven’t been trained’, and I said ‘neither have I!’ She started off as a dancer, so that put me straight at ease. It’s a wonderful company to be part of."