'The two actors' real-life relationship was just as bizarre - and even more fraught - than their on-screen one. Wilfrid Brambell was gay and an alcoholic, notorious for his outrageous behaviour (on one infamous occasion he exposed himself to a woman at a party). He routinely told adoring fans who met him in the street to "fuck off". Harry H Corbett was a womaniser who hated his role in Steptoe and died a bitter and disappointed man. When Steptoe finished in 1974, Corbett loathed Brambell. Within three years, the feeling was mutual.'

David Barrie uncovers The Dirty Truth about classic sitcom Steptoe and Son.