Life after Lofty: where did it all go wrong for Don Estelle?

• In the summer of 1975, Don Estelle was at the peak of his powers. As Gunner ‘Lofty’ Sugden, he starred in the BBC sitcom It Ain’t Half Hot Mum, which was attracting more than 15 million viewers every week, and his novelty pop song Whispering Grass, a duet with actor Windsor Davies, was a number one hit, earning the pair an appearance on Top of the Pops. “I felt on top of the world,” said Estelle.