But there's a first time for everything and this ageing comic finally won me over.
You can't help but warm to him as he introduces some very well-known faces and one or two quite well-known jokes.
He held the show together and hit the mark with an audience that was probably a little over retirement age. No surprise really, when the average age of the turns was nudging 70.
First up was good old Norman Collier, allegedly 83. Yes, he does the chicken routine, and yes, he still does that microphone thing too.
But he got some of the biggest laughs of the night for his jokes, and rightly so. Probably on first so he can get tucked up with some cocoa. It was a three-hour show so staying on until later might have been too much.
Did you enjoy a bit of Nookie a few years back? We had our share last night but it was over rather too quickly. Roger de Courcey's ironic opening gambit is "for those who've never seen me before...". His cheeky little bear made a ten minute appearance at the end of his amusing ramble of a set.
Anyone who was expecting to see Buck's Fizz might have been disappointed. There was only Bobby from the line-up that conquered Europe, plus three others. Nice karaoke to end part one.
As for Faith Brown, she always was a bit of an oddball. She did a good Susan Boyle but the rest of her act was on another planet...
And so to the star turns, a completely bald Tommy and truly little Bobby, with a rather impressive paunch.
The boys ran through the comedy that made them famous. And it did go down very well, the interaction with the fans at the front showing they've still got what it takes.
