Frank (portrayed by Bobby Ball) was the father of the main character, Lee, and is first introduced in the episode titled "Absent Father Christmas". Frank appeared in seventeen episodes, and was one of the main characters of the show before Bobby Ball's passing.
Pre-series[]
Frank was born out of a love affair between his biological mother and a Luftwaffe pilot who she met through her volunteering as a military nurse at a German prisoner-of-war camp, while his mother's husband worked long shifts as a bus driver.
Frank abandoned Lee as a child, leaving him and his mother to care for themselves whilst he moved away to Bangkok to spend time with his girlfriend. Frank re-appeared in Lee's life four and a half years later. Because of this, Frank and Lee have a very loose relationship, as stated by Lee in Frank's first on-screen appearance. In the past, he worked in the freezer department in the supermarket chain Asda, but like his son, barely worked a day in his life. Frank's only jobs while on-screen were as a temporary shopping centre Father Christmas in the episode Absent Father Christmas, and as a temporary elf in the episode Christmas Shopping. In the episode The True Meaning of Christmas, we find out Frank's life savings were just enough to purchase a cheap trampoline from a man in the local pub.
In the Christmas special, The House, it is revealed that Frank has turned up at the house where Lee and Lucy and Daisy are staying along with Lucy's parents, to enjoy Christmas with an old flame. He pretends that there's ghostly goings on just so he can get rid of the unwanted visitors.
In the 2021 Christmas special, Panto, it is revealed that Frank had passed away sometime prior to the episode.
Trivia[]
- Bobby Ball passed away in 2020, his last appearance as Frank was in the Series 11 episode 'War' which aired on 5th February 2021, a special tribute to Ball along with a montage of Frank's highlights was shown after the episode in honour of Ball, the montage was accompanied with the song 'Laugh Me a Laugh, Grin Me a Grin' sung by Cannon and Ball.
- Lee Mack alluded in an interview to the possibility of Series 12 opening with a funeral for Frank with a range of comedians in attendance from Ball's era as Frank's dodgy friends whom Lee never met, in addition Mack has stated he would wish to have Tommy Cannon, the other half of Ball's comedic duo Cannon and Ball, as the priest overseeing the service, having previously played the priest who officiated Lee and Lucy's wedding.
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