Eighties icons The Krankies unrecognisable 45 years later after 'swinging' confession

Ian Tough may be 78, but the pensioner will always be known for being 'dad' to his 4ft 5in wife, Janette. For the couple are better known as Scottish comedy duo The Krankies, which saw Janette, now also 78, playing naughty schoolboy Wee Jimmy Krankie (catchphrase: "Fandabidozi!") and Ian portraying the father.

They first found fame on the Royal Variety Performance in 1978, before becoming regulars on children's TV, starring on shows including Crackerjack before getting their own series, including The Krankies Klub to The Krankies Elektronik Komik.

Something of a revival followed when they appeared on Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders' TV shows in the 1990s, not to mention a string of popular pantomime dates.

But then came a bombshell. Back in 2019 the couple spoke exclusively to the Mirror to dismiss suggestions from mate Christopher Biggins that political correctness had spelled doom for their innuendo-packed performances. Instead, they disclosed that health troubles had tragically compelled Wee Jimmy to retire his school uniform permanently.

"I was diagnosed with osteoporosis three years ago," revealed Janette, then 73. "My back's not good and I can't do as much as I used to. So, when Ian and I went off on a Caribbean cruise to celebrate our golden wedding last month we decided it's time to put our feet up."

Their act never drew criticism until 2017, during their stint in Dick Whittington alongside their mate John Barrowman. "One woman called it smutty" Janette recalled. "We did a scene in bed with John. Wee Jimmy said 'I can feel your Tinkie Winkie' and pulled out a Teletubby. Then John said 'No – this is MY Tinkie-Winkie' and pulled out a big one."

The couple also admitted to "a bit of a wild spell" in their sex lives. "We just had a bit of a wild spell when we had lots of fun – our Dirty Thirties," Ian admitted. While Janette continued: "We were doing a revue act in 1981, which featured a magician who had a leopard named Scorpio in his act.

"He had a lion tamer named Rocky and an assistant named Angie – so I had a little ding-dong with Rocky and Ian did the same with Angie. Ian used to joke that I'd come home smelling of leopard while he'd get back with glitter on his bits. We had an anywhere, anytime attitude to sex but we each knew what the other was doing.

""But as we got more famous on kids' TV we were playing with fire. We didn't want kiss and tell stories coming out, so we calmed down."

So what's become of the much-loved duo now? Despite saying they were retiring in 2019 – with Janette still experiencing the ill-effects of an horrific panto fall when she fractured her skull in the early noughties – the couple have continued to appear on TV, including GB News's Mark Dolan Tonight and as panellists on this show.

And earlier this year Janette told the Scottish Sun how she was fed up with hearing former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon compared to her schoolboy alter-ego.

Former SNP leader Ms Sturgeon has endured the jibe for much of her 26-year career in politics. In 2019, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson went as far as calling his rival as "that b****y Wee Jimmy Krankie woman" in a rant to aides, after it was suggested she should host the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.