Kenny Everett, who died of AIDS in April 1995, was one of the best-loved broadcasters of the last 30 years. His irreverent and anarchic style transformed radio, and influenced some of the biggest names in broadcasting today. His career spanned, and helped to shape, the key moments in broadcasting history: pirate radio, the birth of Radio 1 and the start of commercial radio.

On television his outrageous sketches, with a cast of characters that included the punk Sid Snot and the drag queen Cupid Stunt and the catchphrase, "All in the best possible taste", won fans all over the world. But away from the TV and radio studios, Kenny Everett was a sad and sometimes desperate man with a bizarre and contradictory private life. Although married for 12 years, he was a homosexual and ended up living in a menage a trois with a Russian soldier and a Spanish waiter. Coming to terms with his homosexuality led him to attempt suicide. Yet, he was one of the best-known celebrities to "come out" publicly and later to declare that he had AIDS.

This book, by David Lister, looks at what really drove Kenny Everett. It examines Everett's talent, and investigates the effects of Catholicism on the boy who trained to be a priest but instead became a popular entertainer. The author has spoken to many of the people closest to Everett, including an interview with his ex-wife, his parents and sister. The book also explores the glamour of Everett's friendship with the Beatles, Elton John and Freddie Mercury.

First published: Thursday 29th August 1996