TELEVISION viewers were given a taste of what the British Forces Foundation is all about when chairman Jim Davidson was the star guest on the ITV programme That's Esther.

The show, broadcast in May, featured a special film made on the work of the charity which included tributes from the likes of legendary actor Sir John Mills, comedian Bradley Walsh and pop sensations Atomic Kitten.

Host Esther Rantzen interviewed Jim at his 12th century squire's manor house in Surrey. During a tour of his home he showed her and the viewers some of the military items and photographs which hold special memories for him. Esther asked him if he had ever been in the Army.

"I wanted to join the Navy when I was a kid but I grew out of that," said Jim. "But I have joined the army twice - once to go to Beirut in 1983 for insurance purposes and the other time when I went to Saudi to entertain the troops because the Saudis don't like any public entertainment. I rejoined the army for a week and went as a colonel in some SSVC regiment or something - I had my hair cut and everything."

Jim explained to Esther why he feels so passionately about the men and women of Britain's Armed Forces.

"I think it's because they do something I couldn't do. The reason I really got started into it was the Falklands War. I'd always gone around to entertain the troops in Northern Ireland and Cyprus and everywhere and suddenly all these young blokes I was entertaining and having a beer with were off doing what they actually joined up to do."

The Meridian programme's film on the work of the BFF featured clips from the spectacular Christmas Show on board HMS Invincible.

Sir John Mills said on That's Esther: "The BFF is vitally important because the troops need the entertainment very, very badly. They are very appreciative, great audiences to play to, so when you appear in front of them you realise how important it is."

Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton and Liz McClarnon endorsed those sentiments. "They can be thousands of miles away from home, missing family and friends for so long," said Natasha. "The BFF gives them that sense of not feeling they're alone."

Liz added: "British troops work for everybody in their country - they are our front line and we really should keep them happy."

Comedian Bradley Walsh, who also performed on the Christmas Show, said: "Partly you feel like you're helping, that's what's great about it. You haven't just come to be funny, or come to sing or come to dance - you actually feel like you're doing your bit."

That's Esther also interviewed BFF Director Mark Cann. "It's so important to convey the message to the men and women of Armed Forces that we really care about the state of mind they're in and reassure them there is terrific support for the work and sacrifices they put in," he said.

Esther asked Jim what had given him the idea of setting up a charity to entertain the troops?

"I went to the Falklands about four years ago and I noticed the atmosphere was a bit odd," explained Jim. "I asked 'what's matter aren't you enjoying the show' and they said 'it's not that, we have to pay now for these CSE shows out of our welfare money - the government now doesn't pay for us to have this entertainment'.

"I found out that the government now takes what they used to give to CSE to spend on their artists and they split that cake up and give a bit to each garrison and they can spend that on what ever they want - like a new playground for the children or telephone cards.

"So these troops said 'we have to pay to see certain groups we don't really want which are old hat yet we can't watch the live rugby'.

"I thought why pay for it all, why don't I just do what the Americans do? The United Service Organisation in America gets money from American industry and they put these shows on - so I started to do the same.

"Now not only do I try to persuade big artists to work for nothing - the little artists like musicians still have to be paid of course - but I also try to persuade British industry to pay for that."

Esther congratulated Jim on the work of the charity and accused him of "not being the tough hard bad lad you'd like to appear but being a bit of a softie"!

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