James Brown Whittaker (born Peter Williams; 20 August 1937 – 14 March 2018), known professionally as Jim Bowen, was an English stand-up comedian, actor and television personality. He was the long-time host of the ITV game show Bullseye, which he presented from its beginning in 1981 through to the end of its original run in 1995. In early adulthood Bowen was a teacher and took part in local dramatic groups. He first appeared on television in The Comedians (1971) and he eventually devoted himself to comedy full-time, appearing in other television shows in the 1970s. After the popular Bullseye, he subsequently worked for various radio stations and toured with stand-up shows. Towards the end of his life he was affected by a number of strokes. Early life Bowen was born in Heswall, Wirral, Cheshire, to an unmarried mother and was adopted at nine months from an orphanage in Wirral, by a working-class couple, Joe Whittaker, a World War I veteran and his wife, Annie Whittaker; who were both from Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire. He grew up in Clayton-le-Moors, just outside Accrington, where Joe was a bricklayer for Accrington's Nori brick factory and Annie worked as a weaver at Atlas Street Mill. He was educated at Accrington Grammar School, but failed all but one of his O-levels and subsequently worked as a dustman in Burnley. He later changed his name to James Whittaker. During his National Service, Bowen served in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps from 1955 to 1957 as an ammunition inspector with the rank of Corporal. After making a serious error during the Suez Crisis (which he sent the wrong batch of ammunition to Barry Docks), he was sent on a Physical Training course in Aldershot to become an instructor, and later became a school Physical Education teacher specialising in gymnastics. He studied at Chester Diocesan Training College, eventually becoming a deputy headmaster of Caton Primary School near Lancaster. Television While teaching, Bowen became involved with the local dramatic society which kindled his interest in show business. In the 1960s, he worked part-time as a stand-up comedian on the northern club circuit, balancing his comedy career with his day job as a teacher. After having become disillusioned with his teaching career, he was inspired to take up comedy full-time, after seeing Ken Dodd perform a well-received show in front of 3,500 in Blackpool. He took his stage name from his wife's