Confusion with other characters Retired headteacher Hilda Brabban created an unrelated set of characters also named Bill and Ben. These have been confused with the Flower Pot Men, including in the initial versions of two obituaries of Brabban, published in The Independent and BBC's in-house magazine Ariel respectively. The confusion also affected the BBC panel show QI, where host Stephen Fry in the 2004 episode Bills mistakenly claimed Brabban had named the Flower Pot Men characters after her younger brothers. All three sources later corrected their statements. Brabban sold three stories about a Bill and Ben to the BBC in the 1950s; but other than their names, they bore no resemblance to the Flower Pot Men. Brabban's stories were broadcast on the radio programme Listen with Mother in 1951; the Bill and Ben of the Flower Pot Men were first seen on the television programme Watch with Mother in 1952. Both programmes were produced by Freda Lingstrom. During her later life Brabban suffered a stroke and later maintained she did invent the characters used in the BBC series; this prompted lawyers, acting on behalf of the estate of the show's creator, Freda Lingstrom, to threaten Brabban with litigation if she appeared on television to propagate this claim.
confusion with other characters retired headteacher hilda brabban created an unrelated set of characters also named bill and ben these have been confused with the flower pot men including in the initial versions of two obituaries of brabban published in the independent and bbc's in-house magazine ariel respectively the confusion also affected the bbc panel show qi where host stephen fry in the 2004 episode bills mistakenly claimed brabban had named the flower pot men characters after her younger brothers all three sources later corrected their statements brabban sold three stories about a bill and ben to the bbc in the 1950s; but other than their names they bore no resemblance to the flower pot men brabban's stories were broadcast on the radio programme listen with mother in 1951; the bill and ben of the flower pot men were first seen on the television programme watch with mother in 1952 both programmes were produced by freda lingstrom during her later life brabban suffered a stroke and later maintained she did invent the characters used in the bbc series; this prompted lawyers acting on behalf of the estate of the show's creator freda lingstrom to threaten brabban with litigation if she appeared on television to propagate this claim