Les Dennis bans publican from naming pub after him

15-Jul-2019 - Last updated on 15-Jul-2019 at 10:39 GMT

Les of that: licensee Jake Goldstein claims Les Dennis refused permission to have his pub named after him

A publican said he was left ‘distraught’ after television presenter Les Dennis reportedly told him he couldn’t name his pub after him.

Jake Goldstein, who had just taken over the Globe pub in Brighton, East Sussex – which closed last March – wanted to name the watering hole in Les Dennis’s honour.

Given his obsession with the TV star, he had dreams of calling the pub the ‘Les Dennis Lounge’.

Heartbroken licensee

However, Dennis – best known for presenting Family Fortunes from 1987 to 2001 – reportedly turned down the offer and refused to have the boozer named after him.

Goldstein has since filmed himself delivering a heartfelt message to Les Dennis, entailing his “heartbreak” around the rejection.

In a video, posted on YouTube, he questioned: “All I wanted was to open a lovely little bar in Brighton for all little Les Dennises in the world to play, but you had to ruin it, didn’t you, Les?

“When we called you up, full of hope, can we open the Les Dennis Lounge, your name in lights Les, you seemed so into it.

“A whole pub in your honour, Les, but you turned it down.”

Childhood idol

Goldstein told The Morning Advertiser his inspiration behind the naming and how Dennis agreed at first, until his agent advised him otherwise.

“I wanted to name the pub after Les because he was a childhood idol and I grew up with him on the television,” he explained.

“He is also quite a funny character – who doesn’t take himself too seriously – and that’s exactly the atmosphere we wanted for the bar.

“He seemed to like it at first, but then his agent said no due to the fact if anything went wrong at the bar, it could reflect badly on him.”

Despite the rejection, Goldstein said he is finding other ways of creating “enough of a Les Dennis atmosphere” in his newly acquired pub – by plastering memorabilia over the walls.

Celebrity memorabilia

He added that pictures of other ‘old school’ celebrities will decorate the pub to make sure that Les isn’t alone.

Furthermore, pubgoers will have the opportunity to wear Les Dennis masks while sampling a ‘bittersweet’ Les Dennis cocktail, available on the bar menu.

The pub, which opened last Friday (12 July), is now called the Cease and Desist instead.

Goldstein concluded: “It will be like an American late-night dive bar with lots of random stuff on the walls, lots of whiskey and greasy food, which will be served until 1am, and bands playing – a place for a good time.”