Peter Elliott

The son of a Blackfriar’s publican, former ballet dancer Peter Elliott had been diving since the age of 12. He burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old in 1948, when he captured the Middlesex and Southern Counties springboard titles, before going onto take the national 1-metre title. This gained him selection for the London Olympics. At the Games, he caught his toes on the board while attempting a reverse dive, which cost him dearly, and brought a final placing of 23rd.

Elliott retained his national title in 1949, and won it for the third consecutive year in 1950 before regaining it in 1952. He was also the New York State diving champion in 1955, which he entered while visiting the USA. After a second Olympics appearance in 1952, Elliott was in big demand for exhibitions and appeared in the popular Aquashow.

In the mid-to-late-1950s, Elliott sought a change of direction and joined the “pop” revolution, becoming a singer, with his début single To The Aisle (1957), being a minor hit. He appeared on the same bill as the British singing sensation of the day, Cliff Richard. Elliott also appeared on the West End stage in the musicals Guys and Dolls and Wish You Were Here. He was also the regular ballad singer on the popular TV music programme Oh Boy. Elliott spent his later years living in Malta.