As the fairer half of the "Johnny Pace & Harriet" comedy duo in the 1970s, Harriet Littlesmith knows how to hold an audience in the palm of her hand.
A ravishing beauty, television personality and comic talent with an array of hilarious characters, she was a television star, appearing as a regular on the TV game show "The Celebrity Game", and also with her own show on Channel 10 called "Keep Pace With Harriet". If you look at the featured TV TIMES cover from 1976, you can see that in her younger days, she had the star-power of any modern-day TV star. Today, she still knows how to draw a crowd and have them crying with laughter.
Many soap stars would be chuffed to see themselves on a magazine cover and she continues to display the talent, wit and humour that made her such a star. 40 years on since she appeared on that front cover, Harriet proves that age is no barrier to a career in comedy.
Harriet's career achievments include the honour of appearing as the first act at the Sydney Opera House with Johnny Pace (Keep Pace with Harriet) and Rod McKuen (American poet, singer, songwriter and composer). She also featured in the 1977 comedy movie All at Sea.
In both 1975 and 1976, Harriet and her sidekick Johnny Pace, also received "MO Awards" in the Comedy Act category for their achievements in live entertainment in Australia and their time, energy and talents given in aid of charities. Harriet also received the 2014 MO Award for ‘Comedy Act of the Year"
Harriet, now in the NSW Riverina area (Griffith) is still wowing her audiences. She raises money for many charities including: The Rural Fire Service, View Clubs of Australia, Rotary, The Hunter Network of Alzheimer's Australia, Meals-on-Wheels, the Victorian Bushfire Fundraising Appeal and The Lions and Lionesses Clubs of Australia.
"I come from one of the most maligned groups in the country," she says. 'I'm old, I'm a female, I'm white, I've got a pommy accent and a crappy attitude!’
The feisty comic worked her way to Australia in 1970. She paid for her ticket aboard the Oriana by performing with comic partner Johnny Pace throughout the journey. Once on terra firma, offers of work began pouring in for the comedy duo. These included a stint for Harriet on Channel 10 in "The Celebrity Game", in addition to her hugely successful TV show "Keep Pace with Harriet". She also teamed up with English comedian Noel Talbot in "Make em Laugh”
Harriet describes herself as 'a comic, from a million years ago, when it was all tits, arse, feathers and glamour.
'Now I'm old, but with attitude,' she says.
