Now fully recovered local comedian Howard, together with friends Janet and Howard Silverman, decided to raise money for Take Heart, the charity for the Yorkshire Heart Centre at the LGI.

The trio will host a charity cabaret evening at the Alea Casino, Royal Armouries in Clarence Dock and they have gained the support of Leeds legend Sir Jimmy Savile OBE.

Mr Lee said he was delighted to receive the backing of Sir Jimmy and said he would never be able to fully repay the LGI nursing staff and doctors on Ward 18.

"They were unbelievable. I owe them big time and the only way I know how to show my gratitude is to put on a show for them," he said.

"Janet works at the LGI as a nurse on the coronary ward and came in to see me every day. She was so supportive. But to have Jimmy there will be the icing on the cake."

The event, on Thursday, March 25 (7.30pm) will feature Leeds-based cabaret band Alan Harris and Hot Rhythm and Dynamite, David Apfel, Clayton Woods, Lee Lambert and international star Laurie Briggs.

Janet and her husband Howard are keen supporters of Onstage, which is staged at the Queens Arms in Leeds and is the brainchild of Howard Lee.

"We think Howard is a fantastic guy and we knew he wanted to stage a concert using Onstage performers, so we suggested the Take Heart charity to him," Janet said.

"We invited Sir Jimmy to come along as our special guest because of his involvement with so many services in the NHS."

Sir Jimmy joked: "What do you mean involvement? Goodness, gracious, I practically own the NHS.

"But my contribution to the concert was simply because Howard and Janet asked me to do it. I'm what is known in the profession as a mensch."

Sir Jimmy, the first and last presenter on Top Of the Pops, says his participation will entail "sitting down, relaxing, smiling at people and drinking the odd whisky".

He added: "I might even be persuaded to be drawn into the proceedings but who knows?

"They've put me on the poster as 'special guest' but I'm not sure what that means. Everyone who turns up in my opinion is a special guest."

Sir Jimmy, who had his own column in the Sunday People for 27 years, says he is always "looking for an angle".

"And the angle for this event is that we would like to give away two complimentary tickets for the show to a Jewish Telegraph reader who can come up with the funniest caption for the photograph of Janet and me."

Tickets, priced £7.50, are available from Howard Silverman on 07885 885 330 or Janet on 07702 05 1189

Entries should be sent to Take Heart competition, Jewish Telegraph, 1 Shaftesbury Avenue, Leeds LS8 1DR or email competitions@jewishtelegraph.com by March 19