Wasn't he in an advert for John Smiths before the days of Peter Kay? I seem to remember he had a gorgeous assistant for everything including tending his private bar, which served only whatever the product was. I think it was John Smiths...it could have been another canned beer.
He did the Banks's Original adverts (seriously smooth) not John Smiths. The brewery is just over the road from me and they had his poster up on the wall a few years ago.