Varney had made only a small number of film and TV appearances prior to being cast in the role of long-suffering factory foreman Reg Turner in the BBC television sitcom
The Rag Trade (1961–1963), which made him a household name. He was aware that he was the only performer without West End acting experience and worked hard to make up for it. Slightly later, he starred in a children's show for BBC TV called
The Valiant Varneys (1964–65), performing multiple characters in front of a live audience. After that followed another comedy role in
Beggar My Neighbour (1966–1968); this also starred
Pat Coombs,
June Whitfield and
Peter Jones. Pat Coombs played the wife of Varney's character. Varney featured in ''
The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery'' (1966) with
Frankie Howerd,
Dora Bryan and
George Cole. The world's first voucher-based
cash dispensing machine (ATM) was installed at the
Enfield Town branch of
Barclays Bank. Varney was living in
Enfield at the time and for publicity purposes he was photographed making the first withdrawal from the machine on Tuesday 27 June 1967. Varney's most successful lead role was in the
LWT sitcom
On the Buses (1969–1973) as bus driver Stan Butler. Varney took considerable lengths to prepare for the role, even attempting to gain a
public service vehicle licence so that he could be filmed driving on the open road. However, Varney was not insured so LWT had to employ professional drivers for these scenes. Three spin-off films were made —
On the Buses (1971),
Mutiny on the Buses (1972) and
Holiday on the Buses (1973). Varney was 52 when the first series was recorded, although his character Stan, who lived with his mother and often tried to attract young women, was implied to be aged around 35. Varney was only 11 years younger than
Doris Hare, the main actress who played Stan's mother, and 20 years older than
Anna Karen who played his sister. Varney left the series midway through its last season, hoping to move on to films and other projects. Ultimately, he only appeared in one further non-
Buses film,
The Best Pair of Legs in the Business (1973), and two television series, both made by
ATV for the ITV network: an eponymously titled
sketch show (1973–74) and another sitcom, ''
Down the 'Gate (1975–76), which was set in Billingsgate Fish Market. However neither series replicated his success with On the Buses
, and after Down the Gate
was dropped after 12 episodes, Varney did not star in another television series. LWT revived The Rag Trade'' in 1977 but Varney did not reprise his role, though
Anna Karen did play Olive. He later worked as an entertainer on cruise ships and toured Australia with his one-man show. He told an interviewer, "Whatever I did after
On the Buses, nobody wanted to know about it. But I can't knock the programme because it brought me offers to do concert tours in Australia, New Zealand and Canada." At the height of his fame he was a subject of the television programme
This Is Your Life on 20 May 1970 when he was surprised by
Eamonn Andrews, making further appearances in programmes featuring
Doris Hare,
Douglas Bader,
June Whitfield and
Anthony Newley. Varney released several LP albums during his career – see Discography, below. == Retirement ==