Ernest Wiseman changed his name (as did his partner) to go into show business. He joined the industry at an early age, appearing as an actor and singer in music hall. His father, Harry, a railway lamp man, was also a semi-professional singer, and they appeared together under the name "Bert Carson and his Little Wonder". In 1939, while still a teenager, he appeared with top British comedian Arthur Askey in his famous Band Waggon show, billed as Britain's Mickey Rooney.

Wise joined forces with Eric Morecambe in 1941, and they became one of the greatest comedy double acts of all time. During World War II, while Morecambe was a Bevin Boy, Wise served in the Merchant Navy.

They made their name in radio, transferring to television in 1954. In 1961 they got their own series on ATV, transferring to BBC 1 in 1968. Over a period of nearly twenty years, they had regular series with both ITV and BBC. In 1976, they were both appointed OBEs.

Wise was commonly regarded as the straight man of the partnership, although his role gradually and subtly changed over the years. When Eddie Braben took over as their chief writer, he enriched Wise's persona by making him more pompous and naive. Wise's character changed from being a conventional straight man into a pretentious and self-satisfied idiot. Braben also made Wise a would-be writer; their classic BBC shows in the 1970s would always climax with an extended sketch, introduced by Ernie as "a play what I wrote." It was in such a "play" that Glenda Jackson, at the height of her career, was made to speak the line "All men are fools, and what makes them so is having beauty like what I have got."

After Morecambe's death from a heart attack (his third) in 1984, Ernie Wise spent some of his time at Boca Raton, Florida, where he had a holiday home. In the UK, he lived in Peterborough for many years next door to singer Edmund Hockridge, before moving to a luxury home on the banks of the River Thames in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Wise appeared regularly as a panellist on the ITV revival of the popular panel show What's My Line? He was a guest several times on Countdown, had a gardening column in the News of the World newspaper and also appeared in several West End plays. In 1990, he wrote his autobiography, called Still On My Way to Hollywood.

After suffering two minor strokes in December 1993 and August 1995, Wise announced his retirement from show business on 27 November 1995, his 70th birthday.

In 1994 Wise wasn't asked by the BBC to take part in the three-part retrospective tribute to Eric Morecambe called Bring Me Sunshine. The first episode was shown on 14 May 1994, and it was hosted by Ben Elton, a huge fan of Morecambe and Wise. Elton cites the duo as a big influence on his career. Those interviewed were John Thaw, Roy Castle, Diana Rigg, Hale & Pace and Fry & Laurie. The BBC at the time said they didn't want "Too many talking heads". However, Wise was invited to take part in Bring Me Sunshine: The Heart and Soul of Eric Morecambe in late 1998, but his health began to deteriorate. The programme was shown on 23 December 1998. Earlier that month, Wise suffered two heart attacks within a week while on holiday, and had to undergo a triple heart bypass in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 22 January 1999. Wise was due to take part in a BBC 1 tribute to Eric Morecambe but had to withdraw due to ill health. In March 1999, he was flown back to the UK by air ambulance and taken to hospital.

Ernie Wise died from heart failure and a chest infection at the Nuffield Hospital, Wexham Street, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire on 21 March 1999.

Wise was married to the dancer Doreen Blythe from 18 January 1953 until his death; they had no children.

In December 2008, it was reported that a statue of Wise would be built in his home town of Morley, West Yorkshire, commissioned by Morley Murals Committee and funded by his widow, Doreen.On 23 September 2009 it was announced that the statue Wise would be completed by the middle of November and unveiled in his home town of Morley on what would have been his 84th birthday, on 27 November 2009.

However, by December 2009, the statue was still lacking the fine finishing details. It was anticipated that the statue would be unveiled in January 2010, to mark the beginning of the new decade, yet the statue was not in place until Sunday 21 February 2010, with the official unveiling completed, by Doreen Wise, on 4 March 2010.

• Ernie Wise made the first mobile phone call in the UK on 1 January 1985 from St Katherine's Dock, East London, to Vodafone's Headquarters in Newbury, Berkshire.

• His 1992 Christmas single was a recommended retail release in Music Week.

• Ernie Wise was an active and long-time participant in the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.