Towards the end of the 1960's the theatrical world was in turmoil, the Tiller Girls were appearing regularly on TV in large shows like the Billy Cotton Band Show, and Sunday Night at the London Palladium however things were hard behind the scenes.

Barbara Aitken and Mr Smith had spent their whole life running the Tiller Girls, and were feeling the strain. Young Girls with the correct attitude for the very hard work were harder to find and demanding more wages for the TV work, although the income from this work was hardly enough to cover the Bills. Equity called a strike for more wages for actors that left the company with little work or income for over nine months, many of the girls finding work elsewhere. Eventually the running of the Tiller Girls was taken over by the impresario Robert Luff. 

Robert presented the live Black and White Minstrel Show twice nightly for 10 years between 1962 and 1972 and 6,477 performances, the Black and White Minstrel Show broke all records at the Victoria Palace theatre in London. The brainchild of George Inns and George Mitchell, and originally conceived as a one-off 45-minute television show from the Earls Court radio and TV exhibition.

With his experience of the industry Robert seemed a good choice to take over the the running of the popular Tiller Girls, he took over the business in 1973. However soon after this the Black and White Minstrel show started to be looked on as not very politically correct and eventually disappeared. Although the Tiller Girls remained through the 1970's appearing in London and summer shows, costs were prohibitive for such a large show and few could afford the costs.