In 1958, after he had appeared in five Royal Variety Performances, and while he was still at the peak of his career, the British tax authorities began to make substantial demands that Locke declined to meet. Eventually he fled the country for Ireland, where he lay low for several years. When his differences with the tax people were eventually settled, Locke relaunched his career in England with tours of the northern variety clubs and summer seasons at Blackpool's Queen's Theatre in 1968 and 1969 before retiring to County Kildare, emerging for the occasional concert in England. He later appeared on British and Irish television and in November 1984 was given a lengthy 90-minute tribute in honour of his award he was to be receiving at the Olympia theatre commentating his career in show business on Gay Byrne's "The Late Late Show". He made many appearances on the BBC TV's long running variety show "The Good Old Days".