| Des O'Connor | |
|---|---|
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| Born | January 12 1932 Stepney, East London, England |
| Occupation | Singer entertainer Presenter |
| Spouse | Jodie Brooke Wilson (23 September 2007 - present) 1 child;
Jay Rufer (1985 - 1990) (divorced) 1 child; Gillian Vaughan (1960 - 1982) (divorced) 2 children; Phyllis Gill (? - 1958) (divorced) 1 child |
Des O'Connor (born Desmond Bernard O'Connor, 12 January 1932, Stepney, East End, London) is a well-known veteran English television personality.
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Biography
Born in Stepney to an Irish father and a Jewish mother, O'Connor wrote in his autobiography that he is probably the only O'Connor ever to have had a Bar Mitzvah. He was evacuated to Northampton during World War II. After completing his National Service in the Royal Air Force, he entered show business. Before his break in television, his first theatre appearances were in variety, where he appeared in venues throughout the country. He is one of only a handful of British entertainers to be acclaimed internationally on stage and television. When he was given an American series of his show, it went out to over 40 countries and was seen by 200 million people world-wide. On stage he has starred at the MGM Grand Las Vegas, the Sydney Opera House, The O'Keefe Centre, Toronto and has made over 1000 solo appearances at the London Palladium. He has met and worked many personalities of the day, from rock and pop stars, actors and TV performers, to politicians, princes, to luminaries, such as Frank Sinatra, Adam Faith, Sean Connery, Liberace, the Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Tony Blair, and members of the Royal Family. He has toured with Buddy Holly and Jason Donovan.
Television work
At the time of writing in 2007, Des O'Connor has starred in a mainstream TV show in every year since 1963, a feat that only one other television personality has achieved worldwide (US game show host Bob Barker, who hosted mainstream television shows from 1956 until 2007, with 1966-1972 being in syndication). In 2001, he was presented with the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards for his contributions to television. Notable shows hosted by Des O'Connor:
- The Des O'Connor Show (1963–1968)
- Des O'Connor Entertains (1974–1976) - A variety show with guest stars, featuring singing, dancing and comedy sketches.
- Des O'Connor Tonight (1977–2002) - A celebrity chatshow that also featured music and comedy.
- Take Your Pick (1992–1998)
- Des O'Connor Beat School (1999–2000) - A reality show where O'Connor was set the task of turning round the lives of problem children.
- Today with Des and Mel (2002–2006) - A live afternoon chat and light entertainment show co-hosted by Melanie Sykes. The chemistry between the veteran O'Connor and relative newcomer Sykes made the show immensely popular, notably with students, giving O'Connor a whole new fanbase. However, on May 12 2006, ITV announced that the show would be one of a number to be axed in a "painful, but utterly necessary" move[1].
- Countdown (2007-present) - On January 2 2007, Des O'Connor took over from Des Lynam as co-presenter (with Carol Vorderman) of Channel 4's long-running quiz show Countdown.
Singing career
Des O'Connor has had a successful career as a singer, recording 34 albums and selling over 15 million records. His singing ability has been mocked frequently, most notably by legendary British comedians Morecambe and Wise. O'Connor however has always taken criticism in good-humour, even appearing with Morecambe and Wise on their show in a sketch that mocked him.
Singles
- "Careless Hands" (1967)
- "I Pretend" (1968) (UK #1)
- "1-2-3 O'Leary" (1968)
- "Dick-A-Dum-Dum" (King's Road) (1969)
- "Loneliness" (1969)
- "I'll Go On Hoping" (1970)
- "The Tips Of My Fingers" (1970)
- "Feelings"
- "Three Times A Lady"
- "Do That To Me One More Time"
- "I'll Never Love This Way Again"
- "The Very Thought Of You"
- "The Skye Boat Song" (with Roger Whittaker) (1986)
Personal life
Des O'Connor married his fiancée of 17 years, Australian singer, Jodie Brooke Wilson, on September 23 2007.[1] She gave birth to their first child (and O'Connor's fifth), Adam Harrison Campbell, in September 2004. He has four daughters from three previous marriages; Karen with Phyllis, Tracy and Samantha with dancer Gillian Vaughan, and Kristina with Swiss model Jay Rufer.
| Preceded by Des Lynam |
Host of Countdown 2007 – present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by "Baby Come Back" by The Equals |
"I Pretend" - UK number one single July 24, 1968 |
Succeeded by "Mony Mony" by Tommy James & The Shondells |
References
External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | O'Connor, Des |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Singer, entertainer, Presenter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1932-1-12 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Stepney, East London, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
