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Biography
see also|Desmond O'Connor (cabaret performer)Infobox person| name = Des O'Connor| birth_name = Desmond Bernard O'Connor| birth_date = Birth date and age|1932|01|12|df=y| birth_place = Stepney , East End of London|East London , England | occupation = Presenter|Broadcaster , musician , comedian | nationality = British nationality law|British | ethnicity = White British | years_active= 1956–present| television = nowrap|'' The Des O'Connor Show (1963–71) Des O'Connor Entertains (1974–76) Des O'Connor Tonight (1977–2002) Take Your Pick (1992–98) Today with Des and Mel (2002–06) Countdown (game show)|Countdown (2007–08) | spouse = marriage|Phyllis Gill|1953|1959 (divorced); 1 daughter marriage|Gillian Vaughan|1960|1982 (divorced); 2 daughters marriage|Jay Rufer|1985|1990 (divorced); 1 daughter marriage|Jodie Brooke Wilson|23 September 2007; 1 son, Adam.| website = URL| http://www.des-oconnor.com/'''Des O'Connor , Order of the British Empire|CBE (born Desmond Bernard O'Connor' on 12 January 1932) is an England|English comedian and Singing|singer . A former talkshow host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown (game show)|Countdown for two years. He has also recorded thirty-six albums and has had four top-ten singles, including a number one hit with I Pretend .
Biography
O'Connor was born on 12 January 1932 in Stepney , East End of London|East London to Maude (née Bassett) and Harry O'Connor. O'Connor has a sister, Patricia, who is one year his junior. He wrote in his autobiography , Bananas Can't Fly!, that he is probably the only O'Connor ever to have had a Bar Mitzvah . He was evacuated to Northampton during World War II and was briefly a professional footballer with Northampton Town.cite web|url= http://www.mcleodagency.co.uk/Detail.aspx? ActID=19& CatID=29 |title=Book Des O'Connor - Celebrities from |publisher=The Mcleod Agency |date=1932-01-12 |accessdate=2012-03-30 After completing his National Service in the Royal Air Force , he worked as a shoe salesman before entering show business . Before his break in television, his first theatre appearances were in variety, where he appeared in venues throughout the country.
On stage he has starred at the MGM Grand Las Vegas , the Sydney Opera House , The O'Keefe Centre , Toronto and has made over 1,000 solo appearances at the London Palladium .Citation needed|date=January 2011 He has worked with many personalities of the day, from rock and pop stars, actors and TV performers, to politicians, princes, to luminaries such as FrankSinatra , Adam Faith , Sean Connery , Liberace , The Beatles , Shirley Bassey , Barbra Streisand , Robert Redford , Tony Blair , and members of the Royal Family .Citation needed|date=January 2011 He has toured with Buddy Holly (during Holly's 1958 stay in England) and Jason Donovan .
He was the very first special guest on the second - and most popular - incarnation of the long-running TV guest show This Is Your Life (UK TV series)|This Is Your Life .cite web|url= http://www.eofftv.com/t/thi/this_is_your_life_1969_main.htm |title=This Is Your Life (1969 - 1993) @ EOFFTV |publisher=Eofftv.com |date= |accessdate=2012-03-30
He was appointed a Order of the British Empire|Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.London Gazette |issue=58729 |date=14 June 2008 |startpage=8 |supp=yes
Marriages
# Phyllis Gill (married 1953, divorced 1959); 1 daughter, Karen O'Connor cite news|url= http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-423035/Why-I-love-Dad-OConnor----74.html | location=London | work=Daily Mail | title=Why I love being Dad O'Connor ..... at 74 | date=16 December 2006 # Gillian Vaughan (married 1960, divorced 1982); 2 daughters, TJ O'Connor, Samantha O'Connor # Jay Rufer (married 1985, divorced 1990); 1 daughter, Kristina O'Connor cite news|url= http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1097075/DJs-sacked-porn-star-slur-Des-OConnors-daughter.html|title=DJs sacked after 'porn star' slur on Des O'Connor's daughter|publisher=Daily Mail|date=2008-01-18|accessdate=2008-12-18 | location=London | first=Ryan | last=Kisiel # Jodie Brooke Wilson (married 16 September 2007); 1 son Adam O'Connor http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html? in_article_id=483829& in_page_id=1773& ito=1490/Des O'Connor weds fourth wife after 17-year romance
Television work
Des O'Connor has starred in a mainstream TV show in almost 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 (1963–1971)
''Des O'Connor Entertains (1974–76) - 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 (1992–98)
Today with Des and Mel (2002–06) - A live afternoon chat and light entertainment show co-hosted by Melanie Sykes . On 12 May 2006, ITV announced that the show would be one of a number to be axed in a "painful, but utterly necessary" move. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4765727.stm News.bbc.co.uk
Countdown (game show)|Countdown (2007–08) - On 2 January 2007, Des O'Connor took over from Des Lynam as co-presenter (with Carol Vorderman ) of Channel 4 's long-running quiz show Countdown . He left the show in 2008 to spend more time on theatre and entertainment-based projects; his co-host Carol Vorderman has also since left. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7522099.stm BBC News Entertainment Des O'Connor to leave Countdown 25 July 2008
'' The One and Only Des O'Connor '' (2012) - An upcoming one-off chatshow. It will host Paul O'Grady , Katherine Kelly (actress)|Katherine Kelly , Robert Lindsay (actor)|Robert Lindsay , Melanie Sykes and more. It will be hosted on ITV . http://www.itv.com/presscentre/pressreleases/programmepressreleases/theoneandonlydesoconnor/default.html The One and Only Des O'Connor ITV news, Monday, 19 March 2012, 7:07PM. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
He appeared in a 2008 Tesco Christmas advert singing ' The Christmas Song '.
Des O'Connor also appeared as a guest on the Morecambe And Wise show. He was the butt of many a joke or jibe by Morecambe, being referred to as "Des - short for 'desperate'", and "Death O'Connor". One famous line, sung to the tune of 'Crazy Words - Crazy Tune' was, "Roses are red, violets are blue, Des can't sing, we know that's true !".
Singing career
O'Connor has had a successful career as a singer, recording thirty six albums,cite news| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7522099.stm | work=BBC News | title=Des O'Connor to leave Countdown | date=23 July 2008 | accessdate=1 May 2010 five of which reached the Top 40 of the UK Albums Chart . His singing ability has been mocked frequently, notably by United Kingdom|British comedians Morecambe and Wise over many years and, more recently, Ricky Gervais .Citation needed|date=January 2011 O'Connor has always taken criticism in good humour, even appearing with Morecambe and Wise on their 1975 Christmas Show in a sketch that mocked him. He got his own back on the 1976 Christmas Show when he was in the firing squad at the end of the main sketch.
In 1969, thirteen of his variety hours were sold to NBC in the United States, as a summer replacement for the network's Kraft Music Hall . This series was broadcast in more than forty countries and was seen by 200 million people worldwide.Citation needed|date=January 2011
Just For You - 20 Special Songs ( Warwick Records (UK)|Warwick ) (1979)
Remember Romance - 20 Great Love Songs ( Warwick Records (UK)|Warwick ) (1980)
Now - 16 Classic Songs (Telstar) (1984)
References
Reflist
External links
imdb name|id=0640300|name=Des O'Connor
http://www.des-oconnor.com/ Official Des O'Connor website
start boxsuccession box| before= Michael Miles | title=Host of Take Your Pick | years=1992–1998 | after=N/A succession box| before= Des Lynam | title=Host of Countdown (game show)|Countdown | years=2007–2008 | after= Jeff Stelling end box
Persondata|NAME= O'Connor, Des |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Singing|Singer , entertainer , Presenter |DATE OF BIRTH= 12 January 1932 |PLACE OF BIRTH= Stepney , London , England |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH=
Countdown (game show) DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Des Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Countdown (game show) Category:English game show hosts Category:English male singers Category:English television presenters Category:English television personalities Category:Northampton Town F.C. players Category:People from Stepney Category:1932 births Category:Living people Category:Butlins Redcoats Category:Pye Records artists
