Desmond Bernard O'Connor (12 January 1932 – 14 November 2020) was an English comedian, singer and television presenter. He was a long-time TV chat-show host, beginning with ''

The Des O'Connor Show ''The Des O'Connor Show'' is a British variety and chat show hosted by Des O'Connor which was broadcast on ITV from 1963 until 1973. History Associated Television produced the programme, which was recorded in black-and-white for the first six ...

'' in 1963, which ran for ten years. He also presented several U.K. television game shows, including ''

Take Your Pick! ''Take Your Pick!'' is a United Kingdom game show originally broadcast by Radio Luxembourg (English), Radio Luxembourg starting in 1952. The show was transferred to television in 1955 with the launch of ITV Network, ITV, where it continued unt ...

'' from 1992 to 1999, and the long-running

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

game show ''

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

'' for two years between 2007 and 2008. O'Connor recorded 36 albums and had four top-ten UK singles, including a number-one hit with " I Pretend", with global sales of more than sixteen million records. Well known for his friendship with comedians

Morecambe and Wise Eric Morecambe (John Eric Bartholomew, 14 May 1926 – 28 May 1984) and Ernie Wise (Ernest Wiseman, 27 November 1925 – 21 March 1999), known as Morecambe and Wise (and sometimes as Eric and Ernie), were an English comic double act, working i ...

, his singing ability was often light-heartedly mocked on their show, with O'Connor taking part in the sketches.

Early life

Desmond Bernard O'Connor was born on 12 January 1932 in Stepney,

East London East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the f ...

, to Maude (''née'' Bassett), a cleaner, and Harry O'Connor, a dustman. His father was of Irish and Jewish descent, and he often joked that he was the first O’Connor to have a bar mitzvah. In his childhood, he had rickets and was later badly injured in a hit-and-run car accident which meant he had to be in an iron lung for six months. He had a brother, William, and a sister, Patricia, one year his junior. He was evacuated to

Northampton Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, where he worked in a shoe factory and was a schoolboy and reserves player with Northampton Town. After completing his

national service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

, he worked as a Redcoat at Butlin's holiday camp in Filey, where he met his first wife Phyllis, and as a shoe salesman at Church's in

, and for United Counties, both on the road and in the office, before entering show business. Prior to his break on television, his first fully professional stage appearance in variety, was in a Newcastle theatre. Later, while he was in

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by populati ...

, he invited the Welsh singer

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...

out on two dates. In 1958, when

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

toured the UK, O'Connor was the show's compère for which he was paid £100 per week.
In 1950 and 1952, he collaborated in songwriting with British singer

Sam Browne General Sir Samuel James Browne, (3 October 1824 – 14 March 1901) was a British Indian Army cavalry officer, known best as the creator of the Sam Browne belt. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the most prestigious award for gallantry ...

and Australian pianist and composer Ray Hartley. The team produced hit songs "Let's Do It Again", "Start Singing A Song", "Yes! Yes! Yes! (I Like Good Old Melody)" and "Why Do I Love You?". O'Connor and Hartley also created the hit song "My Baby Told Me She Loves Me".

Career

Stage

O'Connor appeared at the Glasgow Empire, MGM Grand,

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, the

Opera House An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

, Sydney, and the

O'Keefe Centre Meridian Hall is a major performing arts venue in Toronto, Ontario, and it is the country's largest soft-seat theatre. The facility was constructed for the City of Toronto municipal government and is currently managed by TO Live, an arms-le ...

, Toronto, and made more than one thousand solo appearances at the London Palladium. In late 2011, O'Connor starred in ''

Dreamboats and Petticoats ''Dreamboats and Petticoats'' is a jukebox musical based on popular songs from the fifties and early sixties. The musical, featuring those songs of the rock 'n' roll era, is set around the years 1957 to 1963 and was written by Laurence Marks an ...

'' at the Playhouse Theatre. In May 2012, O'Connor replaced Russell Grant in the West End musical, ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' or ''The Wizard of Oz'' most commonly refers to: *'' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', a 1900 American novel by L. Frank Baum often reprinted as ''The Wizard of Oz'' ** Wizard of Oz (character), from the Baum novel serie ...

'', at the London Palladium, as Professor Marvel, Doorman at the Emerald City, Tour Guide, and The Wizard. In October 2015, O'Connor and

Jimmy Tarbuck James Joseph Tarbuck (born 6 February 1940) is an English comedian, singer, actor, entertainer and game show host. He was a host of ''Sunday Night at the London Palladium'' in the mid-1960s, and hosted numerous game shows and quiz shows on ITV ...

starred in their own one-off show at the London Palladium to raise money for the new Royal Variety Charity. Due to the success of this show, they toured the country in 2016 from April to October. The venues they visited were (in chronological order), the Southampton

Mayflower Theatre Mayflower Theatre (formerly the Gaumont Theatre and originally The Empire Theatre) is a Grade II listed theatre in the city centre of Southampton, England, with a capacity of 2,300. It features West End theatre shows when they tour the United Ki ...

Leeds Grand Theatre The Grand Theatre, also known as Leeds Grand Theatre and Leeds Grand Theatre and Opera House, is a theatre and opera house in Briggate, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It seats approximately 1,500 people. Building It was designed by James Ro ...

, Southend Cliffs Pavilion, Bristol Hippodrome,

Bournemouth International Centre The Bournemouth International Centre (commonly known as the BIC ) in Bournemouth, Dorset, was opened in September 1984. It is one of the largest venues for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events in southern England. Additionally, it ...

, and Milton Keynes Theatre. In 2017, O'Connor and Tarbuck toured the UK again from May to December. The venues they visited included Theatre Royal, Norwich,

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, commonly known as The Grand, is a theatre located on Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton, UK, designed in 1894 by Architect Charles J. Phipps. It is a Grade II Listed Building with a seating capacity of 1200. 1894 ...

Blackpool Opera House The Opera House Theatre is a theatre in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. It is located within the Winter Gardens, a large entertainment complex in the town centre and originally opened in 1889, although it has been rebuilt twice, in 1910 and ...

Princess Theatre, Torquay The Princess Theatre in Torquay, England is a 1,500 seat theatre that first opened its doors on Wednesday 7 June 1961. Top of the bill on opening night were Tommy Cooper and Morecambe & Wise. The theatre is a touring house and shows a variety ...

The Hexagon, Reading The Hexagon is a multi-purpose theatre and arts venue in Reading, Berkshire, England. Built in 1977 in the shape of an elongated hexagon, the theatre is operated by Reading Borough Council under the name "Reading Arts and Venues" along with S ...

, Theatre Royal, Newcastle and

Grand Theatre, Swansea Swansea Grand Theatre is a performing arts venue in the centre of Swansea, Wales. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes and touring theatrical acts visiting Swansea. Swansea Grand Theatre was the base for the UK's only Russian ballet company, th ...

. Until 2019, O'Connor toured theatres around the UK with his one-man show.

Television

O'Connor starred in mainstream television shows in almost every year from 1963 until the 2000s, a feat that only one other television personality has achieved worldwide (U.S. game show host

Bob Barker Robert William Barker (born December 12, 1923) is an American retired television game show host. He is known for hosting CBS's ''The Price Is Right'' from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American televis ...

, who hosted mainstream television shows from 1956 until 2007, with 1966–1972 being in syndication). * Between 1963 and 1971 O'Connor hosted ''

'', a British variety show, for eight series on

ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of: ** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...

. This was followed by ''Des O'Connor Entertains'', a show which ran for two series between 1974 and 1976 and featured singing, dancing, and comedy sketches. In 1969, thirteen editions of the show were sold to NBC in the United States, as a summer replacement for the network's ''

Kraft Music Hall ''The Kraft Music Hall'' was a popular old-time radio variety program, featuring top show business entertainers, which aired first on NBC radio from 1933 to 1949. Radio ''The Kraft Program'' debuted June 26, 1933, as a musical-variety progra ...

''. The series was broadcast in more than forty countries. * Between 1977 and 2002, O'Connor presented his own chat show series entitled ''

Des O'Connor Tonight ''Des O'Connor Tonight'' is a British light entertainment variety show hosted by Des O'Connor. It was originally broadcast on BBC Two from 1977 until 1982, when it moved to ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a Br ...

'' which lasted for seven series on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

and later seventeen on ITV. * From 1992 to 1998 O'Connor presented the game show ''

'' where he met fourth wife Jodie Wilson. In 1995 and 1997 O'Connor compèred the

Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...

. * In January 2001 ITV aired '' An Audience with Des O'Connor''. * From 2002 to 2006 O'Connor co-hosted ''

Today with Des and Mel ''Today with Des and Mel'' was a British television chat show hosted by Des O'Connor (''Des O'Connor Tonight'') and Melanie Sykes. The show featured celebrity guests, phone-in competitions and chat between the hosts. It was produced by Carlto ...

'' opposite

Melanie Sykes Melanie Ann Sykes (born 7 August 1970) is an English television and radio presenter. She is best known for co-hosting ''Today with Des and Mel'' with Des O'Connor and '' Let's Do Lunch'' with Gino D'Acampo. She also co-hosted ''Going Out with Al ...

. The show was a lunchtime light entertainment programme aired on ITV. On 12 May 2006, the channel announced that the show would be one of a number to be axed in a "painful, but utterly necessary" move. * In January 2007, O'Connor replaced Des Lynam as co-presenter of the

game show ''

'' with Carol Vorderman. He left the show in 2008 to spend more time on theatre and entertainment-based projects. In 2009, O'Connor was replaced by sports presenter

Jeff Stelling Robert Jeffrey Stelling (born 18 March 1955) is an English television presenter. He currently presents '' Gillette Soccer Saturday'' for Sky Sports and hosted coverage of the Champions League between 2011 and 2015. He also presented the Chann ...

. * In April 2012, ITV aired '' The One and Only Des O'Connor'', a one-off show that celebrated O'Connor's 80th birthday, with guests including Katherine Kelly, Olly Murs, Robert Lindsay, and Melanie Sykes.

Guest appearances

* O'Connor appeared as a guest on '' The Morecambe and Wise Show'' a number of times. He was the butt of many a joke by Eric Morecambe, being referred to as "Des – short for 'desperate", and "Death O'Connor". One 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!". (O'Connor was actually an old friend of the duo, and even participated in writing many of the "put-downs".) * In May 2012, O'Connor took part in the TV game show '' Would I Lie to You?''. * In December 2012, O'Connor was invited to celebrate 100 years of the

with Bruce Forsyth, Ronnie Corbett, and

. * In December 2012, O'Connor partnered Lee Mack in a celebrity edition of '' Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?''. * In December 2013, O'Connor appeared in a celebrity edition of '' The Chase''. * In October 2014, O'Connor was a panellist on an episode of ''

Through the Keyhole ''Through the Keyhole'' is a British comedy panel game show created by the TV producer Kevin Sim and originally presented by Sir David Frost in the studio and Loyd Grossman on location. The location presenter goes around celebrities' houses and ...

''. * In April 2017, O'Connor was on the panel of ''

Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule ''Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule'' is a British television comedy panel show created, written and presented by Harry Hill and produced by his company Nit Television for ITV ITV or iTV may refer to: ITV *Independent Television (ITV), a Britis ...

''.

Singing

O'Connor had a successful career as a singer, recording 36 albums, five of which reached the

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

of the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

. O'Connor appeared with Morecambe and Wise on several of their Christmas shows. He worked with many pop stars, including Adam Faith,

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

, and

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

. He toured with

(during Holly's 1958 stay in the UK) and

Jason Donovan Jason Sean Donovan (born 1 June 1968) is an Australian actor and singer. He initially achieved fame in the Australian soap ''Neighbours'', playing Scott Robinson, before beginning a career in music in 1988. In the UK he has sold over 3 mi ...

. He recorded four top 10 singles, including " I Pretend" which topped the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1968, and "

The Skye Boat Song "The Skye Boat Song" is a late 19th-century Music of Scotland, Scottish song recalling the journey of Prince Charles Edward Stuart ("Bonnie Prince Charlie") from Benbecula to the Isle of Skye as he evaded capture by government troops after his ...

", a 1986 duet with Roger Whittaker. His singing ability was often parodied on '' The Morecambe & Wise Show'', with O'Connor taking part in the sketches.

Awards and honours

Des O'Connor on Blackpool's Walk of Fame, 2022

O'Connor was the first subject of the second incarnation of the long-running television programme ''

This Is Your Life This Is Your Life may refer to: Television * ''This Is Your Life'' (American franchise), an American radio and television documentary biography series hosted by Ralph Edwards * ''This Is Your Life'' (Australian TV series), the Australian versio ...

'', when the show returned to screens after a five-year absence, produced by

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a Broadcast license, franchise holder for a region of the British ITV (TV network), ITV television network serving Greater London, London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until th ...

. He was surprised live on the stage of the London Palladium by

Eamonn Andrews Eamonn Andrews, (19 December 1922 – 5 November 1987) was an Irish radio and television presenter, employed primarily in the United Kingdom from the 1950s to the 1980s. From 1960 to 1964 he chaired the Radio Éireann Authority (now the RTÉ A ...

in November 1969. In 2001, O'Connor was presented with the Special Recognition Award at the National Television Awards for his contribution to television. In 2002, his autobiography, ''Bananas Can't Fly!'', was published. He was appointed

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(CBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours. A month after his death, ITV aired a tribute, titled ''Des O'Connor: The Ultimate Entertainer'', on 13 December 2020.

Personal life

O'Connor was married four times: # Phyllis Gill (married 1953, divorced 1959; daughter

Karen O'Connor Karen Lende O'Connor (born February 17, 1958) is an American equestrian who competes in three-day eventing. Although she did not come from a family of equestrians, her interest in horses started at an early age, and she received her first hors ...

) # Gillian Vaughan (married 1960, divorced 1982; two daughters) # Jay Rufer (married 1985, divorced 1990, one daughter) # Jodie Brooke Wilson (married September 2007; one son)

Death

On 14 November 2020, O'Connor died in his sleep in hospital, aged 88, following a fall at his home in

Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...

a week earlier. In a January 2021 interview, his widow Jodie revealed that in 2017, he had been diagnosed with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

, although he thought that he had suffered from effects of it for a few years previously. The episode of ''

'' broadcast on 16 November 2020 was dedicated to his memory.

Selected discography

Albums

Compilation albums

Singles

References

External links

* *
Entry at 45cat.com

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Des 1932 births 2020 deaths 20th-century English comedians 21st-century English comedians 20th-century English singers 21st-century English singers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English game show hosts English male singers English crooners Jewish singers English Jews English television presenters English television personalities Jewish English musicians Northampton Town F.C. players English people of Irish descent Footballers from Stepney Butlins Redcoats Columbia Graphophone Company artists Pye Records artists Traditional pop music singers English television talk show hosts Association footballers not categorized by position English footballers Accidental deaths from falls Singers from London English autobiographers 20th-century British male singers 21st-century British male singers Military personnel from London Royal Air Force airmen 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel