Des O'Connor

Desmond Bernard ***"Des" O'Connor***, CBE (born January 12, 1932) is an English comedian, broadcaster and singer. A former chat show host, he was the presenter of the long-running Channel 4 gameshow Countdown for two years. He has also recorded 36 albums and has had four top-ten singles, including a number-one hit with "I Pretend", with global sales of more than ten million records.

After completing his National Service in the Royal Air Force, he worked as a shoe salesman at Church's in Northampton, and for United Counties, both on the road and in the office, 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, O'Connor has starred at the Glasgow Empire, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, the Opera House, Sydney and the O'Keefe Centre, Toronto, and has made more than one thousand solo appearances at the London Palladium.

O'Connor has worked with many famous people, 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, Shirley Bassey, Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford, Cilla Black, Tony Blair and members of the Royal Family. Des pretended to faint at the Glasgow Empire theatre to get off the stage early as the audience was less than impressed by his act.

He has toured with Buddy Holly (during Holly's 1958 stay in Britain) and Jason Donovan.

O'Connor was the first subject of the second incarnation of the long-running television programme This Is Your Life, when the show returned to screens after a five-year absence, produced by Thames Television. He was surprised live on the stage of the London Palladium by Eamonn Andrews in November 1969.

### Television

O'Connor has starred in a mainstream television 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 1995, 1996 and 1997, O'Connor compèred the Royal Variety Performance.

#### The Des O'Connor Show (1963-71)

Between 1963 and 1971, O'Connor hosted this British variety show for eight series on ITV.

#### Des O'Connor Entertains (1974-76)

This show ran for two series between 1974 and 1976 and featured singing, dancing and comedy sketches.

#### Des O'Connor Tonight (1977-2002)

Between 1977 and 2002, O'Connor presented his own chat show series which lasted for seven series on BBC Two and later 17 on ITV.

First airing on BBC Two from October 17, 1963 to December 28, 1982, it switched to ITV, starting November 1, 1983 until September 9, 1999. There was a special episode broadcast on August 5, 1988, and then Christmas and New Year specials between 1999 and 2002.

Stan Boardman talked about Focke-Wulf but made it sound like he was using the swear word: it resulted in the end of live broadcasts of the show, until the 1990s.

#### Des O'Connor Now!

In 1984, O'Connor did a series of nine chat shows live from the Royalty Theatre London.

#### Take Your Pick (1992-98)

From 1992 to 1998, O'Connor presented this game show.