- Comedy & Cabaret
- Presenters & Awards Hosts
Topics:
- TV/Radio Presenter
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Des O'Connor
DES O’CONNOR is one of the world’s most popular and best loved entertainers and is now the host on Channel 4's Countdown. His ability to ad lib in any situation together with his charasmatic personality make him a popular choice on the corporate circuit for awards and musical cabaret.
An All Round Entertainer
Since landing his first television series in the UK in 1963 he has starred in his own mainstream television show every year since then – longer than anyone anywhere in the world.
Des O'Connor is an international entertainer, singer, comedian and chat show host who has made record-breaking appearances at almost every major venue in the world and performs regularly in Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada, The Des O'Connor Show has been running for 40 years, and is shown in 40 countries. Des O’Connor has been a major star since landing his first television series in 1963; he has starred in his own mainstream television show every year since then – longer than anyone anywhere in the world.
Recent TV includes Des O’Connor Tonight specials; an ITV celebration special to mark Des’ 40th year in prime time television; Des O’Connor Comedy Tonight and a series of prime-time Des O’Connor With one-to-one specials. He presents ITV1’s daily celebrity talk show Today With Des & Mel with co-host Melanie Sykes. The couple’s lively and spontaneous banter proved such a hit with viewers that the show more than doubled its audience and won an RTS Programme Award since it’s launch in autumn 2002. On the other side of the camera Des runs his own TV production company.
From Humble Beginnings
He was born in the East End of London and during the war was evacuated to Northampton. After National Service in the RAF he entered show business. His first theatre appearances were in variety all over the country before his break in television. Today he is established as one of the world's most popular and best-loved entertainers, having endeared himself to audiences everywhere with his unique style, personality and charm.
Des, The Singer
Since 1967 he has been a hugely successful recording star. He had his first hit single with Careless Hands, followed by I Pretend, which went to No 1. Since then his recording career has produced 34 albums with sales of over 15 million and he has spent 117 weeks in the top ten charts. He has made over 1,000 performances at the London Palladium and starred in cabaret, theatre and sell-out concerts at almost every leading venue throughout the world, including the MGM grand Hotel, Las Vegas, the Opera House, Sydney, the Concert hall, Auckland; the O'Keefe Centre, Toronto, and the Arts Centre Ottawa.
He has met and worked with all the major personalities of the day, from rock and pop stars actors and TV performers, to politicians to princes, to luminaries, such as Frank Sinatra Sean Connery, Liberace, the Beatles, Barbara Streisand, Robert Redford, and more recently Hugh Grant, the Spice Girls, Robbie Williams, Mel Gibson, Pavarotti, Sir Elton John, Tony Blair, and almost every member of the Royal Family.
His current album is titled A Tribute To The Crooners, featuring brand new recordings of the songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Perry Como and Dean Martin.
Awards and Autobiographies
Back in 2001 he received the Special Recognition Award at the National TV Awards and his top-selling autobiography Bananas Can’t Fly (Headline Publishing) was published in paperback in 2002. His most recent album titled 'A Tribute To The Crooners' (Decca Records), featured brand new recordings of the songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Perry Como and Dean Martin.
