It was a very gradual thing. David Sillito looks back at Des O'Connor's career. I asked him if his weekend had been good and he responded with a long face to tell me that he had broken his rule of a lifetime and had actually taken a business call on a Sunday, something he would never normally do, but he said it was for an important client and had to be done. What very sad news. It's worth remembering how brilliant he is at his own expense in these sketches.". He was the full ticket as a friend and colleague.". Des O'Connor. O'Connor also had four daughters, Karin, TJ, Samantha and Kristina from his previous marriages. He never forgot his poor start in life, which is why I always felt that, even at the height of his spectacular showbiz success, he always seemed grateful and somewhat bewildered that it had all happened to him. TV Shows. The telly legend died yesterday aged 88 a week. The pictures were taken nearly six months before the TV presenter's death at the age of 88. O'Connor and Hartley also created the hit song "My Baby Told Me She Loves Me". It was curiously my last studio-based album before working at ITN.. He was evacuated to Northampton during the Second World War, where he worked in a shoe factory and was a schoolboy and reserves player with Northampton Town. A post shared by Jodie (@jodiebrookewilson). The episode of Countdown broadcast on 16 November 2020 was dedicated to his memory. We freeze framed the big splash and cut to a smiling Des as the end shot before the pack shot. He was a joy to work with he was talented, fun, positive, enthusiastic, kind and a total professional. Des O'Connor, beloved comedian and presenter, has died at the age of 88, his agent has confirmed. He married his first wife Phyllis Gill in 1953 and . Speaking to the Daily Mail, Wilson, 51, said: Des dealt with it very privately. Jimmy Connors was a leading American tennis player of the 1970's and 1980's. They spoke emotionally about how starting in June 2020 through the spring of 2021, O'Connor allegedly hosted parties for her teenage son and his friends, "facilitating and watching" their sex acts . Fellow Countdown star Susie Dent described him as a "true gent" while Call the Midwife star Stephen McGann said O'Connor "never took himself too seriously". LEGENDARY entertainer Des O'Connor died aged 88 in his sleep on Saturday 14 November, 2020, after a glittering career in television spanning six decades. Revenge! When he was told, he was very upbeat about it. He later hosted the Channel 4 quiz show Countdown alongside Carol Vorderman, with the pair bowing out together in 2008, and was made a CBE for his services to entertainment and broadcasting in that year's birthday honours. Broadcaster Tony Blackburn said "he was a great entertainer and more importantly a very nice person", and TV presenter Gyles Brandreth described him as "the ultimate professional". [4][5], After completing his national service in the Royal Air Force, 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 Northampton, and for United Counties, both on the road and in the office,[6] before entering show business. ", Meanwhile, O'Connor's Today with Des and Mel co-host Melanie Sykes also remembered O'Connor with a touching tribute post on Instagram, writing, "He had talent in every fibre of his being and was stubborn as a mule. A post shared by Melanie Sykes (@msmelaniesykes). After he was demobbed, he secured a job as Redcoat with Butlin's - a role that provided the springboard for many a famous show business name - before he was signed up to appear in a variety show at Newcastle's Palace Theatre in 1953. O'Connor was married four times, and has described the end of his first three relationships as casualties of his obsession with work. He is survived by his wife Jodie, their son Adam and his four daughters, Karin, TJ, Samantha and Kristina. The song was also used as the theme for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He adored his family they were everything to him. [4] He had a brother, William, and a sister, Patricia, one year his junior. "If it ever became work, I'd pack it up," O'Connor once said. British TV legend Des O'Connor has died aged 88. Read more: 'Ultimate entertainer' Des O'Connor dies aged 88 "Des was the ultimate entertainer. Menu. I came up with a script that Des loved, in which we set up a replica lakeside scene with a stunt man, who had actually been one of the Mini drivers on the Italian Job, dressed as a look-alike Russ Abbot fisherman as in the cigar commercial. British TV legend Des O'Connor has died aged 88. . "When he chose me to be his co-host on the Today daytime show it was one the greatest days of my professional life," she added. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. On stage he starred at almost every leading venue throughout the world.". [2], Desmond Bernard O'Connor was born on 12 January 1932 in Stepney, East London, to Maude (ne Bassett), a cleaner, and Harry O'Connor, a dustman. The Geordie TV double act described O'Connor as "a consummate professional and a lovely man". In 1950 and 1952, he collaborated in songwriting with British singer Sam Browne and Australian pianist and composer Ray Hartley. About Des O'Connor. The couple met on set of the game show Take Your Pick, where Jodie was a hostess on the revival version of the 60s show. O'Connor's long-time friend and fellow comedian Jimmy Tarbuck described him as "a nice guy" and "a giggler". Des has four older daughters from previous marriages though; Karin, TJ, Samantha and Kristina. He always said the sound of laughter was like the sound of heavenly music. He told the Daily Mail: "Jodie wanted a baby and if Id said: 'Ive got four children, but you cant have one' that would have been selfish. The show followed the format of theatre variety with O'Connor wisecracking to the audience, singing songs and introducing a stream of guest stars. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. TV STAR and entertainment legend Des O'Connor has died aged 88. In Australia, she was the co-writer of double platinum album Higher Than Heaven for girl band Bardot. View our online Press Pack. Sadly, when she arrived at the hospital, OConnor had already died. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. He is survived by his wife Jodie, their son Adam and his four daughters, Karin, TJ, Samantha and . In a statement his agent said he was "well loved by absolutely everybody" and "loved life". [2] In a January 2021 interview, his widow Jodie revealed that in 2017, he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, although he thought that he had suffered from effects of it for a few years previously. Speaking about his sketches with Morecambe and Wise, comedian David Baddiel said: "RIP Des O' Connor. How many records did Des O'Connor sell? Kristina was Des' daughter by his third wife, Jay Rufer. Movies. @ NewsFrenchTony. Truly one of the nicest people in showbiz. 37 years his junior who had given birth to his son Adam when O'Connor was in his 70s. "Des famously played for our reserve team on a few occasions just after World War 2. Feargus O'Connor was a popular and formidable Chartist orator in the 1830's and 1840's. Flannery O'Connor was an influential author of the American South. He showed that you do not need to be defined or held back by a diagnosis. The venues they visited included Theatre Royal, Norwich, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Blackpool Opera House, Princess Theatre, Torquay, The Hexagon, Reading, Theatre Royal, Newcastle and Grand Theatre, Swansea. He was also badly injured in a car accident and spent some time in an iron lung which disrupted his primary school education. "Dad said that Des was just such fun to be around and that he was such a down-to-earth person," she said. This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Our thoughts are with all who knew Des.". Jeremy Dick has been a writer and editor since 2014. He met his first wife Phyllis Gill while working as a Redcoat at Butlin's in 1953, He had a string of hit singles including a UK No 1, He wrote many of the insults hurled at him by Morecambe and Wise, Jay Leno was one of many international stars who appeared on his chat shows, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Rest in peace, Des, you will be sadly missed. Sign Up. Of course, the notion of a Des OConnor album was something of a joke after all the ribbing and derision that he got from Morecambe and Wise and on other TV shows, but what people did not know was that Des himself had written some of those gags and went along willingly being the butt of the joke. In Europe, her song I Want What Shes Got spent 10 weeks at No.1 in 2002. TV host, singer and beloved entertainer Des O'Connor has died aged 88. Des. What the audience didn't realise was that many of the gags were written by O'Connor himself, who had been great friends with the duo since their early days in show business. Des was best known in the UK as a chat show host and as presenter of Channel 4's 'Countdown'. Anthony France. You may want to read Twitters cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. He was 88 years old. (Apr 3, 2014) read more news. COPYRIGHT 2023. "Up to 20 million people would sit around the television and watch and laugh, and I mean laugh until they cried. We have a lot of fun together. Des OConnor was never afraid to laugh at himself and that was part of his charm. He was diagnosed in 2017 but he thinks he had had it for a while.. Doctors had called Wilson to get to the hospital as OConnors condition was getting worse, with Wilson at home in Buckinghamshire awaiting the results of a Covid test for her son Adam after an outbreak of the virus at his performing arts school. Her birthday is 31st August and she was born in 1964, making her 56. Commander of the Order of the British Empire, "Des O'Connor: From Butlin's to chat show king", "Book Des O'Connor Celebrities from The Mcleod Agency", "Confirmed: Des O'Connor to Star as The Wizard in THE WIZARD OF OZ from May 22; Show to Close in September", "Des O'Connor Half the things you worry about aren't going to happen", "Still Bringing Us Sunshine: Eric and Ernie's best moments", "How Des O'Connor will never forget Buddy Holly", "RPM Top 30 Adult Contemporary February 21, 1987", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Des_O%27Connor&oldid=1150162828, Between 1977 and 2002, O'Connor presented his own chat show series entitled, From 1992 to 1998 O'Connor presented the game show, In May 2012, O'Connor took part in the TV game show, In December 2012, O'Connor was invited to celebrate 100 years of the, In December 2013, O'Connor appeared in a celebrity edition of, In October 2014, O'Connor was a panellist on an episode of, In April 2017, O'Connor was on the panel of, Phyllis Gill (married 1953, divorced 1959; daughter, Gillian Vaughan (married 1960, divorced 1982; two daughters), Jay Rufer (married 1985, divorced 1990, one daughter), Jodie Brooke Wilson (married September 2007; one son), This page was last edited on 16 April 2023, at 17:14. Des O'Connor's income source is mostly from being a successful Soundtrack. He was a great entertainer and more importantly a very nice person. A daughter of the late entertainer Des O'Connor is taking legal action against the Metropolitan Police after a detective who told her she was "amazingly hot" during an investigation was allowed to . A stylish new drama directed by Lena Dunham, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, The 17 most eye-catching looks at the Met Gala, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, Photo of Princess Charlotte shared as she turns 8. In fact, O'Connor had four Top 10 singles, including, I Pretend, which went to No 1 in 1968 and recorded more than 30 albums, six of which were Top 40 entries. The comic's family confirmed that he died "peacefully" in his sleep on Saturday, November 14, after being admitted to hospital in Buckinghamshire, England, last week. R.I.P.. 'Ultimate entertainer' Des O'Connor dies aged 88, AI chatbots 'may soon be more intelligent than us', Russia troop deaths hit 20,000 in five months - US, Palestinian hunger striker dies in Israel prison, 'My wife and six children joined Kenya starvation cult', On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. Earlier this year his daughter Kristina, 32, visited Des through a window at his home where he was isolating to protect himself from coronavirus. Des . Adam O'Connor. Talkshow Host. Sat 21 . We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. O'Connor's agent confirmed the news, saying he died 'peacefully' in his sleep on Saturday, November 14. We offer our condolences to them at this difficult time. Source: PA. "I grew up throughout the Dennis O'Connor years, when he was on the television all the time, on Des O'Connor Tonight and the Morecambe and Wise shows," she tells BBC. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk. O'Connor appeared on stages around the world and performed hundreds of shows at the London Palladium. O'Connor's fame as a performer soared when he was recruited by ITV to host The Des O'Connor Show, which ran from 1963 to 1971. Jewish comedian, singer and TV host Des O'Connor has died at 88. A lovely man pic.twitter.com/18QItazenv, Danny John-Jules (@DannyJohnJules) November 15, 2020, Posting a clip of OConnors famous appearance on the Morecambe and Wise Show, David Baddiel said: RIP Des O Connor. Wilson added: Des wanted people to be uplifted chatting to him, rather than thinking about his illness. Parkinsons UKs chief executive Steve Ford said: The news that Des OConnor lived with Parkinsons for a number of years before his death, will no doubt inspire members of the Parkinsons community. Melanie., Piers Morgan tweeted: RIP Des OConnor, 88. She was seen wearing a tribute T-shirt to her dad in heartwarming photos shared by Des's former co-star Melanie Sykes. Entertainer Des O'Connor has died at the age of 88, his agent has announced. His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. We then recorded his vocals at Livingston Studios in Wood Green. The entertainer Des O'Connor has died at the age of 88 - days after a fall at his home. Meanwhile, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker labelled him as a "truly lovely man and one of the great old school entertainers". Find out more about Jodie Brooke Wilson. O'Connor, who has died aged 88 after a fall at his home in Buckinghamshire, also carved out a successful career as a singer including four Top 10 hits and more than 30 albums. Actress Sophie Evans, who starred alongside him in The Wizard Of Oz at the London Palladium in 2012, tweeted that it was an "absolute pleasure" to work with the then 80-year-old, who had "a glisten in his eye and that old school hard-working mind set". His mother was Jewish and his father was Irish, and Des joked he was. In the 2000s, he also hosted Today with Des and Mel and Countdown before appearing in the 2012 one-off special The One and Only Des O'Connor. Personal Quotes (2) . The entertainer, born in East London in 1932 to a Jewish. Des O'Connor's World Cup Party: 1998: TV Special: Himself - Presenter: The Royal Variety Performance: 1996: TV Movie: (Feb 6, 2020) Photo Flash: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS Celebrates West End Opening at Savoy Theatre. Few could match his popularity on television and it is incredible to remember that from 1963 to 2002 he hosted his own peak time TV show on either the BBC or ITV, followed by Today with Des and Mel from 2002 to 2006, whilst also hosting the hugely successful Countdown from 2007-2008. In 2007, he married long-term girlfriend Jodie Brooke Wilson, 37 years his junior who had given birth to his son Adam when O'Connor was in his 70s. Des OConnor 's heartbreaking last pictures shows him waving to his daughter through a window as he shielded during the coronavirus outbreak. Latest News on Adam O'Connor: Head First Acrobats Present RAILED. Obituary: Des O'Connor. In addition to his work on television, O'Connor also found great success as a singer with 36 albums published over the course of his career.
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