Thanks for this well done story of Des's life. Loved watching anything he was in and his humour was brilliant plus, great character and came across as a fabulous family favourite. RIP Des, gone but never forgotten!
Never controversial, always entertaining . Now I am in my 70's , I dont remember a time before 2010 that Des was not on TV. I hope his family have also such fond memories of Des. With Morecambe and Wise they were a hoot together.
Loved Des O Conner🥰he was the butt off jokes from Morcambe & Wise, but they were really good as a Trio😂🤩😂.I loved his song I’ll Pretend & his other songs. Des was a very good singer also an all round ENTERTAINER R. I.P Des O Connor 😇👌
Untimely death? He was 88 for FFS and visibly frail. My old mum was a big fan and for her seventieth birthday we got her his signed autobiography. When she passed in 2012 we placed it in her coffin. I can't hear old Des now without thinking of mum.😊 Des was a gent, a genuinely nice man and no scandal has ever attached itself to him. He was respected by all and great friends with Eric and Ernie despite what they said about his singing. 😅 No one has ever replaced him and by the look of things no one ever will.
I loved this when he used to go into his giggling, when he interviewed stars on his chat shows, I grew up with Des morecombe and wise true comedy greats, shaped my humour ❤❤❤❤
Fully agree, great comment. We are not allowed to laugh now anyhow and nothing on tv these days to laugh at anyway, no comedy shows now, but good to remember those days when we could laugh as much as we wanted. Loved Des
I mostly remember Des with Morcambe & Wise and Des’ shows, he was always a pure natural. I loved his songs, especially ‘I Pretend’. God Bless you Des and Rest In Peace
Who didn't love Des O'connor. My Dad had all his records which were played on the family record player every Sunday morning. One of the true stars of 70s and 80s television. Rip Mr O'connor.
I sang “ I’ll Pretend ‘ at Butlins Skegness in the early 1970s and won , great memories ! Des had a smooth voice and his easy way of performing was great to see. RIP Des
The thing I admired about DES was the young or new artists he had on his show allowing them to do their act with out interfering or dueting with them. Many hosts ( BF being the worst offender)muscled in on the guests act insisting on singing with them DES never did that......I always enjoyed watching him and admired his personality
I always got the idea Bruce had two faces. One for the TV and another for the public. Des was just a lovely man and he could sing which is more than what Brucie could do.
I remember seeing a young Des O'Connor in Glasgow Empire around 60 years ago in a show starring Eartha Kitt and Edmund Hockridge. He was a really talented guy with a very melodious singing voice ( despite what Morecambe and Wise joked about 😂) . Sorry he is no longer with us.
Des o,Conner was a true gentleman,I remember going to the des o,Conner show studio,s and des was about 30 mins late and he actually walked to the row of audience to the back and apologized to everyone for being late.he was the best chat host that you will never see anyone as good as he was.
In the U.K. he was a national institution and treasure. He was deeply valued by everyone! I think the best scene that he did was on his talk show was with the comedian Stan Boardman. There he was burying his head in his hand, hoping the sofa would swallow him up like a Venus fly trap. He feigned a protest that he was going to get into a serious bother with the management over Stan's Fokker joke. Naturally Stan let the gag rip to the rapturous applause and delight of the audience. Slightly digressing maybe they knew Stan Boardman was a miracle child, during the war whilst in air raid shelter where every one sensed the bombs were getting too close for comfort either it was a sister or another girl, laid on top of him saving his life and sacrificing her own!
Back in his early TV career he did a sketch in which he played the part of a puppet called Andy Pandy and have a young lady playing the part of Daisy May. It was a very funny sketch. I also liked his chat show with Melony Sykes
Seeing him in the early 1970's at a London Paladian Show performance, O'Keefe Centre, Toronto, Ontario Canada. He did a comedy skit with Michael Bentine and I bought a record album of Des O'Connor's Sing a Country Song. Great show, great album. His voice was unique and silky smooth, so talented in so many ways.
Dear Desmond was in his nineties so I don’t see how his demise was untimely! However, he was a wonderful entertainer. His chat shows interviewing other stars, would often have me crying with laughter, which I clearly remember to this day. He was always laughing and his laughter was so infectious. We all adored him, and by the way, he was a lovely singer!
Was I wasn't even aware he had passed away ,I remember watching him on all his tv shows ,he always appeared to be happy an brought a lot of joy to many including my late Mum an I , Thanks for the updates an memories RIP Red 😊❤💜💗🇬🇧
I remember watching Des on TV . Loved his shows especially when he was trying to interview Freddie Star. I still listen to Des today as I recorded some of my favourite tracks off of two Albums that I bought mum for birthday and Christmas. Thanks Des for the laughs and the music.
Des came to the Opera House in Buxton in 1990.He agreed that I could interview him for Hospital Radio in Buxton.Still have the Interview tape and a photo.of us.Will always treasure it.
Good old chutchy face (as Morcambe and Wise called him, as his face resembled a cat). Always loved Des. Such a lovely bloke. He was enormously talented. I always loved to see Des perform, or just to host. Sorely missed.
My mother and I attended an “evening with Des O’Connor” while on a cruise shortly before his death. An excellent evening although quite distressing to see his health deteriorating. I will always remember him fondly
I don't know where you get the name facts Verse from. Once again you show scant regard for the facts. He and Eric Morcambe were good friends and amongst other things were golfing buddies. There was no secret about the Parkinsons disease, he just didn't make a fuss about it. That's the British way. You really need to get a new researcher.
I always loved his shows he was so easy going and so likeable I remember him interviewing many stars😊 and of course his getting berated on Morcambe and Wise shows. Many happy memories xx
Des had a wonderful life. I wouldn’t say his death was untimely. He was 88, which is a good age. Like many of his contemporaries, he will be greatly missed.
He was the best entertainer and could do everything. I used to watch him whenever he was on tv. No one can replace him and seemed to be a really nice person. I really miss his incredible talent.
I disagree with your assessment of the relationship between Eric Morecambe and Des. There was no animosity whatsoever. It was all good clean fun. The audience saw it for what it was and so did Eric and Des.
Great entertainer and a perfect gentleman you never heard him say anything horrible or other stuff. Missed and loved by so many god bless his family ❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Bloody hell! I never knew Des O Connor played on the same football team as SEAN CONNERY! Definitely the same Sean Connery as the James Bond actor, judging by the photo???
Loved Des . Anyone who hasn’t seen his chat show with Freddie Star ,find it on RU-vid . Wish we still had this calibre of entertainment . RIP Des and Freddie 😢
One of the all time greats, in those days there were so many of these stars and we will never see their likes again, you felt that you new them, they were definitely part of your life, bring back the old days as they seem so false now a days, God bless you Dez.
I remember 3 things: 1. The ridicule from Morecambe and Wise 2. His film stars song 3. Interviewing Jethro before he was famous and doing his best not to laugh. All round good entertainer and host although I'll draw a line at his singing!!
I met Des when he appeared at Batley Variety Club near Leeds in 1972. We had managed to get seats in the centre of 2nd row from the stage. He came on stage with one of the new microphones that didn't have a cable. I whispered to my friend "Has he forgotten to plug the Mike in". She just shrugged. He started talking and held the Mike up and asked if we liked it. He told us that it picked up sounds from the audience. He pointed to me and the spotlight came on to me. He said this young lady wanted to know if I'd forgotten to plug the Mike in. I blushed and people laughed. He explained how the Mike worked. The spotlight went to another lady and he said this lady said He's smaller than he looks on TV. Later we went backstage to meet him. There was a young man in a wheelchair in the queue in a narrow passageway. Des asked the people to move to one side to make room for the wheelchair. He spoke to the young man for a while and signed his book for him. He was lovely and just as funny off stage. He recognised me and called me the microphone lady, lol. He must have been tired but he signed everyone's autograph books before he left.
I was in the audience of 2 recordings of the Few O'Connor show. Between takes he would stay on stage and tell jokes. Some of them were a little blue. He seemed to be an all round nice guy, quick to put his guests at ease.. I am saddened to think that he was struck by parkinsons. As a nurse of many years, I had a private patient with the disease. She was a talented artist but now could no longer even hold a brush. Dad to think he suffered as she did
I was in London in the 1970s. Des O Conner , Dave Allen , The two Ronnies , This is Tom Jones , Malcombe and Wise , John Cleese etc … the UK entertaining industries were shining with stardom and laughter .
I saw him twice at the London Palladium. My favourite was his backing group called the McGregor Brothers, made up of Len Bone (very tall), a Dwarf, a Chinese chap and a black man. Happy days. x
My favorite entertainer of all time. I saw him twice at Twin Towns on the border of NSW and QLD. Des called the place TWIN TIMES because NSW had daylight saving time QLD didn’t. Twin Towns RSL was just on the NSW side of the border. I was a musician, although I didn’t work in his band, I had drinks with him after a show. I loved his singing voice and he was very funny, with a magnetic personality. I still listen to his music to this day. I miss you Des, you bought a lot of pleasure not only to my life, but to millions of others.
My late Hubby and myself absolutely loved and enjoyed everything he Performed fantastic a real gentlemen we did go to see Des live at a theatre in Suffolk magic godbless Des and I still play you lovely CDs soft beautiful relaxing g voice
Generous, big hearted, and beautifully self-deprecating. Loved a laugh and was great with Freddie Star.Des was probably the only one brave and talented enough to go the distance with Freddie, who was also amazing but an unpredictable box of frogs.
Northampton Town FC clearly had an illustrious squad including Sean Connery, Bill Cotton, Dave King and other show bizz stars, or perhaps that's not a photo of Northampton Town FC.
I loved the des O'connor show he always had great guests on and the ones with Freddie Starr where awesome and I can remember des in hysterics on the sofa and he always used to fall back on the sofa laughing, he is sadly missed he was a great entertainer 😢
I knew😢Des for 50 years and never saw his hands shaking, also he sent me a birthday card and fresh flowers for most of those years. I don't believe he had Parkinson's, I would have known. When he passed away I was the first to know except for his associate producer per Des's instructions, know
When I was about 10 years old the firm where my father worked organised a trip to the Christmas pantomime at the Hippodrome theatre in Birmingham. After over 60 years I cannot remember which pantomime it was but one of the stars was a young Des O'connor. During a break in the show to allow for a scene change he came onto the stage and performed a comedy routine, as part of routine he said that fixed under one of the seats was an autographed picture of him and the person who found it would receive a bottle of champagne. Everybody stood up and looked under their seats. When everyone was standing he said that it was a joke and that there was no picture. What he obviously didn't know was that my mother, a great fan of his, had previously written to him at the theatre and asked for a signed photograph and I had that photo in my pocket. It is a great regret, even afrer over sixty years, that I didn’t have the courage to stand up holding the picture. I still wonder what would have happened if I had.
I wouldn't describe his death as "untimely" He died aged 88 had a long, varied and mainly successful career. Fathered FIVE children the last one when he was 72 years old.
We went to the Studios at the Southbank in London to see Harry Hills Alien programme being made, Des was I think 86, looked poorly but his brain was still razor sharp! He lived a good age, and was one of our best comedians, always a pro!
Imeet him once at Royal Ascot. Only spoke for a shot while but thought he wasnice to have a chat with. And he looked great. Best regards to his memory and family
He made me laughed so much when he was performing a sketch with his guests but my favourite was when he was doing one with Freddy Star, he was a brilliant performer for sure.....
I only have found luvely memories of Des, he was one of my my childhood favourites ❤🎉 I never heard any bad things about him, and I was only at my Junior School when Mum & Dad bought a radiogram. I bought with my pocket money, 1 2 3 O leary . I thought he was brilliant and loved his entertainment shows, ya always saw him smiling and happy 😊😅
