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Des

He was born in Stepney. Yes! A east end cockney Jew with a twist of Irish in his veins running all the way through.
When he was a young kid he was injured in a car.
What with this and ricketts you’d never thought he would be a star?
World war 2 sent him off to Northampton town.
Where he took a job in a shoe factory which kept his feet firmly on the ground.
National service and a Filey red coat were pretty much the same but, the red coat gig turned the career spark into a flame.
Tv work started regularly in 1963.
Little did he know he would be a U.S star with Bob Barker on TVs mainstream?
Well, there was the Des O’Connor tonight on BBC1 and 2 when he finally went on to Take your pick in 1992.
His career never faulted and he was a self deprecating man.
He allowed all the others to make him the target just for fun.
He always had fun with Freddie which, made Freddie such a star.
And, remember the time Stan Boardman took the Fokker joke too far.
Russ Abbott took him fishing and underwater he would croon.
I’m not sure what the fish thought of all those ridiculously mumbled tunes?
He went on to play countdown with Carol Vorderman, the Chase and through the keyhole carried on with all the fun.
In his later years he toured with Jimmy Tarbuck.
He was one of those stars that never wanted to give up.
He was recognised with many awards.
Including the CBE from the Queen of course.
Now, he is playing his final gig and no longer does he need to Pretend.
He was a gentleman, a scholar and a Number one star to the very end.

R.I.P. Des O’Connor xx

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