National treasure Des O’Connor is planning laugh-a-long group therapy when he visits Telford for a performance at The Place @ Oakengates Theatre. Andy Richardson caught up with the permatanned star.

Des O'Connor receiving his CBE from the Queen

Where do you start with Des?

The four-times-married entertainer has had his own primetime, mainstream TV show for a record-breaking 45 consecutive years, hobnobbed with Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, Tony Blair and members of the Royal Family and sold 16 million records, among them a number one released in the swinging sixties.

He’s headlined the MGM Grand Las Vegas, Sydney Opera House and made an eye-watering 1,284 appearances at the London Palladium. His TV shows: The Des O’Connor Show, Des O’Connor Entertains, Des O’Connor Tonight, Take Your Pick, Des O’Connor Beat School, Today With Des and Mel and Countdown, have been enjoyed by millions.

Even the frequent lampooning of his singing by everyone from Morecambe and Wise, to Tommy Cooper and Ricky Gervais has failed to unhinge the permatanned national treasure. He even fathered a child – his fifth – at the age of 72.

What’s the secret?
“I don’t know if there’s any secret. All you have to do is be yourself, and not be a phoney. On TV, people can see how you are. You have to be the same on TV as you are in real life. The real secret is to enjoy the live shows, they’re fun, so why not enjoy them,” says Des.

Des O'Connor and Carol Vorderman on Countdown.

O’Connor, CBE, was evacuated to Northampton during World War II. After completing his National Service in the Royal Air Force, he worked as a shoe salesman before entering show business. He appeared in variety, earning £20 per week, before getting a break in TV. The rest, as they say, is history.

Des says: “My best times have been the ‘An Audience With’ shows, which got 10 million viewers. You walk out and see a sea of famous faces, your peers. Those have been fantastic. I’ve taken stick over the years, so getting a standing ovation from my contemporaries was great. I’ve gone done 11 Royal shows, which were great. But having a son, Adam, and four daughters is far greater than any of that.”

Now O’Connor is taking to the road and he will appear at The Place @ Oakengates Theatre, in Telford, this Sunday. He adds: “I wanted to play venues that are not too big. I just want it to be fun. I want to play theatres that I’ve not appeared at and I’m bringing a top band with me. But I’m not doing a Doddy, and trying to play every theatre in the UK.

Des O'Connor is a national treasure

“The show will be songs, jokes and chat. I’m looking forward to it. It will be very loose. The content within the show will change. I’ll ask the audience if they have personal problems and riff on that, it’ll be like group therapy, but with a hint of humour. We’ll try and solve problems. It’ll be very relaxed, there’ll be no scripted jokes, but there’ll be loads of laughter.”
Tickets for Des O’Connor, priced £18 to £22, are available at www.oakengates.ws or on 01952 382382.