Leslie Dennis Heseltine (born 12 October 1953) is an English television presenter, actor, and comedian. He presented ''

Family Fortunes ''Family Fortunes'' is a British television game show based on the American game show ''Family Feud''. The programme ran on ITV from 6 January 1980 to 30 December 2002. A celebrity version, '' All Star Family Fortunes'', followed from 2006 to ...

'' from 1987 until 2002.

Early life

Dennis was born Leslie Dennis Heseltine on 12 October 1953 in the

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

suburb of Garston. His mother worked in a factory while his father, who worked in a betting shop after serving in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against Fr ...

during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, was listed as a football player on the books of Liverpool FC but did not play for the first team. He lived in the suburb of

Speke Speke () is a suburb of Liverpool. It is southeast of the city centre. Located near the widest part of the River Mersey, it is bordered by the suburbs of Garston and Hunts Cross, and nearby to Halewood, Hale Village, and Widnes. The rural ...

for a while and attended the Stockton Wood and Joseph Williams primary schools, before going to Morrison Rose Lane Secondary Modern school in Allerton. From 1967 he went to Quarry Bank Comprehensive. Dennis left there in June 1972 with an A-level in Art and failed

History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

and

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

. He had a weekend job in the men's clothing store Burton whilst still at school, and started as a stand-up comedian in

working men's club Working men's clubs are British private social clubs first created in the 19th century in industrial areas, particularly the North of England, Midlands, Scotland and South Wales Valleys, to provide recreation and education for working class ...

Career

Early work and ''Family Fortunes''

As a comedian, Dennis performed in social clubs all around the northwest of England. He was given his earliest opportunities in his home city of Liverpool, later crediting husband-and-wife theatrical agents Stuart and Dorene Gillespie (who had themselves been a successful variety act) with discovering him in his autobiography. His debut radio broadcast was in 1971 on Stuart's

BBC Radio Merseyside BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC's local radio station serving Merseyside. It broadcasts on FM, DAB, digital TV and via BBC Sounds, from studios on Hanover Street in Liverpool. According to RAJAR, the station has a weekly audience of 203,000 ...

series ''Variety Time'' (the programmes were taped in front of a live audience in

Merseyside Merseyside ( ) is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in North West England, with a population of 1.38 million. It encompasses both banks of the Mersey Estuary and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wir ...

clubs). In 1974, he won the ITV talent show ''

New Faces ''New Faces'' is a British television talent show that aired in the 1970s and 1980s. It has been hosted by Leslie Crowther, Derek Hobson and Marti Caine. It was produced for the ITV network by ATV, and later by Central. Original series: 197 ...

'' and appeared on numerous light entertainment shows. It's a common myth that he almost became the first contestant ever to score the maximum 120 points on ''New Faces'', but had to settle for 119 when

Tony Hatch Anthony Peter Hatch (born 30 June 1939) is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer. Early life and early career Hatch was born in Pinner, Middlesex. Encouraged by his mus ...

gave him 9 out of 10 in his final mark, drawing derision from the rest of a judges panel that included fellow Liverpool comedian

Arthur Askey Arthur Bowden Askey, (6 June 1900 – 16 November 1982) was an English comedian and actor. Askey was known for his short stature (5' 2", 1.58 m) and distinctive horn-rimmed glasses, and his playful humour incorporating improvisation ...

. He actually scored 39 for Presentation, 36 for Content and 36 for Star Quality, meaning he only scored 111 with the score of 9 out of 10 score leaving him one mark short of a maximum in just the Presentation category. In 1982, Dennis joined as one of the teams on ''

Russ Abbot's Madhouse Russ is a masculine given name, often a short form of Russell, and also a surname. People Given name or nickname * Russ Abbot (born 1947), British musician, comedian and actor * Russ Adams (born 1980), American retired baseball player * Russ Ba ...

'' and '' The Russ Abbot Show'' before forming a comedy partnership with fellow impressionist

Dustin Gee Gerald Harrison (24 June 1942 – 3 January 1986), who performed under the name Dustin Gee, was a British impressionist and comedian, best known for his double act with Les Dennis. Early life and career Born Gerald Harrison in York, on Wednesd ...

, which in turn led to a series of their own, ''

The Laughter Show ''The Laughter Show'' was a BBC comedy sketch show, which featured Dustin Gee and Les Dennis, from 1984 to 1986 and then just featuring Dennis until 1991. History Dustin Gee and Les Dennis, both started their TV careers on '' Who Do You Do ...

''. Following Gee's sudden and unexpected death in January 1986, Dennis carried on ''The Laughter Show'' as a solo performer and became the third host of ''

'' for a 15-year run between 1987 and 2002. It was at a recording of an episode of ''Family Fortunes'' in 1997 that Dennis was surprised by '' the BBC programme 'This Is Your Life'''. When a contestant on ''Family Fortunes'' gave a particularly silly answer to a survey question, Dennis would sometimes say, "If it's

he answer He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...

up there, I'll give you the money myself!" His Liverpudlian accent famously led him to pronounce "myself" as "meself", which soon made the sentence his catchphrase. This backfired on an episode where a contestant was asked to "name a way of toasting someone" and the contestant answered "over fire", which matched with "grill" for £12; according to an anonymous source, Dennis made good on his promise and provided the prize money himself."

Theatre

Dennis' stage work includes Amos Hart in ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

'' and Bill Snibson in '' Me and My Girl'' in the West End. He has starred in ''

Skylight A skylight (sometimes called a rooflight) is a light-permitting structure or window, usually made of transparent or translucent glass, that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting and ventilation purposes. History Open ...

'' at the Water Mill Theatre in Newbury, '' Mr Wonderful'' at the Gateway Theatre in

Chester Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...

, and ''Misery'' at the

Coliseum Theatre The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...

Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, w ...

. He also appeared in ''Just Between Ourselves'' and co-starred alongside

Janet Suzman Dame Janet Suzman, (born 9 February 1939) is a South African-born British actress who enjoyed a successful early career in the Royal Shakespeare Company, later replaying many Shakespearean roles, among others, on TV. In her first film, ''Nichol ...

in ''Cherished Disappointments in Love'' at London's

Soho Theatre The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces. The the ...

. He co-starred with

Christopher Cazenove Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove (17 December 1943 – 7 April 2010) was an English film, television and stage actor. Early life and career He was born Christopher de Lerisson Cazenove, on 17 December 1943, the son of Brigadier Arnold de Leri ...

and John Duttine in a national tour of ''

'Art' ''Art'' is a French-language play by Yasmina Reza that premiered in 1994 at Comédie des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The play subsequently ran in London in 1996 and on Broadway in 1998. Productions The play premiered on 28 October 1994 at Com� ...

'' and as Norman Bartholomew in Anthony Shaffer's dark comedy ''

Murderer Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...

'' at London's

Menier Chocolate Factory The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat off-West End theatre, which comprises a restaurant, bar and rehearsal rooms. It is located in a former 1870s Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street in the London Borou ...

. He later starred in a hit season of ''Neville's Island'' at the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

. Dennis appeared as Mr. Fulton in '' High School Musical 2'' on a UK tour from August 2009 to February 2010. He toured in '' Hairspray'' as Wilbur Turnblad alongside

Michael Ball Michael Ashley Ball (born 27 June 1962) is an English singer, presenter and actor. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of ''Les Misérables'', and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in ...

Brian Conley Brian Paul Conley (born 7 August 1961) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Conley has been the host of ''The Brian Conley Show'', as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. In his 40-ye ...

and

Michael Starke Michael Starke (born 13 November 1957) is a British actor and singer from Liverpool, England, best known for his role as Thomas 'Sinbad' Sweeney, which he played for sixteen years, in the Channel 4 soap opera '' Brookside'' (initially credit ...

– who alternated the role of Edna Turnblad. He starred in the touring production of ''

Legally Blonde The Musical ''Legally Blonde'' is a 2007 musical with music and lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin and a book by Heather Hach. It is based on the novel ''Legally Blonde'' by Amanda Brown and the 2001 film of the same name. The show tells th ...

'' in 2012, playing the role of Professor Callahan. In 2017, Dennis played the role of Uncle Fester on the UK tour of the musical production of ''

The Addams Family ''The Addams Family'' is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 unrelated single-panel cartoons, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' over ...

''. The production starred

Samantha Womack Samantha Zoe Womack (''née'' Janus; born 2 November 1972) is an English actress, singer, model and director who has worked in film, television and stage. Womack initially planned a career in singing and she represented the United Kingdom i ...

and Carrie Hope Fletcher. In 2019, Dennis performed with the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

in Restoration plays '' The Provoked Wife'' and ''

Venice Preserved ''Venice Preserv'd'' is an English Restoration play written by Thomas Otway, and the most significant tragedy of the English stage in the 1680s. It was first staged in 1682, with Thomas Betterton as Jaffeir and Elizabeth Barry as Belvidera. The ...

''. In 2021, Dennis made a return to theatre when he played the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the 2021 revival of '' Hairspray'' at the

London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the London Coliseum Theatre ...

. In November and December 2021, Dennis performed as Sir Joseph in the

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is an opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in English ...

Performance of

HMS Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London, on 25 May 1878 and ran for 571 performances, which ...

at the

Early film and TV

Dennis' film debut was in the 1996 film '' Intimate Relations''. He also appeared in the comedy film ''

Large Large means of great size. Large may also refer to: Mathematics * Arbitrarily large, a phrase in mathematics * Large cardinal, a property of certain transfinite numbers * Large category, a category with a proper class of objects and morphisms ...

'' and ''Wildlife'', a short film directed by Nick Allsop. He had previously made appearances on two episodes of ''

Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer ''Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer'' is a British comedy television series, the third by comedy double act Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer and their second in a sketch show format. Directed by Mark Mylod and produced by Alan Marke, it first aired ...

'' in The "Club" sketch, where he played himself. When he took part in a video-only special of '' Shooting Stars'' in 1993, Vic Reeves when introducing him pronounced his name as though it were French, saying "Les

Dennis Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is somet ...

, the French

fire engine A fire engine (also known in some places as a fire truck or fire lorry) is a road vehicle (usually a truck) that functions as a firefighting apparatus. The primary purposes of a fire engine include transporting firefighters and water to a ...

". Dennis has appeared in an episode of ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused o ...

'' in 2006 as Mr Tom Walker, '' Brookside'' (as Jeff Evans; 2001) and episodes of ''

Merseybeat Beat music, British beat, or Merseybeat is a British popular music genre that developed, particularly in and around Liverpool, in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The genre melded influences from American rock and roll, rhythm and blues, skiffle ...

'', ''

Family Affairs ''Family Affairs'' is a British soap opera that aired on Channel 5. It debuted on 30 March 1997, the day of the launch of said channel and was the first programme broadcast on the channel. It was screened as five thirty-minute episodes per ...

'', '' Casualty'', the short-lived revival of ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

'', and '' Hotel Babylon''.

''Big Brother''

Dennis appeared in the second series of the UK ''

Celebrity Big Brother ''Big Brother VIP'', is an adaptation of the '' Big Brother'' reality television series. It is the celebrity version of its parent franchise ''Big Brother'', the celebrity version airs in several countries, however, the housemates or houseguest ...

'' during the period when his marriage to

Amanda Holden Amanda Louise Holden (born 16 February 1971) is an English actress, media personality, and singer. Since 2007, she has been a judge on the television talent show competition ''Britain's Got Talent'' on ITV. She also co-hosts the ''Heart Brea ...

was breaking down again – he described his time in the BB House as "not one of his wisest moves", although he went on to finish as runner-up to

Mark Owen Mark Owen (born 27 January 1972) is an English singer and songwriter best known for being a member of pop group and band Take That; as of 2019, the group have sold 14 million albums and 11.4 million singles in the UK. In Owen's solo career, he ...

'' Extras''

On 11 August 2005 Dennis appeared as a guest star in an episode of the first series of BBC sitcom '' Extras'', written by and starring

Ricky Gervais Ricky Dene Gervais ( ; born 25 June 1961) is an English comedian, actor, writer, and director. He co-created, co-wrote, and acted in the British television sitcoms ''The Office'' (2001–2003), '' Extras'' (2005–2007), and ''An Idiot Abroad'' ...

and

Stephen Merchant Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, actor, director, presenter and writer. Alongside Ricky Gervais, Merchant was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office'' (2001–2003), and ...

. In this appearance, Dennis portrayed a fictional version of himself, alongside

Gerard Kelly Gerard Kelly (born Paul Kelly; 27 May 1959 – 28 October 2010) was a Scottish actor who appeared in many comedies, including '' City Lights'', '' Rab C Nesbitt'', '' Scotch and Wry'' and '' Extras''. He had more serious roles as well, includ ...

, who played a camp theatre director, the recurring character Bunny. Dennis would go on to say that "you could say ''Extras'' changed my life."

2006–2007

In early 2006, Dennis presented and performed in BBC One's ''

The Sound of Musicals ''The Sound of Musicals'' was a 2006 four part BBC series starring several different musical theatre actors and some other professional singers who performed acts from different musicals. Each week the standard cast was joined by a celebrity gues ...

'' and guested in '' New Street Law'' on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...

. In summer 2006, he played scriptwriter Nick Chase in a new comedy play called '' Marlon Brando's Corset'', which toured the UK from July 2006, including a month-long run at the

Edinburgh Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

. He appeared as a guest in August 2006 on the ITV drama series, ''

'' starring as a man suspected of murdering his father. Dennis appeared alongside fellow former ''Russ Abbot'' performer Lisa Maxwell, who played D.I. Samantha Nixon in the series. At the 2006

Edinburgh International Television Festival The Edinburgh International Television Festival is an annual media event held in the United Kingdom each August which brings together delegates from the television and digital world to debate the major issues facing the industry. The Festival ...

, it was announced Dennis would make a return to the gameshow genre, presenting a new big-money quiz show titled '' In the Grid'' for Channel 5. The show debuted on 30 October 2006 and aired for one series. From April 2007, he also hosted UKTV Gold's ''TV Now and Then'' quiz show. The same month he guest-starred on BBC One's ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' Casualty'', and ...

''. He appeared on ''

The Friday Night Project ''The Sunday Night Project'' is a British comedy-variety show by Princess Productions that first aired on Channel 4 in February 2005 under the title ''The Friday Night Project''. Originally broadcast on Friday nights, the show moved to Sunday n ...

'' as a panellist on "Who knows the most about the guest host?" when

Rupert Everett Rupert James Hector Everett (; born 29 May 1959) is an English actor, director and producer. Everett first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film '' Another Country'' (1984) as a gay pupi ...

guest hosted. In theatre Dennis guest-starred as narrator in ''

Side by Side by Sondheim ''Side by Side by Sondheim'' is a musical revue featuring the songs of Broadway and film composer Stephen Sondheim. Its title is derived from the song "Side by Side by Side" from ''Company''. History The musical had its origins when David ...

'' at the

Venue Venue is the location at which an event takes place. It may refer to: Locations * Venue (law), the place a case is heard * Financial trading venue, a place or system where financial transactions can occur * Music venue, place used for a concer ...

, London. As one of the team, he completed running the Safaricom Marathon in Lewa to raise funds for the BBC Wildlife Fund, screened on BBC One's ''

Saving Planet Earth ''Saving Planet Earth'' is a season of nature documentaries with a conservation theme, screened on BBC Television in 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of its specialist factual department, the BBC Natural History Unit. The series featured films ...

'' in July 2007. In August 2007, he starred in the hit play ''Certified Male''—about the highs and lows of modern manhood—at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh F ...

. He then toured in ''The Servant of Two Masters'', directed by Michael Bogdanov and at Christmas he returned to

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...

after a ten-year break, co-starring in ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

'' with Hollywood veteran

Mickey Rooney Mickey Rooney (born Joseph Yule Jr.; other pseudonym Mickey Maguire; September 23, 1920 – April 6, 2014) was an American actor. In a career spanning nine decades, he appeared in more than 300 films and was among the last surviving stars of the ...

at the Empire Theatre,

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...

, produced by First Family Entertainment.

2008–2012

Dennis's autobiography, ''Must The Show Go On?'', was published by Orion in early 2008. In April 2008, Dennis toured in Eurobeat Almost Eurovision prior to a West End season in the show. Also in 2008, he narrated the home video clip show on Challenge, '' Les Dennis's Home Video Heroes'', and appeared in the ITV documentary ''Les Dennis' Liverpool'', which was, coincidentally, broadcast a week after

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream a ...

ran ''

Alexei Sayle Alexei David Sayle (born 7 August 1952) is an English actor, author, stand-up comedian, television presenter and former recording artist. He was a leading figure in the British alternative comedy movement in the 1980s. He was voted the 18th gre ...

's Liverpool'', a three-part documentary on the city. During Christmas 2008 panto season, Dennis appeared as Buttons in ''

'' at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool. The pantomime also featured Jennifer Ellison as Cinderella, and

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

as the

Fairy Godmother In fairy tales, a fairy godmother () is a fairy with magical powers who acts as a mentor or parent to someone, in the role that an actual godparent was expected to play in many societies. In Perrault's ''Cinderella'', he concludes the tale wit ...

. At Christmas 2008, Dennis was featured on

the Wombats The Wombats are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, consisting of Matthew Murphy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tord Øverland Knudsen (bass, backing vocals, keyboards), and Dan Haggis (drums, backing vocals, keyboards) ...

' Christmas single and video ''Is This Christmas?'' in aid of MENCAP. In 2009, Dennis played Herbert Soppitt in J. B. Priestley's '' When We Are Married'' at the

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire. Having originally opened in 1970 in a different location in Leeds, it reopened as West Yorkshire Playhouse, on Quarry Hill, in March 1990. After a refurbishment in 2018-20 ...

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popul ...

and the Playhouse, Liverpool. At Christmas 2009, he returned to the Liverpool Empire to appear in ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'' with

Fonz Arthur Herbert Fonzarelli, better known as "Fonzie" or "The Fonz", is a fictional character played by Henry Winkler in the American sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1974–1984). He was originally a secondary character, but was soon positioned as a lead ...

actor

Henry Winkler Henry Franklin Winkler, OBE (born October 30, 1945), is an American actor, comedian, author, executive producer, and director. After rising to fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the American television series '' Happy Days'', Winkler has ...

and again in 2010 to play the role of Aladdin's brother, Wishee Washee in Aladdin. In 2010, Dennis began presenting the children's TV series ''

Fee Fi Fo Yum ''Fee Fi Fo Yum'' was a British children's television game show presented by Les Dennis. Two teams of five "humunchies" compete in a series of challenges on the dinner table of Brian the Giant (Nigel Cooper). The losing team is then eaten by ...

'' for

CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 7–16 ...

. From 17 October 2011, Dennis started a week-long stint in ''

Countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and ev ...

''s Dictionary Corner, ending on 21 October. In 2011 he again worked with

and

, with recurring appearances as a fictionalised version of himself in the Warwick Davis comedy series, '' Life's Too Short''. From August 2012, he performed in the play ''Jigsy'' at the

Assembly Rooms (Edinburgh) The Assembly Rooms are meeting halls in central Edinburgh, Scotland. Originally solely a meeting place for social gatherings, it is now also used as an arts venue and for public events, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Hogmanay cel ...

as part of the

Edinburgh Fringe Festival The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

2013–2014

In 2013 Dennis was reunited with Warwick Davis when the pair joined the cast of the West End production of

Monty Python Monty Python (also collectively known as the Pythons) were a British comedy troupe who created the sketch comedy television show ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'', which first aired on the BBC in 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over fou ...

's ''

Spamalot ''Spamalot'' (also known as ''Monty Python's Spamalot'') is a musical comedy with music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle, and lyrics and book by Idle. It is adapted from the 1975 film ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''. Like the motion pictu ...

'' at London's

Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...

. His next theatrical appearance came in an adaptation of Peter James' novella ''The Perfect Murder". In 2013, Dennis was a contestant in ''

Celebrity MasterChef ''MasterChef'' is a competitive cooking reality show produced by Endemol Shine UK and Banijay and broadcast in 60 countries around the world. In the UK, it is produced by the BBC. The show initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was revived in 20 ...

''. He finished as runner-up to

Ade Edmondson Adrian Charles Edmondson (born 24 January 1957) is an English actor, comedian, musician, writer and television presenter. He was part of the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s and had roles in the television series '' The Young Ones'' (1 ...

. He has since returned to the show as a guest judge. In December of that year Dennis appeared in an episode of ''

Midsomer Murders ''Midsomer Murders'' is a British crime drama television series, adapted by Anthony Horowitz and Douglas Watkinson from the novels in the '' Chief Inspector Barnaby'' book series (created by Caroline Graham), and broadcast on two channels of ...

'' titled " The Christmas Haunting".

2014–2016: ''Coronation Street''

On 23 January 2014, it was announced that Dennis would join the long-running ITV soap opera ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' is an English soap opera created by Granada Television and shown on ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres around a cobbled, terraced street in Weatherfield, a fictional town based on inner-city Salford. Orig ...

'', playing the part of Michael Rogers (later changed to Michael Rodwell after press release), a petty burglar. He began filming on 27 January 2014, and made his first appearance on TV on 24 March 2014. The show's producer Stuart Blackburn said: "Les is a fantastic performer and a real coup for Corrie. I can't wait for him to join the team". On 18 November 2016, Dennis's character Michael Rodwell was killed off from ''Coronation Street'', after suffering a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

and being left for dead by the show's villain, Michael's love rival Pat Phelan.

2017–present: After ''Coronation Street''

In April 2017, Dennis took the role of

Uncle Fester Uncle Fester is a member of the fictional Addams Family. He was played by Jackie Coogan in the original television series, by Christopher Lloyd in the two feature films, by Nick Kroll in the 2019 and 2021 animated features, by Fred Armisen in ...

in ''

'' UK tour. In 2022, Dennis played a mind-reader in a film called ''Sideshow'', a black comedy in the style of ''Stanley a Man of Variety'' or Peter Chelsom's ''

Funny Bones ''Funny Bones'' is a 1995 comedy-drama film from Hollywood Pictures. It was written, directed and produced by Peter Chelsom, co produced by Simon Fields, and co written by Peter Flannery. The music score was by John Altman, and the cinematogr ...

''. The film, also starring Anthony Head, April Pearson and Nathan Clarke, received a one star review from Peter Bradshaw in ''The Guardian''. From 4 to 15 August, Dennis was the guest host on ''

'' due to

Colin Murray Colin Murray (born Luke Wright on 10 March 1977) is a Northern Irish radio and television presenter. In 2010, he became host of BBC Television's '' Match of the Day 2'' on BBC Two, while still anchoring shows on BBC Radio 5 Live, including '' 5 ...

testing positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

. From Monday 3 October Dennis is starring as 'Grandad' in the Only Fools and Horses Musical at the

Theatre Royal Haymarket The Theatre Royal Haymarket (also known as Haymarket Theatre or the Little Theatre) is a West End theatre on Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use. Samuel Foot ...

, London, UK.

Personal life

Dennis has a son named Philip from his first marriage to Lynne Webster, which lasted from 1974 to 1990. He also had an affair with actress Sophie Aldred, which he documented in his autobiography. He married actress

on 4 June 1995. They had a temporary split in 2000 when Holden's affair with actor

Neil Morrissey Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July 1962) is an English actor. He is known for his role as Tony in '' Men Behaving Badly''. Other notable acting roles include Deputy Head Eddie Lawson in the BBC One school-based drama series '' Waterloo Road'' ...

was exposed in the press, before eventually separating in December 2002 and divorcing in 2003. Dennis met Claire Nicholson in 2005. They were married on 23 November 2009 in

Highgate Highgate ( ) is a suburban area of north London at the northeastern corner of Hampstead Heath, north-northwest of Charing Cross. Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has two active conservation organisat ...

. The couple have two children: a daughter, Eleanor Grace, who was born on 24 April 2008, and a son, Thomas Christopher, who was born on 14 April 2011. Dennis is a lifelong

Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has ...

fan.

Filmography

Film

*'' Intimate Relations'' (1996) *''

'' (2001) *''Wildlife''

Television

*'' The Comedians'' (1971) *''

'' (1974) – Contestant/winner *''

'' (1982) *'' The Russ Abbot Show'' (1982) *''

'' *''

'' *'' Casualty'' *''

'' (revival) *''

'' (1987–2002) – Presenter *''

Wyrd Sisters ''Wyrd Sisters'' is Terry Pratchett's sixth ''Discworld'' novel, published in 1988. It re-introduces Granny Weatherwax of ''Equal Rites''. Plot ''Wyrd Sisters'' features three witches: Granny Weatherwax; Nanny Ogg, matriarch of a large tri ...

'' (1997) – The Fool/Tomjon *'' Brookside'' (2001) – Jeff Evans *''

'' (2002) – Himself *''

Engie Benjy ''Engie Benjy'' is a British stop motion pre-school children's television show, broadcast on ITV's children's strand, CITV. Engie Benjy is a blue-haired mechanic who fixes problems with the help of his friends and an assortment of living magic a ...

'' (2002–2004) - Pilot Pete and Astronaut Al (voices) *'' Extras'' (2005) – Guest Star as himself *'' In the Grid'' (2006) – Presenter *''

'' (2006) – Presenter and performer *'' New Street Law'' (2006) – Guest star *''

'' (2006) – Guest star *'' Hotel Babylon'' (2006) – Guest appearance *''

'' (2007) *''TV Now and Then'' (2007) – Presenter *''

'' (2007) – Guest star *'' Les Dennis's Home Video Heroes'' (2008) – Narrator *''Les Dennis' Liverpool'' – Presenter *''

'' (2010) *'' Life's Too Short'' (2011) – Guest appearance *''

'' (2013) – 1 episode (series 16 episode 1) *''

'' (2013) – Contestant *''

'' (2014–2016) – Michael Rodwell *'' Pilgrimage: Road to Rome'' (2019) *'' Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule'' (8 June 2019) – Guest *'' Birds of a Feather'' (2020) - Graeme *''

'' (2022) - Guest Presenter * '' Death In Paradise'' (2022)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dennis, Les 1953 births Living people English male comedians English male film actors English male stage actors English impressionists (entertainers) English game show hosts English male television actors English television presenters Male actors from Liverpool Comedians from Liverpool People educated at Calderstones School People educated at Quarry Bank High School People from Garston