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Brian Conley

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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+-year television career, he has starred in award-winning television sitcoms including Time After Time and The Grimleys.

In the West End, he has played the lead role in musicals such as Me and My Girl, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Hairspray, Oliver!, The Music Man, Barnum and Jolson for which he was nominated for a prestigious Laurence Olivier Award. As a musician, he has released five albums, including Brian Conley Sings, Let the Good Times Roll, and Stage to Stage. He has won numerous awards in his career, including The National Television Award<ref name="National Television Awards">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> for Most Popular Comedy Performer, Best Live Performer in Manchester Evening News and a British Comedy Award.

From 2021 to 2023, Conley appeared as Tom "Rocky" Cotton in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He returned for one episode that aired on 17 April 2025 as part of the departure storyline for Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).

Early lifeEdit

Conley was born on 7 August 1961 in Paddington, London. His father, Colin, was a taxi driver,<ref name=Times93>Template:Cite news</ref> later working for the BBC in production as a prop man, including for BBC outside broadcast units.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His brother, Alan, is a BBC floor manager, including for Strictly Come Dancing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Conley was brought up in Kilburn North West London and studied Performing Arts at the Barbara Speake Stage School.<ref name=Times93/> As a teenager, Conley had a few minor television appearances, including an advert for hot dogs and a small role in a 1977 episode of the science fiction series Survivors.<ref name=Times93/> At the age of 16, by lying about his age, Conley started work as a Pontin's Bluecoat.<ref name=Times93/>

CareerEdit

Conley's first major showbusiness success was fronting a comedy showband called Tomfoolery, who performed in pubs and clubs across England and Wales, sometimes as a support act for artists such as Johnny Mathis and the Nolans.<ref name=Times93/> The group broke up due to internal disputes when Conley was 19, but his work with the band led to his being talent spotted by agent Bob Voice.<ref name=Times93/> As a result of this, Conley started working as a warm-up man for television personalities such as the Krankies, Kenny Everett and Terry Wogan.<ref name=Times93/>

Conley's career was then advanced by TVS casting director Bill Hatterley, who secured him on-screen appearances in comedy shows such as Make Me Laugh (1982), The Laughter Show (1984–1985), Live from Her Majesty's (1984–87) and Five Alive (1987).<ref name=Times93/>

In 1989, with the support of London Weekend Television (LWT)'s light entertainment controller, Conley starred in his own comedy sketch show, Brian Conley: This Way Up.<ref name=Times93/> After two series of the show, Conley made his first appearance in the West End, playing the lead role of Bill Snibson in a production of Me and My Girl.<ref name=Times93/>

In 1992, LWT offered him another opportunity to star in his own comedy programme, with The Brian Conley Show. At the suggestion of producer and director Nigel Lythgoe, this new vehicle had a variety format rather than being purely sketches.<ref name=Times93/> This proved popular, and the show became Britain's most-watched light-entertainment programme of its time.<ref name=Times93/> Conley's next success was a sitcom entitled Time After Time, in which he played the lead role of reformed criminal Kenny Conway; the show was named Best ITV Sitcom at the 1994 British Comedy Awards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 7 November 2012, ITV confirmed that Conley would feature in the 2012 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. On 19 November 2012, Brian left the jungle on medical grounds.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On 18 August 2017, it was announced that Conley would be taking part in the fifteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was partnered with Welsh professional dancer Amy Dowden.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Conley and Dowden were voted off the show in Week 5 after their Jive to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In February 2021, it was announced that he would be joining the BBC soap opera EastEnders as series regular Terry Cant, the long-lost father of established character Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, it was later revealed that his character was not Terry Cant and was in fact Tom "Rocky" Cotton.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In September 2023, Conley confirmed that he had decided to leave EastEnders.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He spoke at length about his exit from Albert Square during his appearance on award-winning motoring podcast Fuelling Around.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Conley was on the show to talk about motoring, one of his biggest passions away from the stage and screen.

In December 2024, Conley starred as Billy Barnum at the Bristol Hippodrome’s pantomime<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Film, television and theatre creditsEdit

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TelevisionEdit

As title starEdit

As actorEdit

As presenterEdit

As guest/performerEdit

Conley's appearances on chat shows include Aspel & Company (1993), This Morning (1993 & 2005), Open House with Gloria Hunniford (1998), The New Paul O'Grady Show (2005 & 2009), GMTV (2005), Breakfast (2008), The Alan Titchmarsh Show (2009), The One Show (2009), The 5 O'Clock Show (2010), The Michael Ball Show (2010) and Loose Women (2007–11, various episodes).

Additionally, Conley has appeared as a talking head on many compilation shows and documentaries including: The 100 Greatest Musicals (2003), Bob Monkhouse's Comedy Heroes (2004), Who Killed Saturday Night TV? (2004), The Story of Light Entertainment (2006), 100 Greatest Stand-Ups (2007), 50 Greatest Comedy Catchphrases (2008) and The Nolans: In the Mood for Dancing (2009).

FilmEdit

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  • Cinderella: The Show Must Go On (1986, TV) – as Dandini
  • West is West (1987) – as Sue's friend
  • Circus (2000) – as Bruno
  • Hotel! (2001, TV) – as Inspector Cochrane
  • Dream (2001) – as Charlie Allen
  • Arthur's Dyke (2001) – as Dave
  • Cruise of the Gods (2002) – as self
  • Equilibrium (2002) – as Reading Room Proprietor
  • Marple: By the Pricking of My Thumbs (2006, TV) – as Eric Johnson
  • I Am Bob (2007) – as the Compere

TheatreEdit

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Pantomime appearancesEdit

Other rolesEdit

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DiscographyEdit

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VideographyEdit

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  • Brian Conley: Alive + Extra Dangerous (Universal, 1996)

Awards and nominationsEdit

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Awards
Nominations
  • 1996 Olivier Award for Best Musical Actor (for Jolson)
  • 2000 National Television Awards, Most Popular Comedy Performer

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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