Bradley Walsh was born in Watford on 4 June 1960,[1][2] the son of Scottish mother Margaret and English father Daniel. He grew up in Leavesden and has a sister named Kerri. He attended Francis Combe School in Garston, where he was voted most likely to become a TV host.[3][4] After leaving school, he got an apprenticeship at Rolls-Royce's aircraft engine factory in Watford.[5]
Career
Football career
Walsh started his youth football career at Wormley Rovers. In 1979, at the age of 18, Walsh became a professional football player for Brentford, although he failed to make the first team, and was regularly a member of the reserves.[6] While Walsh was at Brentford, he also played for Barnet on loan, making five Alliance Premier League appearances in the 1979–80 season. He also played for Tring Town, Boreham Wood and Chalfont St Peter.[7] Ankle fractures ended his football career at the age of 22, in 1982.[8]
He has participated in Soccer Aid, a charity football match in which England takes on The Rest of the World, with teams made up of celebrities and professional footballers.[9] He helped England win the 2006 events as a player and the 2012 and 2016 events as a coach. Walsh made an episode for Soccer Aid in June 2022.[citation needed]
Television career
Following his football career, Walsh had a variety of jobs, including working as a bluecoat at Pontins[10] in Morecambe for three months.[11] In October 1982, performing as a newcomer comedian, he came third in a talent contest at the Rolls-Royce Sports and Social Club in his hometown of Leavesden.[12]
Walsh was recruited by television channel ITV, who offered him the role as presenter on one of the network's new game shows, Midas Touch. In 1997, Walsh was asked to front the British adaptation of the popular US game show Wheel of Fortune, following the decision of long-time presenter Nicky Campbell to leave the show after more than eight years.
Walsh's tenure on Wheel of Fortune lasted just one year, when he decided to turn his hand to acting. He also appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.[13]
On 31 May 2004, he made his first appearance in Coronation Street as factory boss Danny Baldwin, a nephew of the long-running character Mike Baldwin. It was originally envisaged that Walsh's character would be called Vic; however, Walsh asked for the character's name to be changed to Danny after his late father.[14] In December 2006, Walsh was written out of Coronation Street at his own request.[15]
In October 2007, he appeared in TV drama Torn. The following year, Walsh appeared in two episodes of Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, in the second story of series two, The Day of the Clown, as a sinister entity that fed off other people's fear. In his role, he played three parts of the same ego: a sinister American-sounding clown called Odd Bob, a mysterious European-sounding ringmaster called Elijah Spellman, and the infamous Pied Piper of Hamelin.[16][17]
In January 2009, Walsh began appearing in ITV crime drama Law & Order: UK. He played the character of DS Ronnie Brooks, a recovering alcoholic who has been in the police force for more than twenty years. From 2009 until 2014, Walsh starred in a total of 53 episodes. After the eighth series, Walsh decided to take a break from the programme and ITV decided to rest the show, though it has not been cancelled, and is on a hiatus. Walsh said he would "like the opportunity to pursue other drama projects which ITV are developing".[18]
In December 2020, it was announced that Walsh had been cast as Pop Larkin in The Larkins, a new six-part adaptation of The Darling Buds of May. He started appearing on The Larkins in October 2021.[23][24]
Presenting
On 9 September 2007, Walsh hosted the countdown TV's 50 Greatest Stars on ITV, in which people had to vote for their favourite television personalities.[25] Later that year, on 29 December 2007, Walsh hosted the quiz show No. 1 Soap Fan on ITV.[26]
In August 2008, Walsh fronted his own ITV series entitled My Little Soldier, in which young contestants are required to do "grown-up things" such as travelling on their own by train. In November and December 2008, Walsh hosted another game show for ITV, Spin Star.[27]
In June 2009, Walsh became the presenter of ITV game show The Chase, as well as the celebrity editions of the programme.[28]The Chase has become popular, beating rival BBC quiz show Pointless regularly. The show features contestants who take on the "Chaser" in a series of general knowledge quiz rounds. There have also been a number of series of celebrity versions of the show, also hosted by Walsh.
Walsh hosted a pilot for an American version of The Chase in 2012. However, it was decided that Brooke Burns would host the show instead.[29]
On 26 October 2014, after two successful pilots, Walsh began hosting the first series of Keep It in the Family. He returned to host a second series in 2015.[33][34]
In 2014, Walsh presented an episode of Sunday Night at the Palladium. He returned to the show to present another episode in 2015. In 2016, he presented eight episodes of Tonight at the London Palladium, a spin-off from the Sunday night series.[35] A second series began airing in April 2017. On 26 December 2014, Walsh hosted an entertainment special called A Christmas Cracker, filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo in London.[36]
In 2016, Walsh began presenting Cash Trapped, a daytime game show for ITV. A second and third series aired in 2017 and 2019, respectively.[citation needed]
In 2017, Walsh guest-hosted five episodes of The Nightly Show on ITV, which aired from 3 to 7 April. On 1 May 2019, it was announced that Walsh would host a new late-night talk show on ITV, titled Bradley Walsh's Late Night Guestlist. The pilot episode, featuring guests Holly Willoughby, Maya Jama and Piers Morgan, aired on 11 May 2019. A full series was not commissioned.
In 2020, Walsh was announced as the host of a one-off festive revival of the game show Blankety Blank for the BBC.[37] The show was later commissioned for a full series, and Walsh has presented the show ever since.[38][39]
In 2007, Walsh took part in Northern Rock's All Star Golf Tournament on ITV, in which his team, Team Europe, won.
In August 2008, Walsh appeared in talent show Maestro on BBC Two, in which he was placed sixth.
Since 2015, Walsh has been a team captain on the sports-based panel show Play to the Whistle. Hosted by Holly Willoughby, the first series lasted for seven episodes, beginning in April 2015. The second series began in April 2016, followed by a third in 2017.
Walsh approached rival game show host Alexander Armstrong to ask him for singing advice in 2016.[42] The result, in November, was Walsh's release of his debut album, Chasing Dreams, which peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart. It consists of covers of jazz standards such as "That's Life" and "Mr. Bojangles" as well as the title track, an original song written by Walsh.[43] It became the biggest-selling debut album by a British artist in 2016, selling 111,650 copies.[44]
A year later, due to the success of Chasing Dreams, Walsh released a second album, When You're Smiling, consisting of more covers of traditional pop songs, and one original track. It reached number 11 in the charts.
Personal life
Walsh married dancer Donna Derby in 1997. They have a son named Barney, with whom Walsh appeared in the travel series Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad.[45] Walsh also has a daughter born in 1982 from a previous relationship.[46]
Walsh lives in a barn conversion in Epping, Essex with his family.[47]
Walsh attends church and has described himself as "very spiritual".[48]
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