Joseph Ellis Pasquale (born 20 August 1961) is an English comedian, actor and television presenter. He is well-known for his squeaky, high-pitched voice.[2]
Joseph Ellis Pasquale was born as the third of four children to Joe and Ethel. He is of Italian descent through his grandfather, who came to the United Kingdom soon after World War II. In a 2006 interview, Pasquale revealed "He couldn't speak English, so he filled out the immigration form wrong. His Christian name was 'Pasquale', but he wrote it where his surname should have been. His actual surname was Trascini".[3]
Pasquale attended Torrells Comprehensive School for his secondary education.[3] At the age of 13, he got run over and broke his leg. Due to this, he skipped a year of schooling and could not do his exams.[4]
Pasquale eventually left school aged 15 and took a series of dead-end jobs, including working at his father's margarine factory in Purfleet, a tea boy and errand boy in the civil service, porter at Smithfield meat market in London, working at the Ford Dagenham automotive plant, manning a garage forecourt, building site labourer, and a swimming pool attendant - despite not being able to swim.[3]
He then got a job at as a Greencoat at a Warner Holiday Camp in Lowestoft, where he became a bingo caller and refereed wrestling matches.[3]
He later became Entertainments Manager at another Warner Holiday Camp, in Torquay.[3]
Career
Television
Pasquale rose to fame in 1987, when he appeared on New Faces. He auditioned as a bet with a friend, and every time he answered one of the director's questions, the judging panel laughed even more. A week later, his secretary at the holiday camp told him he will be competing. During the course of the series, Pasquale smashed a guitar, did magic tricks, and met Ken Dodd who gave him a couple of jokes to perform, and he won the round immediately after the advice. He eventually finished runner-up.[4]
On 28 December 1996 he starred in his own show The Joe Pasquale Show.[5]
In January 2013, Pasquale became one of twelve celebrities participating in the eighth series of Dancing on Ice, with skating partner Vicky Ogden.[8] They were eliminated on 10 February, claiming sixth place.
Stage
Pasquale has starred in numerous Christmas pantomimes for various venues across the UK.
In 2018, Pasquale played Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em, based on the BBC sitcom, on a UK tour. In 2021, Pasquale played Al in John Godber's April in Paris on a UK tour opposite Sarah Earnshaw.
Pasquale joined Bradley Walsh, Brian Conley and Shane Richie as part of "The Prat Pack" for a one-night-only sold-out concert at the London Palladium on 30 March 2024. Following the Palladium concert, the four reunited to celebrate the opening of Fareham Live on 28 September 2024. The four will tour the UK in April and May 2025.[9]
Allegations of plagiarism
Pasquale has been accused of joke theft by Stewart Lee, who incorporated his allegations as part of Lee's comedy routine. Frank Skinner accused Pasquale of plagiarism in 2010, in using a routine about a rollercoaster prank from one of Skinner's DVD performances.[10]
Other work
Pasquale wrote the musical stage version of Rentaghost which toured the UK in 2006.[11]
On 24 September 2005, the 30-minute Breakout Trust DVD, entitled "It's a Boy", was published.[12] Pasquale starred as the voice of an Innkeeper named Garralus. Alongside him were performers such as Cannon and Ball, and Sir Cliff Richard. The production was a new take on the nativity story and was released in time for Christmas 2005.
The Everything I Have Ever Done & The First of Many Goodbye Tours (1 November 2004)
Does He Really Talk Like That? The Live Show (21 November 2005)
Return of the Love Monkey (20 November 2006)
Personal life
Pasquale has overcome a fear of flying, and has a pilot's licence. He studied Earth Sciences at the Open University and was hoping to graduate with a BSc degree in 2014.[14] He moved to Norfolk in 2022.[15]
On 5 August 2023, Pasquale revealed on Kate Thornton's White Wine Question Time podcast that he had accidentally impaled himself on a pair of prop moose antlers in Skegness.[16][17] Pasquale, 61 at the time, described himself as "lucky to be alive", and recalled having tripped initially but then contorting evasively as he fell "like Tom Cruise in the new Mission Impossible film" to avert greater injury.[18]
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