Tommy Cannon | |
|---|---|
 Cannon in 2013 | |
| Born | Thomas Derbyshire 27 June 1938 Oldham, Lancashire, England |
| Occupation(s) | Comic, actor, singer |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Children | 5 |
Thomas Derbyshire (born 27 June 1938), known professionally as Tommy Cannon, is an English comic, actor and singer. He is best known as the straight man of the comic double act Cannon and Ball, until Bobby Ball's death in 2020, in TV programmes such as The Cannon and Ball Show .
Cannon was one half of comedy duo Cannon and Ball opposite his friend and colleague Bobby Ball (real name Robert Harper) before his death. They first appeared on television in 1968 on the talent show Opportunity Knocks . [1] The duo's prime-time Saturday-night television series The Cannon and Ball Show was one of LWT's most successful series, with consistently high viewing ratings over 12 years. They starred in the film The Boys in Blue together in 1982 and guest-starred in the Eric Sykes slapstick film Mr H is Late in 1988. Other notable guest appearances were on The Kenny Everett Television Show in 1982 and Shooting Stars in 1996.
On 28 October 2020, Cannon's comedy partner Bobby Ball died at Blackpool Victoria Hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. [2]
In late 2005, Cannon and Ball appeared in the fifth series of reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! . [3]
In 2012, Cannon and Ball appeared in the third celebrity series of Coach Trip .
Cannon and Ball star in the Safestyle UK television advertisements. He made a one-off guest appearance in the 2014 Christmas special of Not Going Out on BBC One.
Cannon was cast in ITV soap opera Emmerdale as pensioner Derek in 2019. He appears in several episodes and features in a story that has "serious consequences" for regular characters. [4] The character was killed off at the conclusion of Cannon's guest stint. [5]
Cannon's first marriage was to Margaret; they had two daughters, Jeanette (born 1961) and Julie (1964). The couple later divorced in 1993. They split up in 1987 but Margaret would not give Tommy a divorce. [6] He lives in York with his second wife Hazel who is 20 years his junior, [7] by whom he has three children: Kelly-Anne (born 1991), [8] Zoe Louise (born 1993) and Luke Thomas [9] (born 1996). [10]
Cannon served as Chairman of Rochdale Football Club for a term until 1988. [11]
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English actress, comedian, singer, and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with her best friend and comedy partner, Dawn French. With French, she co-wrote and starred in their eponymous sketch show, French and Saunders, for which they jointly received a BAFTA Fellowship in 2009. Saunders later received acclaim in the 1990s for writing and playing her character Edina Monsoon in her sitcom Absolutely Fabulous.
Dawn Roma French is a British actress, comedian, and writer. She is known for writing and starring on the BBC sketch comedy series French and Saunders (1987–2007) with her best friend and comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, and playing the lead role of Geraldine Granger in the BBC sitcom The Vicar of Dibley (1994–2020). French has been nominated for seven British Academy Television Awards and won a BAFTA Fellowship with Saunders in 2009.
Cannon and Ball were an English double act comprising Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball, who met in the early 1960s while working as welders in Oldham, Lancashire. They started as singers working the pubs and clubs of Greater Manchester and switched to comedy after being told comics earned an extra £3 a night. They continued to work as a comic duo on television and in theatre and pantomime. Their variety show The Cannon and Ball Show lasted for nine years on ITV. Ball died on 28 October, 2020, following a COVID-19 diagnosis.
Patricia Jude Francis Kensit is an English actress and singer. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Birds Eye frozen peas. She went on to appear in films such as The Great Gatsby (1974), Gold (1974), Alfie Darling (1975), Hennessy (1975), The Blue Bird (1976) and Hanover Street (1979). Balancing a dual career as both an actress and a singer, in 1983 Kensit formed and became the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder. The group released several singles, including the top 20 hits "I'm Not Scared" and "Cross My Heart", before disbanding in 1989.
John Patrick Thomson is an English comedian, narrator and actor best known for his roles in The Fast Show, Men Behaving Badly, Cold Feet, 24 Hour Party People, The Brothers Grimsby and Coronation Street.
Robert Harper, known professionally as Bobby Ball, was a British comic, actor, singer and television host. He was best known as a member of the comic double act Cannon and Ball, with Tommy Cannon.
Robert Christopher Nankeville, known professionally as Bobby Davro, is an English actor and comedian.
Sherrie Lynn Hutchinson, known professionally as Sherrie Hewson, is an English actress, television personality and novelist.
Christopher Paul Bisson is a British actor, known for portraying the roles of Vikram Desai in Coronation Street (1999–2002), Kash Karib in Shameless, and Jai Sharma in Emmerdale (2009–present).
Lorraine Chase is an English actress and former model. She became well known for her strong south east London accent and frequent use of cockney slang, and found fame through a series of television adverts for Campari before embarking on an acting career. She is best known for playing the role of Steph Stokes in ITV soap opera Emmerdale from 2002 to 2006, with a brief return in 2013. Her partner, John Knight, died from cancer in 1996.
Helen Margaret Lederer is a British comedian, writer and actress who emerged as part of the alternative comedy boom at the beginning of the 1980s. Among her television credits are the BBC2 sketch series Naked Video and BBC One's Absolutely Fabulous, in which she played the role of Catriona.
Richard Clifford Blackwood is a British actor, presenter, and rapper. Between 2015 and 2018, he played Vincent Hubbard in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. In 2020, he began portraying the role of Felix Westwood in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks. For his role as Felix, he has been nominated for a TRIC Award and a National Television Award
Alex Carter is an English actor and writer, mostly known for his roles as Jamie Hope in Emmerdale and Lee Hunter in Hollyoaks.
Jayne Claire King is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Kim Tate in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale since 1989, and as Karen Betts in Bad Girls from 2000 until 2004. She has appeared in the fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2006, Safari School in 2007, and Celebrity Big Brother 14 in 2014. She also played Erica Holroyd in Coronation Street from 2014 until 2017.
Mark Jordon is an English actor, best known for playing PC Phil Bellamy in the British television series Heartbeat, until he left the role in 2007. A documentary, Heartbeat - Farewell Phil, was broadcast on Christmas Day. His character was married to another popular character, Gina.
Dean Andrews is an English actor. He is known for his role as DS Ray Carling in the BBC drama series Life on Mars. He continued the role in the sequel series, Ashes to Ashes, until 2010. As of April 2019, he appeared as Will Taylor on ITV soap opera Emmerdale. Andrews left the show on 26 December 2024 when his character Will died of a heart attack.
Emma-Kate Davies is an English actress. She is the daughter of actor Geoffrey Davies, of the television comedy series Doctor in the House. She is notably recognised for her role of Anna De Souza in the ITV soap Emmerdale and for her portrayal of Diana Mitford-Guinness in the Channel 4 mini series Mosley. She currently resides in South-West London with her husband Ross Allen, a garden designer, and their daughter Camille.
Lisa Tamsin Faulkner is an English actress, presenter and television chef. She has had roles in The Lover (1992), Dangerfield (1995), Brookside (1997–1998), Holby City (1999–2001), Spooks (2002), Burn It (2003), Murder in Suburbia (2004–2005), New Street Law (2006–2007), Murdoch Mysteries (2010–2012), EastEnders (2017) and The Girl Before (2021).
Catherine Mary Ann Tyldesley is an English actress, known for her roles as Iris Moss in the BBC drama Lilies (2007), Eva Price on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street from (2011–2018) and Karen Norris in the BBC sitcom Scarborough (2019). She also appeared as a contestant on the seventeenth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2019.
Benidorm is a British sitcom written and created by Derren Litten and produced by Tiger Aspect for ITV that aired for ten series from 1 February 2007 until 2 May 2018. The series features an ensemble cast of holiday makers and staff at the Solana all-inclusive hotel in Benidorm, Spain over the course of a week each year.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
