Bradley Walsh
Walsh in 2008
Born	Bradley John Walsh (1960-06-04)4 June 1960 (age 65) Watford,Hertfordshire, England
Education	Francis Combe School,Hertfordshire
Occupations	Actor, television presenter, singer
Years active	1988–present
Employer(s)	ITV BBC
Height	5'8
Spouse	Donna Derby ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2, includingBarney

Bradley John Walsh (born 4 June 1960) is an English actor, television presenter, comedian, singer, and former professionalfootballer.

Walsh's acting roles on television includeDanny Baldwin in theITV soap operaCoronation Street (2004–2006), DS Ronnie Brooks in the procedural seriesLaw & Order: UK (2009–2014), andGraham O'Brien in theBBC One sci-fi seriesDoctor Who (2018–2022). He has also presented various television game shows, includingWheel of Fortune (1997),The Chase (2009–present),Odd One In (2010–2011),Keep It in the Family (2014–2015),Cash Trapped (2016–2019), andBlankety Blank (2020–present).

Bradley Walsh hosted the ITV variety showTonight at the London Palladium (2016–2019) and was a team captain on the sports-themed panel showPlay to the Whistle (2015–2017). He appeared as the coach in the 2001 comedy filmMike Bassett: England Manager. Since 2019, he has starred inBradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad alongside his sonBarney, and the two began hostingthe reboot ofGladiators on BBC One in 2024. He also often appears onstage, particularly inpantomimes.

As a singer, Walsh has released the studio albumsChasing Dreams (2016) andWhen You're Smiling (2017), with the two respectively reaching No. 10 and 11 on theUK Albums Chart.

Bradley John Walsh was born inWatford on 4 June 1960,^[1][2] the son of Scottish mother Margaret and English father Daniel. He grew up inLeavesden and has a sister named Kerri.

Walsh was educated at Francis Combe School (now known asFuture Academies Watford), a statecomprehensive school in the suburban village ofGarston, inHertfordshire, where he was voted most likely to become a TV host.^[3][4]

After leaving school, Walsh got an apprenticeship atRolls-Royce's aircraft engine factory in Watford.^[5]

Walsh started his youth football career atWormley Rovers. In 1979, at the age of 18, Walsh became a professional football player forBrentford, 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 forBarnet on loan, making fiveAlliance Premier League appearances in the1979–80 season. He also played forTring Town,Boreham Wood andChalfont St Peter.^[7] Ankle fractures ended his football career at the age of 22, in 1982.^[8]

He has participated inSoccer 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 the2006 event as a player and the2012 and2016 events as a coach. Walsh made an episode for Soccer Aid in June 2022.^{[citation needed]}

Following his football career, Walsh had a variety of jobs, including working as a bluecoat atPontins^[10] inMorecambe for three months.^[11] In October 1982, performing as a newcomer comedian, he came third in atalent contest at the Rolls-Royce Sports and Social Club in his hometown of Leavesden.^[12]

Walsh was recruited by television channelITV, 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 showWheel of Fortune, following the decision of long-time presenterNicky Campbell to leave the show after more than eight years.

Walsh's tenure onWheel of Fortune lasted just one year, when he decided to turn his hand to acting. He also appeared onLily Savage's Blankety Blank.^[13]

Walsh's first acting job was a minor role in theChannel 4 series,Lock, Stock.... He also appeared as Dave Dodds in the 2001 Channel 4 TV filmMike Bassett: England Manager. He returned to ITV in 2002 after landing a regular role in the short lived British soap operaNight and Day. He featured in a total of 52 episodes. In 2003, while appearing inLes Miserables in theWest End, he played a minor role in an episode ofThe Bill spin-off series,M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team.

On 31 May 2004, he made his first appearance inCoronation Street as factory bossDanny Baldwin, a nephew of the long-running characterMike 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 ofCoronation Street at his own request.^[15]

In October 2007, he appeared in TV dramaTorn. The following year, Walsh appeared in two episodes ofDoctor Who spin-offThe 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 infamousPied Piper of Hamelin.^[16][17]

In January 2009, Walsh began appearing inITV crime dramaLaw & 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 May 2014, Walsh was cast as Brutus in aBBC One comedy series,SunTrap, starring alongsideKayvan Novak andKeith Allen. The show premiered on 27 May 2015.^[19][20]

In October 2017, the BBC announced that Walsh had been cast as acompanion toJodie Whittaker as theThirteenth Doctor,Graham O'Brien, in theeleventh series ofDoctor Who.^[21] He reprised the role for thetwelfth series in 2020 and departed the programme in the 2021 New Year's Day special "Revolution of the Daleks".^[22] He also appears in the2022 special "The Power of the Doctor".

In December 2020, it was announced that Walsh had been cast as Pop Larkin inThe Larkins, a new six-part adaptation ofThe Darling Buds of May. He started appearing onThe Larkins in October 2021.^[23][24]

On 9 September 2007, Walsh hosted the countdownTV'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 showNo. 1 Soap Fan on ITV.^[26]

In August 2008, Walsh fronted his own ITV series entitledMy 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 ofITV game showThe Chase, as well as the celebrity editions of the programme.^[28]The Chase has become popular, beating rival BBC quiz showPointless 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 anAmerican version ofThe Chase in 2012. However, it was decided thatBrooke Burns would host the show instead.^[29]

Between 2010 and 2011, Walsh was the presenter of the Saturday panel showOdd One In, with regular panellistsPeter Andre andJason Manford.^[30]

Since 2012, Walsh has hosted theCrime Thriller Awards onITV3. He also hosted theCrime Thriller Club on ITV3 in 2013.^[31] Walsh also narrated a one-off documentary forITV calledThe Circus.

In August 2014, Walsh hosted an ITV series,Come on Down! The Game Show Story, which looked back on the history of British game shows.^[32]

On 26 October 2014, after two successful pilots, Walsh began hosting the first series ofKeep It in the Family. He returned to host a second series in 2015.^[33][34]

In 2014, Walsh presented an episode ofSunday Night at the Palladium. He returned to the show to present another episode in 2015. In 2016, he presented eight episodes ofTonight 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 calledA Christmas Cracker, filmed at theHammersmith Apollo in London.^[36]

In 2016, Walsh began presentingCash 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 ofThe Nightly Show on ITV, which aired from 3 to 7 April. On 1 May 2019, it was announced that Walsh would host a newlate-night talk show on ITV, titledBradley Walsh's Late Night Guestlist. The pilot episode, featuring guestsHolly Willoughby,Maya Jama andPiers 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 showBlankety 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 May 2023, the BBC announced that Walsh and his son Barney would be co-presenting the reboot ofGladiators.^[40] In December 2023, Walsh hosted theRoyal Variety Performance at theRoyal Albert Hall.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997, Walsh had a spot in the Royal Gala celebrating 21 years of thePrince's Trust.^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, Walsh was one of the victims of an Undercover inSeries 5 ofAnt & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, Walsh took part inNorthern Rock's All Star Golf Tournament onITV, in which his team, Team Europe, won.

In August 2008, Walsh appeared in talent showMaestro onBBC Two, in which he was placed sixth.

Since 2015, Walsh has been a team captain on the sports-based panel showPlay to the Whistle. Hosted byHolly 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.

Since 2019, Walsh has starred in the ITV travel seriesBradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad alongside his sonBarney Walsh.

In 2020, Walsh was the "first ever double Undercover victim" inSeries 16 ofAnt & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.^{[citation needed]}

In May 2022, Walsh appeared onBBC Radio 4'sDesert Island Discs; his chosen favourite record, book, and luxury item were "Always and Forever" byHeatwave,The Count of Monte Cristo byAlexandre Dumas, and a set of golf clubs and balls respectively.^[41]

Walsh approached rival game show hostAlexander 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 theUK 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 ofChasing Dreams, Walsh released a second album,When You're Smiling, consisting of more covers oftraditional pop songs, and one original track. It reached number 11 in the charts.

Walsh married dancer Donna Derby in 1997. They have a son namedBarney, with whom Walsh appeared in the travel seriesBradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad.^[45] Walsh also has a daughter born in 1982 from a previous relationship.^[46]

Walsh lives in a barn conversion inEpping, Essex, with his family.^[47]

Walsh attends church and has described himself as "very spiritual".^[48]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toBradley Walsh.

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