Billy Pearce
Encyclopedia
Billy Pearce is an award winning English
performer, comedian, actor and entertainer. A regular on UK television in the 1980s and 1990s, Pearce has been described as a "supreme entertainer". His summer shows and pantomimes regularly break box office records.
to perform. He took up ballet
as a child, developing a penchant for performing after appearing in amateur productions for Leeds Thespians and operatic companies. Despite this, Pearce had aspirations to be an engineer
originally. This changed after he had a serious motorbike accident, which altered his outlook on life. He has explained, "From then on I couldn’t settle and I did lots of different jobs. I’d never been out of Leeds and the surgeon who operated on me let me stay at his place on an island in the Adriatic. I was the only British person on the island. All those things changed my life and I couldn’t settle after that. I certainly couldn’t go back to working in an engineering factory day after day [...] I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just drifted." He moved to Iceland
for a period, worked on fish docks, was a dresser for Yorkshire Television
and a stage hand at Leeds Grand
. Pearce, who had always loved entertaining people, then found employment as a redcoat
for the British holiday camp Butlins
in 1970, with a friend who had attended his mother’s dancing school; together they formed a musical double act, known as the Stewart Brothers. Stanley Joseph of Leeds City Varieties
was impressed by the act and got them a booking playing alternate nights at a cabaret club in Barnsley
and the Fiesta club in Sheffield
. Pearce then went solo and set his sights on becoming a club-filler.
in 1986, where he reached the final. Due to his success on the show, Pearce began to appear more regularly on stage and television throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He worked with Danny La Rue
and was the compere
for comedy doubleact Cannon and Ball
. He has also starred in his own "summer spectacular" entitled The Billy Pearce Laughter Show at Blackpool
's Grand Theatre
and at Bournemouth
's BIC
when he appeared in Summertime Special in August 1988, (televised).
In 1989, Pearce fronted his own BBC
television series, You gotta be joking, and he appeared regularly as a guest on numerous gameshows, entertainment and chat shows. He has been invited to appear at the Royal Variety Performance
(first appearing in 1991), and 'the Children's Royal Variety Performance, which he had been chosen to host in 1993. As of 2008, Pearce has performed in five children's Royal Variety shows and three Royal Variety shows in total. Successful in the variety entertainment genre, in 1994 he won the British Comedy Award for "Top Theatre Variety Performer", beating popular personalities of the time, such as Ken Dodd
and Michael Barrymore
. That same year he also received the Sir James Carreras Award
for "Outstanding New Talent". Prior to this he was voted Club Mirror's solo comedian of the year by fellow professionals in 1988, and followed this with best television comedy newcomer at the London Palladium
.
He has been a regular on stage, performing a summer season with acts such as Tommy Trinder
at the Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe
, and topping the bill at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool in 1993. He completed two summer seasons at the Grand Theatre Blackpool in 2000 and 2001, originally with John Inman
and then with Joe Longthorne
and Keith Harris, starred at the Pavilion Theatre, Weymouth in 1994, and at the Futurist Theatre
, Scarborough, in 1995. He has also headlined in numerous pantomime
s, topping the bill and breaking successive box office records at the Alhambra Theatre
, Bradford
in Aladdin (1994–1995), as Buttons in Cinderella (1997), alongside Amanda Barrie
in Snow White (2002–2003), and in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Hull New Theatre (2001–2002). From 2003-2004 he appeared once again at Bradford Alhambra in the highest grossing pantomime in its history.
Pearce has acted on television in shows such as ITV
's Heartbeat in 2001, and in 2004 he turned to musical theatre, appearing in Boogie Nights
as Roddie O’Neil at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre. At the time he commented, "A musical is something I’ve always wanted to do but people said: ‘No, you’re a comic, that’s what you do. They said the same thing when I was wanting to try pantomime: ‘You’re a club comic.’ I just want the opportunity to show people what I can do." He went on to star in the musical, the Rocky Horror Show in 2007 as the guest narrator.
2008 saw Billy performing at Bridlington
Spa Theatre, Blackpool Tower
and Skegness Embassy Theatre in 'Billy Pearce's Big Night Out' along with Neil Hurst and Safire (illusionists)
In 2009 Billy toured theatres in the UK in Comedy Night Out Tour with Jimmy Cricket
and Mick Miller and also starred in The Billy Pearce Laughter Show at the North Pier Blackpool
which broke box office records and was voted the best show in Blackpool
2009. In 2010 Billy returned to the North Pier alongside Guy Barrett, son of well known Norman Barrett
, Neil Hurst and Leanne Fury
In September 2010, he will appear in Morley Amateur Operatic Society's production of "Return to the Forbidden Planet" as the newsreader.
He famously uses the word 'Chuffin'
On TV he often used 'I will tell you when!' (For laughing at his jokes and applause etc)
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
performer, comedian, actor and entertainer. A regular on UK television in the 1980s and 1990s, Pearce has been described as a "supreme entertainer". His summer shows and pantomimes regularly break box office records.
Early life
Pearce was born in Leeds in 1954. His father was a pianist and his mother Jean was a respected dance teacher, notably teaching a young Malandra BurrowsMalandra Burrows
Malandra Elizabeth Burrows is an English actress and singer.-Early life:Burrows' first name, Malandra, is a portmanteau of her parents' names, Malcolm and Sandra. Her mother encouraged her at an early age to begin dancing; she initially trained under Billy Pearce's mother Jean...
to perform. He took up ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
as a child, developing a penchant for performing after appearing in amateur productions for Leeds Thespians and operatic companies. Despite this, Pearce had aspirations to be an engineer
Engineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
originally. This changed after he had a serious motorbike accident, which altered his outlook on life. He has explained, "From then on I couldn’t settle and I did lots of different jobs. I’d never been out of Leeds and the surgeon who operated on me let me stay at his place on an island in the Adriatic. I was the only British person on the island. All those things changed my life and I couldn’t settle after that. I certainly couldn’t go back to working in an engineering factory day after day [...] I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I just drifted." He moved to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
for a period, worked on fish docks, was a dresser for Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television
Yorkshire Television, now officially known as ITV Yorkshire and sometimes unofficially abbreviated to YTV, is a British television broadcaster and the contractor for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV network...
and a stage hand at Leeds Grand
Grand Theatre Leeds
The Grand Theatre is a theatre and Opera house in the centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It was designed by James Robinson Watson, chief assistant in the office of Leeds-based architect George Corson, and opened on 18 November 1878...
. Pearce, who had always loved entertaining people, then found employment as a redcoat
Redcoats (Butlins)
Redcoat is the name given to frontline staff at Butlins holiday camps. A Redcoat may have many duties ranging from adult entertainer or children's entertainer to stewarding.-History:The first Redcoat was Norman Bradford...
for the British holiday camp Butlins
Butlins
Butlins is a chain of large holiday camps in the United Kingdom. Butlins was founded by Billy Butlin to provide affordable holidays for ordinary British families....
in 1970, with a friend who had attended his mother’s dancing school; together they formed a musical double act, known as the Stewart Brothers. Stanley Joseph of Leeds City Varieties
Leeds City Varieties
The Leeds City Varieties is a Grade II* listed music hall in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.It was built in 1865 as an adjunct to the White Swan Inn in Swan Street and the original interior is largely unaltered. Along with Hoxton Hall and Wilton's Music Hall , it is a rare surviving example of the...
was impressed by the act and got them a booking playing alternate nights at a cabaret club in Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
and the Fiesta club in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
. Pearce then went solo and set his sights on becoming a club-filler.
Career in showbusiness
Pearce began his career in mainstream showbusiness as a "variety entertainer". He first rose to prominence when he appeared in the televised talent show New FacesNew Faces
New Faces was a British television talent show popular in the 1970s and 1980s, presented originally by Derek Hobson. It was produced by ATV Network Limited for the ITV Network. The first run of the show was from 29 September 1973 to 2 April 1978 and was recorded at the ATV Centre, Birmingham...
in 1986, where he reached the final. Due to his success on the show, Pearce began to appear more regularly on stage and television throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He worked with Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue
Danny La Rue, OBE was an Irish-born British entertainer known for his singing and drag impersonations.-Early life:...
and was the compere
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
for comedy doubleact Cannon and Ball
Cannon and Ball
Cannon and Ball are an English comedy double act consisting of Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball. The duo met in the early 1960s while working as welders in Oldham, Lancashire...
. He has also starred in his own "summer spectacular" entitled The Billy Pearce Laughter Show at Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
's Grand Theatre
Blackpool Grand Theatre
Blackpool Grand Theatre is a theatre in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. Since 2006, it has also been known as the National Theatre of Variety. It is a Grade II* Listed Building.-History:...
and at Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
's BIC
Bournemouth International Centre
The Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth, Dorset, is one of the primary venues for conferences, exhibitions, entertainment and events in southern England...
when he appeared in Summertime Special in August 1988, (televised).
In 1989, Pearce fronted his own BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series, You gotta be joking, and he appeared regularly as a guest on numerous gameshows, entertainment and chat shows. He has been invited to appear at the Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
(first appearing in 1991), and 'the Children's Royal Variety Performance, which he had been chosen to host in 1993. As of 2008, Pearce has performed in five children's Royal Variety shows and three Royal Variety shows in total. Successful in the variety entertainment genre, in 1994 he won the British Comedy Award for "Top Theatre Variety Performer", beating popular personalities of the time, such as Ken Dodd
Ken Dodd
Kenneth Arthur Dodd OBE is a British comedian and singer songwriter, famous for his frizzy hair or “fluff dom” and buck teeth or “denchers”, his favourite cleaner, the feather duster and his greeting "How tickled I am!", as well as his send-off “Lots and Lots of Happiness!”...
and Michael Barrymore
Michael Barrymore
Michael Kieron Parker , better known by his stage name Michael Barrymore, is a British comedian who appeared as a presenter of game shows and light entertainment programmes on British television in the 1980s and 1990s. These included Strike It Lucky, My Kind of People, My Kind of Music and Kids Say...
. That same year he also received the Sir James Carreras Award
James Carreras
Sir James Carreras MBE was one of the founders of Hammer Film Productions. He was knighted in 1970. His son was the film director and producer Michael Carreras.- Films as Executive Producer :...
for "Outstanding New Talent". Prior to this he was voted Club Mirror's solo comedian of the year by fellow professionals in 1988, and followed this with best television comedy newcomer at the London Palladium
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
.
He has been a regular on stage, performing a summer season with acts such as Tommy Trinder
Tommy Trinder
Thomas Edward Trinder CBE known as Tommy Trinder, was an English stage, screen and radio comedian of the pre and post war years whose catchphrase was 'You lucky people'.-Life:...
at the Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe
Felixstowe
Felixstowe is a seaside town on the North Sea coast of Suffolk, England. The town gives its name to the nearby Port of Felixstowe, which is the largest container port in the United Kingdom and is owned by Hutchinson Ports UK...
, and topping the bill at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool in 1993. He completed two summer seasons at the Grand Theatre Blackpool in 2000 and 2001, originally with John Inman
John Inman
Frederick John Inman was an English actor best known for his role as Mr. Humphries in Are You Being Served?, a British sitcom in the 1970s and 1980s. Inman was also well known in the United Kingdom as a pantomime dame....
and then with Joe Longthorne
Joe Longthorne
Joe Longthorne is an English singer of Romani ethnicity, who has performed in several Royal Variety Performances.-Biography:...
and Keith Harris, starred at the Pavilion Theatre, Weymouth in 1994, and at the Futurist Theatre
Futurist Theatre
The Futurist Theatre is a theatre and cinema in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England. It is located on Foreshore Road, on the sea front of the South Bay....
, Scarborough, in 1995. He has also headlined in numerous pantomime
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
s, topping the bill and breaking successive box office records at the Alhambra Theatre
Alhambra Theatre
The Alhambra was a popular theatre and music hall located on the east side of Leicester Square, in the West End of London. It was built originally as The Royal Panopticon of Science and Arts opening on 18 March 1854. It was closed after two years and reopened as the Alhambra. The building was...
, Bradford
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
in Aladdin (1994–1995), as Buttons in Cinderella (1997), alongside Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie
Amanda Barrie is an English actress.-Career:Born as Shirley Anne Broadbent, Barrie attended St Anne's College, St Anne's on Sea. She then trained at the Arts Educational School in London and later at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School...
in Snow White (2002–2003), and in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Hull New Theatre (2001–2002). From 2003-2004 he appeared once again at Bradford Alhambra in the highest grossing pantomime in its history.
Pearce has acted on television in shows such as ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Heartbeat in 2001, and in 2004 he turned to musical theatre, appearing in Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights
Boogie Nights is a 1997 drama film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Set in Los Angeles's San Fernando Valley, the script focuses on a young nightclub dishwasher who becomes a popular star of pornographic films, and chronicles his rise and fall from the Golden Age of Porn of the 1970s...
as Roddie O’Neil at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre. At the time he commented, "A musical is something I’ve always wanted to do but people said: ‘No, you’re a comic, that’s what you do. They said the same thing when I was wanting to try pantomime: ‘You’re a club comic.’ I just want the opportunity to show people what I can do." He went on to star in the musical, the Rocky Horror Show in 2007 as the guest narrator.
2008 saw Billy performing at Bridlington
Bridlington
Bridlington is a seaside resort, minor sea fishing port and civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It has a static population of over 33,000, which rises considerably during the tourist season...
Spa Theatre, Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower
Blackpool Tower Eye is a tourist attraction in Blackpool, Lancashire in England which was opened to the public on 14 May 1894. . Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it rises to 518 feet & 9 inches . The tower is a member of the World Federation of Great Towers...
and Skegness Embassy Theatre in 'Billy Pearce's Big Night Out' along with Neil Hurst and Safire (illusionists)
Safire (illusionists)
Safire are an award winning illusion act based in the UK, hailing from Wales. The act comprises husband and wife team Stuart and Jayne Loughland...
In 2009 Billy toured theatres in the UK in Comedy Night Out Tour with Jimmy Cricket
Jimmy Cricket
Jimmy Cricket is a comedian. He currently lives with his family in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England.- Early life and career :...
and Mick Miller and also starred in The Billy Pearce Laughter Show at the North Pier Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
which broke box office records and was voted the best show in Blackpool
Blackpool
Blackpool is a borough, seaside town, and unitary authority area of Lancashire, in North West England. It is situated along England's west coast by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, northwest of Preston, north of Liverpool, and northwest of Manchester...
2009. In 2010 Billy returned to the North Pier alongside Guy Barrett, son of well known Norman Barrett
Norman Barrett
Norman Rupert Barrett was an Australian-born British thoracic surgeon who is primarily remembered for describing Barrett’s oesophagus.-Early life:...
, Neil Hurst and Leanne Fury
In September 2010, he will appear in Morley Amateur Operatic Society's production of "Return to the Forbidden Planet" as the newsreader.
Catchphrase
In many of Billy Pearce's Summer shows and pantomimes , he uses the catchphrase "Hiya Boys and Girls" to much comic effect. He often displays a silly accent or voice to heighten this effect.He famously uses the word 'Chuffin'
On TV he often used 'I will tell you when!' (For laughing at his jokes and applause etc)