Keith Duffy
Encyclopedia
Keith Peter Thomas Francis John Duffy (born 1 October 1974) is an Irish
singer-songwriter, actor, drummer, dancer and television presenter. He began his career as part of Boyzone
in the 1990s. In the 2000s, he achieved critical acclaim for his acting roles, particularly in soap opera
s such as Coronation Street
and Fair City
. He has presented The Box
and You're a Star
.
Duffy has been an autism
awareness campaigner since his teenage daughter was diagnosed with the condition as a child. He is often seen on television trying to make lots of money so that he can give it to autism charities. He has also advertised condom
s. He is six foot three inches (1.85 metre) tall. He made £400,000 from the Boyzone Brother Tour
in 2011.
His profile was raised as a result of his appearance on the first series of the UK's Celebrity Big Brother in 2001, finishing third out of six. He branched out from Boyzone to more serious acting, most notably on the ITV
soap opera
Coronation Street
as the character Ciaran McCarthy
. In March 2010, Duffy reportedly announced that he would not be renewing his contract with the ITV soap.
He went on to play the part of Ringo in the Irish soap opera Fair City
, and starred in a television advertisement for condom
s, and as presenter of The Box
on Irish television channel TV3, as well as Irish comedy Mrs Brown
. Duffy served as a judge on the RTÉ
talent contest You're a Star
. He presented the fifth series
of the show.
Duffy played the title role in The Wizard of Oz
, staged at the Weymouth Pavilion in Weymouth, Dorset. Duffy is reportedly working on solo material, with a rumoured collaboration with singer Rihanna
. He finished the London Marathon
at a time of 3hrs 52 minutes on 26 April 2009. On 2 May 2009, Duffy and his wife won UK gameshow All Star Mr. and Mrs. The £10,000 prize money went to an autism charity.
Duffy landed his first major feature-film role in 2010 when he was cast in Irish horror film Loftus Hall
. He reportedly had to bow out of the production due a prior contract stipulation which committing him to a 2010 Coronation Street return, which would have interfered with the film's schedule. Subsequently, he returned to the soap in February 2010, reprising his role as lovable Irish rogue Ciaran McCarthy.
On 2 and 3 April 2010, Duffy appeared in ITV's one off game show The Door. He won the show and his prize was £25,000 for a charity of his choice - Treehouse (a UK-based charity for autism education). In June 2010, he continued his good work with Autism, launching a mobile phone recycling campaign in Ireland. He appeared on All Star Family Fortunes on 11 September 2010 raising money for TreeHouse, an Autism charity.
Duffy returned to Boyzone after he left the British soap Coronation Street in January 2011. He returned to Coronation Street at the end of the year. His last appearance as Ciaran was on 25 November 2011.
. They have two children, Jay (born 22 April 1996) and Mia (born 11 March 2000). After Mia was diagnosed with autism
, Duffy has become involved in raising awareness of the condition. Duffy is the second cousin of Welsh
singer-songwriter Aimee Duffy, but is not related to the Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy
.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
singer-songwriter, actor, drummer, dancer and television presenter. He began his career as part of Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
in the 1990s. In the 2000s, he achieved critical acclaim for his acting roles, particularly in soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
s such as Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
and Fair City
Fair City
Fair City is an award-winning Irish television soap opera on RTÉ One. Produced by Radio Telefís Éireann, it was first broadcast on Monday, September 18, 1989...
. He has presented The Box
The Box (Irish TV series)
The Box is an Irish quiz show presented by Keith Duffy. It was first broadcast on TV3 on 9 October 2006 and aired for one series until 27 October 2006....
and You're a Star
You're A Star
You're a Star was a singing contest in Ireland,similar to th X Factor in the United Kingdom and American Idol in the USA created by Screentime ShinAwiL and Radio Telefís Éireann. It was shown weekly on RTÉ One over the winter months of each year...
.
Duffy has been an autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
awareness campaigner since his teenage daughter was diagnosed with the condition as a child. He is often seen on television trying to make lots of money so that he can give it to autism charities. He has also advertised condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s. He is six foot three inches (1.85 metre) tall. He made £400,000 from the Boyzone Brother Tour
Brother Tour
The Brother Tour is the first tour by Irish boy band, Boyzone following the death of Stephen Gately. They will be playing arenas all over the UK and finish with 4 Irish dates including a homecoming show at the O2 in Dublin...
in 2011.
Early life
Duffy was born and raised as a Catholic in Dublin. A native of Dublin, Ireland.Career
Duffy very much played a backing role in BoyzoneBoyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
His profile was raised as a result of his appearance on the first series of the UK's Celebrity Big Brother in 2001, finishing third out of six. He branched out from Boyzone to more serious acting, most notably on the 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...
soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
as the character Ciaran McCarthy
Ciaran McCarthy
Ciaran McCarthy is a fictional character from the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street portrayed by Keith Duffy. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 August 2002, before departing in 2005. He returned in 2010 until Duffy temporary departed in January 2011 to go on Boyzone Tour,...
. In March 2010, Duffy reportedly announced that he would not be renewing his contract with the ITV soap.
He went on to play the part of Ringo in the Irish soap opera Fair City
Fair City
Fair City is an award-winning Irish television soap opera on RTÉ One. Produced by Radio Telefís Éireann, it was first broadcast on Monday, September 18, 1989...
, and starred in a television advertisement for condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s, and as presenter of The Box
The Box (Irish TV series)
The Box is an Irish quiz show presented by Keith Duffy. It was first broadcast on TV3 on 9 October 2006 and aired for one series until 27 October 2006....
on Irish television channel TV3, as well as Irish comedy Mrs Brown
Mrs. Brown's Boys
Mrs Brown's Boys is an Irish sitcom created by and starring Dublin writer-performer Brendan O'Carroll, who plays the title character Mrs. Brown. The programme is a co-production between BBC Comedy and BocPix in association with RTÉ....
. Duffy served as a judge on the RTÉ
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
talent contest You're a Star
You're A Star
You're a Star was a singing contest in Ireland,similar to th X Factor in the United Kingdom and American Idol in the USA created by Screentime ShinAwiL and Radio Telefís Éireann. It was shown weekly on RTÉ One over the winter months of each year...
. He presented the fifth series
You're a Star (series 5)
The fifth series of You're a Star was broadcast in Ireland on RTÉ One from 26 November 2006 until 18 March 2007. David O'Connor from County Wexford beat 21 Demands in the final at The Helix in Dublin. He sang "On Borrowed Wings" which was later released as a download with accompanying physical...
of the show.
Duffy played the title role in The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (adaptations)
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, which has been adapted into several different works, the most famous being the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland...
, staged at the Weymouth Pavilion in Weymouth, Dorset. Duffy is reportedly working on solo material, with a rumoured collaboration with singer Rihanna
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty , better known as simply Rihanna, is a Barbadian recording artist. Born in Saint Michael, Barbados, Rihanna moved to the United States at the age of 16 to pursue a recording career under the guidance of record producer Evan Rogers...
. He finished the London Marathon
London Marathon
The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
at a time of 3hrs 52 minutes on 26 April 2009. On 2 May 2009, Duffy and his wife won UK gameshow All Star Mr. and Mrs. The £10,000 prize money went to an autism charity.
Duffy landed his first major feature-film role in 2010 when he was cast in Irish horror film Loftus Hall
Loftus Hall
Loftus Hall is a large mansion house on the Hook peninsula, County Wexford, Ireland that is said to have been haunted both by the devil and by the ghost of a young woman....
. He reportedly had to bow out of the production due a prior contract stipulation which committing him to a 2010 Coronation Street return, which would have interfered with the film's schedule. Subsequently, he returned to the soap in February 2010, reprising his role as lovable Irish rogue Ciaran McCarthy.
On 2 and 3 April 2010, Duffy appeared in ITV's one off game show The Door. He won the show and his prize was £25,000 for a charity of his choice - Treehouse (a UK-based charity for autism education). In June 2010, he continued his good work with Autism, launching a mobile phone recycling campaign in Ireland. He appeared on All Star Family Fortunes on 11 September 2010 raising money for TreeHouse, an Autism charity.
Duffy returned to Boyzone after he left the British soap Coronation Street in January 2011. He returned to Coronation Street at the end of the year. His last appearance as Ciaran was on 25 November 2011.
TV
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | FBi Fully Booked Fully Booked was a magazine show for children produced by BBC Scotland and broadcast from 1995 to 1999, and in revised form as FBi in 2000. The show was a summer-time replacement for Live & Kicking, which would normally not broadcast over the summer months... |
Himself | Presenter |
| 2001 | The Bombmaker | DS Power | |
| 2002–2005, 2010-2011 | Coronation Street Coronation Street Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960... |
Ciaran McCarthy Ciaran McCarthy Ciaran McCarthy is a fictional character from the UK television ITV soap opera, Coronation Street portrayed by Keith Duffy. He made his first on-screen appearance on 7 August 2002, before departing in 2005. He returned in 2010 until Duffy temporary departed in January 2011 to go on Boyzone Tour,... |
Series regular Nominated for British Soap Award 2010 & 2011 Sexiest Male, being voted for as one of the top 4 both times. |
| 2004 | Petits Mythes Urbains | Charlie Mason | 1 episode: Ruf Mich An |
| 2004 2005 2007 |
The Clinic The Clinic (TV series) The Clinic is an award-winning Irish primetime television medical drama series produced by Parallel Film Productions for RTÉ. It debuted on RTÉ One in 2003 to positive reviews and proved to be one of the network's most popular shows. The show ran for seven seasons between September 2003 to November... |
Paul Dunne | Recurring; 6 episodes |
| 2007 | Be More Ethnic | Dave | |
| 2009 | Fair City Fair City Fair City is an award-winning Irish television soap opera on RTÉ One. Produced by Radio Telefís Éireann, it was first broadcast on Monday, September 18, 1989... |
Ringo Leyden | Recurring; 3 episodes |
Personal life
Duffy married Lisa Smith in June 1998 in Las VegasLas Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
. They have two children, Jay (born 22 April 1996) and Mia (born 11 March 2000). After Mia was diagnosed with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
, Duffy has become involved in raising awareness of the condition. Duffy is the second cousin of Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
singer-songwriter Aimee Duffy, but is not related to the Welsh singer-songwriter Duffy
Duffy (singer)
Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
.