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Comedian and game show host Tom O’Connor dies in hospital aged 81 after long battle with Parkinson’s Disease
- Liverpool comedian Tom O’Connor has died in hospital aged 81, his family said
- Veteran stand-up star caught his big break on TV show Opportunity Knocks
- He starred in The Comedians and became household name in the 70s and 80s
- O’Connor hosted shows Name That Tune, Crosswits and Tom O’Connor Show
- His family said he died in hospital following a 14-year battle with Parkinson’s
Beloved Liverpool comedian, gameshow host and actor Tom O’Connor has died in hospital aged 81 following a 14-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, his family said today.
The veteran stand-up star spent his evenings as a maths and music teacher at the St Joan of Arc School in Bootle entertaining crowds in working men’s clubs before catching his big break on The Comedians, which gave a platform to stand-up comedians working the club circuit.
O’Connor, who was born in Bootle, Lancashire in 1939 before moving to Twickenham, West London for University, starred in Opportunity Knocks and became a household name in the 1970s and 1980s hosting shows including Name That Tune, Crosswits and Pick Pockets.
He also fronted his own ITV programme The Tom O’Connor Show, a light entertainment and comedy show which ran at lunchtimes and had a peak audience of 12 million daily viewers.
O’Connor made his acting debut in 2000 in BBC medical soap opera Doctors as Father Tom, a Catholic priest. He also made several appearances in reality television shows in later life, being crowned the champion on Celebrity Come Dine With Me and frequently appearing on Countdown.
Beloved comedian and game show host Tom O’Connor died in hospital today aged 81 following a 14-year battle with Parkinson’s disease
O’Connor, who was born in Bootle, Lancashire in 1939 before moving to Twickenham, West London for University, starred in Opportunity Knocks and became a household name in the 1970s and 1980s hosting shows including Name That Tune, Crosswits and Pick Pockets
O’Connor has died in hospital aged 81 following a 14-year battle with Parkinson’s disease, his family said. Pictured: at the London Palladium
The veteran stand-up star spent his evenings as a maths and music teacher at the St Joan of Arc School in Bootle entertaining crowds in working men’s clubs before catching his big break on The Comedians, which gave a platform to stand-up comedians working the club circuit. Pictured: on the set of Gambit
Sir Norman Wisdom uses fellow comedian Tom O’Connor to get a better view of a blue plaque unveiled in honour of Lord Grade at the London Palladium, March 19, 2000
In 2011 he appeared on Pointless with his daughter-in-law, former athlete Denise Lewis, to win £500 for their chosen charities. He also wrote an autobiography called Take A Funny Turn in 1994, which offered an insight into his life both on and off screen.
In a statement, his daughter-in-law – former athlete Denise Lewis – said O’Connor has passed away after a 14-year battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He leaves a wife and four children.
Piers Morgan has paid tribute to O’Connor on Twitter, writing: ‘RIP Tom O’Connor, 81. Comedian, TV game show host, Liverpool legend & a very funny man. Sad news. Thanks for all the laughs, Tom.’
Former EastEnders actor Stuart Anthony paid tribute to O’Connor in a post on Twitter. He wrote: ‘Very sad to hear that Tom O’Connor has passed away. He was a lovely man with some great stories. My thoughts are with his family.’
Tom O’Connor and Jimmy Tarbuck at the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London for the 1998 Comic Heritage Comedy Awards
Tom O’Connor and Gloria Hunniford at a ‘Strictly Tea Dancing’ charity auction for the Caron Keating Foundation, London, November 7, 2010
O’Connor has died after a 14-year battle with Parkinson’s. He leaves a wife (pictured) and four children
