Talk:Des O'Connor

Untitled
The IMDb lists O'Connor's date of birth as 12 January, 1932, but here and a number of other sources state 1 December, 1932. Anyone know which is the correct date? --TonyW 22:55, 19 May 2004 (UTC) 12 January 1932

I could have sworn Elusive Butterfly was also a hit single - weren't Des' version and Bob Lind's original in the top ten at the same time? --88.111.62.230 14:06, 8 November 2006 (UTC)
 * Forget it, I was thinking of Val Doonican. --88.111.62.230 14:08, 8 November 2006 (UTC)

Seems strange to state that Des has had a mainstream TV show every year since 1963 - then list the shows but leave 1969-1973 unaccounted for.

If I remember right, wasn't his show used for some months as part of US' Kraft Music Hall in the late '60s? And several times did that silly song comprised of names of mostly-'40s-'50s actors? (Rlongman (talk) 03:35, 10 January 2009 (UTC))

Real name
At 2007-09-04, the start of the article says:

Des O'Connor (born Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof on 1932-01-12)

I wasn't able to find any confirmation that his birth name was anything other than O'Connor. Is the (Bob) Geldof name someone having a joke? --Nonky 22:23, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

Taking criticism in good humour
Unfortunately this isn't always true. I have it on good authority that he was heckled in 1976 when he appeared in Cornwall by people shouting, "Who told you you could sing?" and as a result he declined to return to the stage after the interval to finish his act. My sympathies are with him btw, there should be no satisfaction in turning up to an act you don't like just to spoil it for everyone else.

Meltingpot (talk) 14:59, 6 January 2008 (UTC)


 * That was not criicism, it was abuse. Andy Mabbett ( Pigsonthewing ); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 22:00, 19 November 2020 (UTC)

Countdown succession box
2007-present should now read 2007-2008, and incumbent should say succeedded by: unknown. Although I'm assuming the show will continue - if not, the successor box would need to say succeedded by: none. How do I do this change? Digifiend (talk) 09:13, 28 July 2008 (UTC)

Irish Father?
I don't think his father was actually Irish, merely of Irish descent. Judging by his time on Countdown he seemed vague about his exact Irish heritage, and indeed struggled to understand the Irish accents of a few contestants.--MartinUK (talk) 00:43, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

15 million records?
I have deleted this unsourced claim. It is not credible that he's sold 15 million records when a) he is only well known in the British Isles and b) in the UK he's had only 1 top 10 album and just 4 top 10 singles. Vauxhall1964 (talk) 10:58, 11 July 2009 (UTC)

Birth Name
In the body it states he was born Desmond Bernard O'Connor yet in the sidebar it states Bernard Desmond O'Connor - can anyone who knows which it is update the other please 94.194.33.115 (talk) 17:49, 11 September 2011 (UTC)


 * I'm going to assume it's the former (as stated on the IMDb page) and alter. MattKitty (talk) 17:56, 29 December 2011 (UTC)

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Nationality, and religion are different
Notwithstanding, that his dad was probably only of Irish descent, how can this make sense. "O'Connor was born in Stepney, East London, to Maude (née Bassett) and Harry O'Connor. His mother was Jewish and his father was from Ireland."

Could you say, "His mother was Mexican and his father was Methodist"?

What nationality is Jewish? I think they were probably both British. Francis Hannaway (talk) 10:22, 15 November 2020 (UTC)

Hi, just wanted to say that Maude Bassett was my Nan's sister. To the best of my knowledge they were an East London family brought up following the "Church of England" or at perhaps a similar sect of Christianity. Where has the notion of Maude being Jewish come from? JamesP9000 (talk) 04:02, 16 November 2020 (UTC)

Sorry I made a typo, Maude was my Great-Grandmother's sister. My Nan was his cousin JamesP9000 (talk) 04:15, 16 November 2020 (UTC)
 * That's right. O'Connor's father, Harry O'Connor, was of half Irish and half Jewish descent, and his mother, Maude Bassett, was of English ancestry. These descriptions are off. All Hallow&#39;s Wraith (talk) 03:41, 17 August 2022 (UTC)

Shoe salesman
Was O'Connor really a shoe salesman for a bus company? Andy Mabbett ( Pigsonthewing ); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 21:57, 19 November 2020 (UTC)