Meet Les Dennis
Our survey says... he's ready to dance
Les is one the UK’s most beloved entertainers and with a career spanning over five decades, it’s safe to say he’s done it all!
At just 11 years old, he stepped out in front of his first live audience and performed a series of impressions at a Butlins centre, which started his penchant for comedy. Les appeared in Opportunity Knocks whilst studying at school and by 1974, he received his big break when he took part in the ITV talent series New Faces. Performing a winning set on the show, he quickly established himself as a comic and began to perform on the Northern Working Men’s Club circuit to hone in on his craft.
In 1975, he joined the comedy sketch show Who Do You Do? and met fellow comedian Dustin Gee, who would later become his comedy partner. In 1982, he joined the ensemble cast of Russ Abbot Madhouse alongside Dustin and by 1984, the pair began to host their own programme The Laughter Show which ran for three series, before Dustin sadly passed away.
In 1987 Les took on his most iconic role, as the host of Family Fortunes; a massive hit for ITV, he led the show for 16 years before departing in 2002. To this date, he’s the show’s longest serving host.
In the following years, he appeared in the second series of Celebrity Big Brother, Extras, In the Grid and fronted a documentary, Les Dennis’ Liverpool. He’s also taken part as a contestant in several shows including Celebrity MasterChef and Pilgrimage, which documented him trekking on a historical pilgrimage with celebrities from other faiths.
In 2014, he scored his biggest acting job to date when he was cast as Michael Rodwell, a petty criminal, in Coronation Street. Becoming the fifth husband of Gail Platt, a Weatherfield veteran, Les appeared in over 200 episodes of the show before leaving the cobbles behind in November 2016.
Over the course of his career, he’s frequently taken part in stage and theatre shows across the country and most notably, London’s West End. He’s taken on the roles of Amos Hart in Chicago, King Arthur in Monty Python’s Spamalot and Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray! In 2022, he made his debut as Granddad in the Only Fools and Horses Musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Residing in Cheshire with his wife Claire and kids Eleanor and Thomas, it’s time for Les to hit the road again and board the Strictly train to perform in our Ballroom!
