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Local "stars"

Started by George White, July 16, 2017, 01:25:01 PM

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George White

Are there any figures i.e.DJs, local sports heroes, ex-regional TV people who are massive iconic presences in your region but completely unknown. Recently had a conversation about this with a friend from Plymouth, and the region-wide idolisation of the late TSW continuity announcer Ian Stirling who could pack out local theatres in plays and yet was completely unknown outside the southwest.

I replied with UTV/Ulster's continuity man, Julian "and now on the UTV" Simmons, who until the ITV buyout of UTV last year was still in-vision.
In the rest of Ireland, it's a different matter. There are surprisingly local stars, mainly in radio - Neil Prendeville, country-promoter  Paul Claffey, but some comics who are huge in one region, and not elsewhere - i.e. the Bachelors in Trouble - big inWaterford, Cork, Munster, but nowhere else.
In Ireland, there is a subset of the foreigner who moved here and became famous, ie. .British drag queen/Brendan OCarroll-Paul O'Grady pal Alan "Mr. Pussy" Amsby, a fixture in Irish cabaret since the late 60s, Liverpool-born country sensation Nathan Carter who was one of the last acts promoted by Wogan, and apparently Louisiana-born country cabaret star Robert Mizzell.

See also the phenomenon of local comedy - your Jimmie Young, Scotch and Wry, Ryan and Ronnie.

Glebe

Hmmm, I dunno... people like Ryan Tubridy and Joe Duffy would be known nationally (and Duffy is actually in the Mrs. Brown's Boys movie), trying to think of Dublin celebs who wouldn't really be known outside of the Fair Shitty City. Even Dustin the turkey.

George White

Well, local newscasters often pop up in films. Charles Mitchel in 1980's the Outsider, Anne Cassin, Dave Fanning and in Ordinary Decent Criminal, Jimmy Greeley in the Outsider and with Cassin in Veronica Guerin...

shh

Dave Courtney, Plumstead, not sure how well known he (or his house) is outside SE18.


Glebe

It was weird seeing someone playing John Giles in The Damned United, actually.

Sebastian Cobb

Astro from UB40 used to live in my mates village. The kids used to ask for his autograph.

One of my mates worked in a launderette and made him have a strop by saying he didn't have time to wash his massive fur coat.

George White

Dave Courtney, is that  the bald "I'm a gangster!" bloke?

Isn't Astro at least nationally notable?

See also, in Ireland, the likes of Dickie Rock, who despite Eurovision never quite broke though eslewhere, apparently because he was so big in Ireland, he couldn't focus elsewhere. Joe Dolan did, to an extent, but faded.

touchingcloth

I used to live in Herefordshire, where John "Boycie Boy" Challis lives out his dotage by assuming for himself the role of the county's chief nimby. Barely a week went by without a letter from the old duffer decrying plans to put wind farms up.

George White

Quote from: Glebe on July 16, 2017, 01:47:13 PM
Hmmm, I dunno... people like Ryan Tubridy and Joe Duffy would be known nationally (and Duffy is actually in the Mrs. Brown's Boys movie), trying to think of Dublin celebs who wouldn't really be known outside of the Fair Shitty City. Even Dustin the turkey.
Mattress Mick?


RTE were criticised when their Dancing with the Stars featured a barely-known Kerry GAA player with a really annoying face, who they even said, "He's a big man in Kerry, but people from outside Kerry will get to know him now." or words to that effect.

I mean people who are celebs locally, not celebs who live locally, but people who are only regionally famous.

Ian Drunken Smurf

Peter André gets column inches in the Somerset County Gazette for going shopping in Taunton, and married his surgeon's daughter. Nothing to see, move along.

Glebe

Quote from: George White on July 16, 2017, 05:05:03 PMMattress Mick?

Oh fuck George, spot on, I didn't think of him! There's a documentary about him and everything! He kindly donated mattresses to the Apollo House protesters too.

This sign is a familiar sight on Moore St.:



And Richie Kavanagh done a song about him.

George White

Also, the Dice Man, but he's long gone.

non capisco

Quote from: George White on July 16, 2017, 01:25:01 PM
TSW continuity announcer

I'm throughly enjoying the TV Cream mailout's current YouTube series about all the different ITV regions precisely for this sort of thing. For the entirety of its ten year run, and even before that on Westward, TSW had the ropey and inert rabbit puppet Gus Honeybun "announcing" kids' birthdays. The effort the continuity announcers had to go to make Gus Honeybun appear to have a personality is commendable. A great deal of the "Oi, pack it in, you!" Joe Beazley-esque approach that is just waggling a puppet up and down to denote it is 'misbehaving'.

George White

I've been contributing to that re:Ulster.

non capisco

Nice one! It's so good, I've become fascinated by local TV regions again. I have an exceptionally high tolerance of voluntarily sitting through 1980s local news recordings, it has emerged. Can't get enough of that shit. Other people would think "I'm not going to get up really early on a Friday morning before work to watch an old YouTube clip of Chris Tarrant getting attacked by men dressed as Vikings in 1986" but not me, I love it.

Mr Banlon

Quote from: shh on July 16, 2017, 01:54:51 PM
Dave Courtney, Plumstead, not sure how well known he (or his house) is outside SE18.



I unfortunately look like him. I live in far West London. Judging by the amount of blokes who shout out at me from passing white vans,  'Dave you fucking legend' or 'Coutney, you facking graarse !' I'd say it's safe to say Mr Courtney is known a lot further afield than his Plumstead neighbourhood.

shh

Quote from: Mr Banlon on July 16, 2017, 11:12:32 PM
I unfortunately look like him. I live in far West London. Judging by the amount of blokes who shout out at me from passing white vans,  'Dave you fucking legend' or 'Coutney, you facking graarse !' I'd say it's safe to say Mr Courtney is known a lot further afield than his Plumstead neighbourhood.

Ah, as you were then.

Mr Banlon

Quote from: shh on July 16, 2017, 11:31:43 PM
Ah, as you were then.

I wish it was how it was. BC (before Courtney)

Captain Poodle Basher

Quote from: George White on July 16, 2017, 05:05:03 PM
Mattress Mick?


RTE were criticised when their Dancing with the Stars featured a barely-known Kerry GAA player with a really annoying face, who they even said, "He's a big man in Kerry, but people from outside Kerry will get to know him now." or words to that effect.

I mean people who are celebs locally, not celebs who live locally, but people who are only regionally famous.


I don't know her name but what about that alleged comedienne with the Jackeen accent - mostly does panto. Only seems to be on local Dublin radio and nowhere else advertising herself or some local business in a voice that could strip paint.

In Cork, we have John O'Donovan. Serial protester (Anti-austerity and anti-abortion mostly) and on speed dial for either of the local radio stations as their go-to-guy for his opinion on all manner of topics.



shiftwork2

That Dave Courtney gaff is beautifully understated.

studpuppet

Quote from: Mr Banlon on July 16, 2017, 11:42:36 PM
I wish it was how it was. BC (before Courtney)

Speaking of BC, Helen McDermott on Anglia. Probably not that well known outside of the region but she's definitely one of the presenters that Susie Blake based her parody on for the Victoria Wood As Seen On TV skits.

She's brilliant because a) she ALWAYS used to attack BC at the end of every Birthday Club, and b) she once came onto the mic about 15 mins after the closedown one night and said in a husky voice, "You're insatiable. Now turn the TV off and go to bed..."

https://youtu.be/FY0-XvjIfmc?t=3m4s

Shaky


doppelkorn

Robbie Williams' best mate Jonathan Wilkes used to be massive in Stoke and always played the lead in the big pantomime in Hanley. His big break was when he got the You've Been Framed gig, but he fell down the steps while walking out to film his first episode :-(

spamwangler

Quote from: shh on July 16, 2017, 01:54:51 PM
Dave Courtney, Plumstead, not sure how well known he (or his house) is outside SE18.



the original and best legend gary

spamwangler

Quote from: Glebe on July 16, 2017, 08:35:09 PM
Oh fuck George, spot on, I didn't think of him! There's a documentary about him and everything! He kindly donated mattresses to the Apollo House protesters too.

This sign is a familiar sight on Moore St.:



And Richie Kavanagh done a song about him.

he looks great!

Bazooka

If anyone lives in Hull it will be Ronnie Pickering


Round Preston we have singing sensation Stephen Bayliss. Who probably would have had a good go on xfactor or the likes but came a bit too late for him. Used to do Panto, sing at football games etc but never had a big breakthrough despite repeated pushes in the 90s - often mentioned in local press.

Still gets a couple of grand for singing at weddings weekly mind, so sure he's not too upset.


Quote from: Captain Poodle Basher on July 17, 2017, 10:34:37 AM
I don't know her name but what about that alleged comedienne with the Jackeen accent - mostly does panto. Only seems to be on local Dublin radio and nowhere else advertising herself or some local business in a voice that could strip paint.

June Rodgers, aka. the egg woman from Pink Flamingos.

This classy pair.  Local radio presenters the Wadsworths, recently sentenced to porridge.