Brian Conley

Early life

Conley was born on 7 August 1961 in Paddington, London. His father, Colin, was a taxi driver, later working for the BBC in production as a prop man, including for BBC outside broadcast units. His brother, Alan, is a BBC floor manager, including for Strictly Come Dancing. Conley was brought up in Kilburn, North West London, and studied Performing Arts at the Barbara Speake Stage School. As a teenager, Conley had a few minor television appearances, including a commercial for hot dogs and a small role in a 1977 episode of the science fiction series Survivors. At the age of 16, by lying about his age, Conley started work as a Pontin's Bluecoat.

Career

Conley's first major showbusiness success was fronting a comedy showband called Tomfoolery, who performed in pubs and clubs across England and Wales, sometimes as a support act for artists such as Johnny Mathis and the Nolans. The group broke up due to internal disputes when Conley was 19, but his work with the band led to his being talent spotted by agent Bob Voice. As a result of this, Conley started working as a warm-up man for television personalities such as the Krankies, Kenny Everett and Terry Wogan.

Conley's career was then advanced by TVS casting director Bill Hatterley, who secured him on-screen appearances in comedy shows such as Make Me Laugh (1982), The Laughter Show (1984–1985), Live from Her Majesty's (1984–87) and Five Alive (1987).

In 1989, with the support of London Weekend Television (LWT)'s light entertainment controller, Conley starred in his own comedy sketch show, Brian Conley: This Way Up. After two series of the show, Conley made his first appearance in the West End, playing the lead role of Bill Snibson in a production of Me and My Girl.

In 1992, LWT offered him another opportunity to star in his own comedy programme, with The Brian Conley Show. At the suggestion of producer and director Nigel Lythgoe, this new vehicle had a variety format rather than being purely sketches.

On 7 November 2012, ITV confirmed that Conley would feature in the 2012 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. On 19 November 2012, Brian left the jungle on medical grounds.

On 18 August 2017, it was announced that Conley would be taking part in the fifteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with Welsh professional dancer Amy Dowden. Conley and Dowden were voted off the show in Week 5 after their Jive to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual". In February 2021, it was announced that he would be joining the BBC soap opera EastEnders as series regular Terry Cant, the long-lost father of established character Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy). However, it was later revealed that his character was not Terry Cant and was in fact Tom "Rocky" Cotton. In September 2023, Conley confirmed that he had decided to leave EastEnders.

He spoke at length about his exit from Albert Square during his appearance on award-winning motoring podcast Fuelling Around. Conley was on the show to talk about motoring, one of his biggest passions away from the stage and screen.

In December 2024, Conley starred as Billy Barnum at the Bristol Hippodrome’s pantomime production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Film, television and theatre credits

Television

As title star

• Brian Conley: This Way Up (1989–90)
• The Brian Conley Show (1992–95)
• Brian Conley: Alive and Dangerous (1996)
• Brian Conley's Crazy Christmas (1997)
• The Brian Conley Show (2000–02)
• An Audience with... (2002)

As actor

• Survivors (1977) – as Michael, episode 'The Peacemakers'
• Outside Chance (1993, pilot for Time After Time) – as Kenny Conway
• Time After Time (1994–95) – as Kenny Conway
• Privates (1999)
• The Grimleys (1999–2000) – as Doug 'Dynamo' Digby
• Busy Buses (2002) – as the Narrator and the characters
• The Life and Times of Vivienne Vyle (2007) – as Chris Connor
• Last of the Summer Wine (2008) – as Boothroyd, episode 'Enter the Finger'
• EastEnders (2021–2023, 2025) – as Tom "Rocky" Cotton

As presenter

• Simply the Best! LWT'S Most Memorable Moments (1998)
• The National Lottery: We've Got Your Number (1999)
• Royal Variety Performance (1999)
• Judgement Day (2003)
• Let Me Entertain You (2006–2007)
• The New Paul O'Grady Show (2006, 2009; 2 episodes as guest presenter)
• Dirty Rotten Cheater (2007)
• Brian Conley's Timeline (2014)
• The TV That Made Me (2015–2016)
• Buy It Now (2018)

As guest/performer

• Make Me Laugh (1982)
• Punchlines! (1983–84, 2 episodes)
• Knees-Up (1983–84)
• The Laughter Show (1984–85)
• Live from Her Majesty's (1984–87, 4 episodes)
• The Keith Harris Show (1985, 1 episode)
• Five Alive (1987)
• Laughs from the Palladium (1987)
• You Bet! (1991, 1 episode)
• Telethon Night Out (1992)
• Royal Variety Performance (1993)
• Surprise Surprise (1993–94, 2 episodes)
• Children in Need (1996)
• Royal Variety Performance (1996)
• Family Fortunes (2001, 1 episode)
• SMTV Gold (2003, 1 episode)
• The Wright Stuff (2005, 1 episode)
• Comic Relief in da Bungalow (2005)
• Dick and Dom in da Bungalow (2006, 1 episode)
• The Best of the Royal Variety (2006)
• Grumpy Old New Year (2006)
• The Wright Stuff (2007–09, 16 episodes)
• Comedy Map of Britain (2007, 1 episode)
• The Grumpy Guide to... Youth Culture (2007)
• Cash in the Celebrity Attic (2008, 1 episode)
• Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway (2009, 6 episodes)

Conley's appearances on chat shows include Aspel & Company (1993), This Morning (1993 & 2005), Open House with Gloria Hunniford (1998), The New Paul O'Grady Show (2005 & 2009), GMTV (2005), Breakfast (2008), The Alan Titchmarsh Show (2009), The One Show (2009), The 5 O'Clock Show (2010), The Michael Ball Show (2010) and Loose Women (2007–11, various episodes).

Additionally, Conley has appeared as a talking head on many compilation shows and documentaries including: The 100 Greatest Musicals (2003), Bob Monkhouse's Comedy Heroes (2004), Who Killed Saturday Night TV? (2004), The Story of Light Entertainment (2006), 100 Greatest Stand-Ups (2007), 50 Greatest Comedy Catchphrases (2008) and The Nolans: In the Mood for Dancing (2009).

Film

• Cinderella: The Show Must Go On (1986, TV) – as Dandini
• West is West (1987) – as Sue's friend
• Circus (2000) – as Bruno
• Hotel! (2001, TV) – as Inspector Cochrane
• Dream (2001) – as Charlie Allen
• Arthur's Dyke (2001) – as Dave
• Cruise of the Gods (2002) – as self
• Equilibrium (2002) – as Reading Room Proprietor
• Marple: By the Pricking of My Thumbs (2006, TV) – as Eric Johnson
• I Am Bob (2007) – as the Compere

Theatre

Pantomime appearances

• (1978–1979) – Dick Whittington (as Idle Jack), The Hexagon, Reading
• 1979–1980 – Robinson Crusoe (as part of Tomfoolery), Swansea Grand Theatre
• 1984–1985 – Mother Goose, Churchill Theatre, Bromley
• 1989–1990 – Dick Whittington (as a villager), Nottingham Theatre Royal
• 1990–1991 – Cinderella (as Buttons), New Wimbledon Theatre
• 1992–1993 – Aladdin, Birmingham Hippodrome
• 1993–1994 – Cinderella (as Buttons), The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
• 1997–1998 – Cinderella (as Buttons), The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
• 1998–1999 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Birmingham Hippodrome
• 1999–2000 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Theatre Royal, Plymouth
• 2001–2002 – Dick Whittington (as Dick Whittington), Birmingham Hippodrome
• 2002–2003 – Cinderella (as Buttons), The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
• 2003–2004 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Manchester Opera House
• 2004–2005 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Theatre Royal, Plymouth
• 2005–2006 – Aladdin (as Aladdin), The Orchard Theatre, Dartford
• 2006–2007 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Birmingham Hippodrome
• 2007–2008 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Wycombe Swan Theatre, High Wycombe
• 2008–2009 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Nottingham Theatre Royal
• 2009–2010 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
• 2010–2011 – Cinderella (as Buttons), The New Theatre, Cardiff
• 2011–2012 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Birmingham Hippodrome
• 2012–2013 – Robinson Crusoe (as Robinson Crusoe), Birmingham Hippodrome
• 2013–2014 – Robinson Crusoe (as Robinson Crusoe), The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
• 2014–2015 – Cinderella (as Buttons), The Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
• 2015–2016 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
• 2016–2017 – Robinson Crusoe (as Robinson Crusoe), Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
• 2017–2018 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Milton Keynes Theatre
• 2018–2019 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Bristol Hippodrome
• 2019–2020 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Theatre Royal, Plymouth
• 2021–2022 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea
• 2022–2023 – Cinderella (as Buttons), New Victoria Theatre, Woking
• 2023–2024 – Cinderella (as Buttons), Milton Keynes Theatre
• 2024–2025 – Goldilocks and the Three Bears (as Billy Barnum), Bristol Hippodrome
• 2025–2026 – Goldilocks and the Three Bears (as Billy Barnum), Milton Keynes Theatre

Other roles

• Me and My Girl (as Bill Snibson), Adelphi Theatre, 1991
• Jolson (as Al Jolson), Victoria Palace Theatre, 1995–98
• Elton John's Glasses (as Bill), Queen's Theatre, 1998
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (as Caractacus Potts), London Palladium, 2005, Palace Theatre, Manchester and Birmingham Hippodrome, 2006
• The Music Man (as Professor Harold Hill), Chichester Festival Theatre, 2008
• Hairspray (as Edna Turnblad), Shaftesbury Theatre, 2009–10 and UK tour, 2010
• Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show (as Brother Love), UK tour, 2011
• Oliver! (as Fagin), UK tour, 2012
• Barnum (as P.T. Barnum), UK Tour, 2014–15
• 9 to 5 (as Franklin Hart Jr), Savoy Theatre, 2019–20
• A Christmas Carol (as Ebenezer Scrooge), Dominion Theatre 2020
• Back to the Future: The Musical (as Doc Brown), Adelphi Theatre, 2025

Discography

• Sings (Columbia, 1993)
• Stage to Stage (Telstar Records, 1996)
• Songs from the Shows (Music Digital, 2002)
• Brian Conley Sings (Sony, 2002)
• Let the Good Times Roll (Universal, 2002)

Videography

• Brian Conley: Alive + Extra Dangerous (Universal, 1996)

Awards and nominations

;Awards

• 1995 National Television Awards, Most Popular Comedy Performer
• 2004 Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards, Most Popular Performer
• 2008 TMA Best Performance in a Musical Award (for The Music Man)

;Nominations

• 1996 Olivier Award for Best Musical Actor (for Jolson)
• 2000 National Television Awards, Most Popular Comedy Performer

References

References

1. Awards, National Television. "Winners | National Television Awards".
2. Leedham, Robert. (31 October 1993). "The laugh of Brian: Brian Conley". [[The Sunday Times]].
3. (18 May 2021). "Brian Conley cried after landing 'Eastenders' role after lockdown forced career hiatus".
4. (10 October 2017). "Strictly's Brian Conley mocks claims he's receiving 'special treatment' from floor-manager brother".
5. "The British Comedy Awards British Comedy Awards 1994".
6. "Celebrities | I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!".
7. (18 August 2017). "Strictly Come Dancing: comedian Brian Conley joins line-up".
8. "Strictly Come Dancing – Amy Dowden". BBC.
9. Bagwell, Matt. (23 October 2017). "Strictly Come Dancing': Brian Conley Is The Fourth Celeb To Leave The Competition". [[Huffington Post]].
10. Kitson, Calli. (15 February 2021). "EastEnders spoilers: Brian Conley cast as Sonia Fowler's long-lost father Terry Cant". [[Metro (British newspaper).
11. "EastEnders casts Brian Conley as Sonia's dad Terry Cant". [[Digital Spy]].
12. (21 September 2021). "EastEnders star Brian Conley reveals why bosses called his character Rocky".
13. (13 September 2023). "BBC says 'no truth' to Brian Conley feud rumours as star confirms EastEnders exit". The Independent.
14. (13 March 2024). "Fuelling Around podcast: Brian Conley on leaving EastEnders and the electric cars on set". Adrian Flux.
15. "Goldilocks and the Three Bears Tickets | Bristol Hippodrome in Bristol".
16. (2025-06-04). "Back to the Future the Musical finds a new Doc Brown for the summer".