Leslie Dennis Heseltine was born on 12 October 1953 and is an English television presenter, actor, and comedian.
35 Facts About Les Dennis
2.
Les Dennis's mother worked in a factory while his father, who worked in a betting shop after serving in the Royal Navy during the Second World War, was listed as a football player on the books of Liverpool FC but did not play for the first team.
3.
Les Dennis lived in the suburb of Speke for a while and attended the Stockton Wood and Joseph Williams primary schools, before going to Morrison Rose Lane Secondary Modern school in Allerton.
4.
Les Dennis had a weekend job in the men's clothing store Burton whilst still at school, and started as a stand-up comedian in working men's clubs.
5.
Les Dennis was given his earliest opportunities in his home city of Liverpool, later crediting husband-and-wife theatrical agents Stuart and Dorene Gillespie with discovering him in his autobiography.
6.
Les Dennis actually scored 39 for Presentation, 36 for Content and 36 for Star Quality, meaning he only scored 111 with the score of 9 out of 10 leaving him one mark short of a maximum in just the Presentation category.
7.
In 1982, Les Dennis joined as one of the teams on Russ Abbot's Madhouse and The Russ Abbot Show before forming a comedy partnership with fellow impressionist Dustin Gee, which in turn led to a series of their own, The Laughter Show.
8.
Les Dennis has starred in Skylight at the Water Mill Theatre in Newbury, Mr Wonderful at the Gateway Theatre in Chester, and Misery at the Coliseum Theatre in Oldham.
9.
Les Dennis appeared in Just Between Ourselves and co-starred alongside Janet Suzman in Cherished Disappointments in Love at London's Soho Theatre.
10.
Les Dennis co-starred with Christopher Cazenove and John Duttine in a national tour of 'Art' and as Norman Bartholomew in Anthony Shaffer's dark comedy Murderer at London's Menier Chocolate Factory.
11.
Les Dennis later starred in a hit season of Neville's Island at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
12.
Les Dennis appeared as Mr Fulton in High School Musical 2 on a UK tour from August 2009 to February 2010.
13.
Les Dennis starred in the touring production of Legally Blonde The Musical in 2012, playing the role of Professor Callahan.
14.
In 2017, Les Dennis played the role of Uncle Fester on the UK tour of the musical production of The Addams Family.
15.
In 2019, Les Dennis performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Restoration plays The Provoked Wife and Venice Preserved.
16.
In 2021, Les Dennis made a return to theatre when he played the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the 2021 revival of Hairspray at the London Coliseum.
17.
In November and December 2021, Les Dennis performed as Sir Joseph in the English National Opera Performance of HMS Pinafore at the London Coliseum.
18.
Les Dennis appeared in the comedy film Large and Wildlife, a short film directed by Nick Allsop.
19.
Les Dennis had previously made appearances on two episodes of Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer in The "Club" sketch, where he played himself.
20.
Les Dennis has appeared in an episode of The Bill in 2006 as Mr Tom Walker, Brookside and episodes of Merseybeat, Family Affairs, Casualty, the short-lived revival of Crossroads, and Hotel Babylon.
21.
On 11 August 2005 Les Dennis appeared as a guest star in an episode of the first series of BBC sitcom Extras, written by and starring Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.
22.
In early 2006, Les Dennis presented and performed in BBC One's The Sound of Musicals and guested in New Street Law on BBC One.
23.
Les Dennis appeared as a guest in August 2006 on the ITV drama series, The Bill starring as a man suspected of murdering his father.
24.
At the 2006 Edinburgh International Television Festival, it was announced Les Dennis would make a return to the gameshow genre, presenting a new big-money quiz show titled In the Grid for Channel 5.
25.
In 2009, Dennis played Herbert Soppitt in J B Priestley's When We Are Married at the West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds and the Playhouse, Liverpool.
26.
In 2010, Les Dennis began presenting the children's TV series Fee Fi Fo Yum for CBBC.
27.
From 17 October 2011, Les Dennis started a week-long stint in Countdowns Dictionary Corner, ending on 21 October.
28.
In 2013 Les Dennis was reunited with Warwick Davis when the pair joined the cast of the West End production of Monty Python's Spamalot at London's Playhouse Theatre.
29.
Les Dennis has since returned to the show as a guest judge.
30.
On 23 January 2014, it was announced that Les Dennis would join the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street, playing the part of Michael Rogers, a petty burglar.
31.
Les Dennis began filming on 27 January 2014, and made his first appearance on TV on 24 March 2014.
32.
In 2022, Les Dennis played a mind-reader in a film called Sideshow, a black comedy in the style of Stanley a Man of Variety or Peter Chelsom's Funny Bones.
33.
Les Dennis has a son named Philip from his first marriage to Lynne Webster, which lasted from 1974 to 1990.
34.
Les Dennis had an affair with actress Sophie Aldred, which he documented in his autobiography.
35.
Les Dennis married actress Amanda Holden on 4 June 1995.