This Is Your Life: Tom O'Connor

Tom O'CONNOR (1939-2021)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Tom O'Connor, comedian, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews following the recording of his television show at Thames Television's Teddington Studios.

Tom, who was born in Lancashire, studied at Saint Mary's College, Twickenham, before becoming a mathematics and music teacher at the St Joan of Arc School in his home town of Bootle. He began doing stand-up comedy at local working men's clubs in the evenings, while still teaching by day, eventually getting his own regular show at Allinson's Theatre Club on Merseyside.

This led to him turning professional and he was soon appearing on television shows such as Opportunity Knocks and The Comedians, and by 1977 he was hosting his own ITV show.

"No wonder they kept the applause – you did this!"

programme details...

Edition No: 452
Subject No: 449
Broadcast date: Wed 12 Jan 1977
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Sun 12 Dec 1976
Venue: Teddington Studios
Series: 17
Edition: 12
Code name: Clock

on the guest list...

Pat - wife
Anne - daughter
Steven - son
Frances - daughter
Helen - daughter
Steven Brown
Tony O'Hagan
Gerard Reilly
John Reilly
Peter Linn
Pat - father
Tess - mother
Margaret Slattery
Brian Riley
Brendan McCormack
Charlie Wilson
Tom Humphries
John Allinson
Jean Allinson
Father Frank Carey
former colleagues from St Joan of Arc School, Bootle
Tom Stack - uncle
Frankie Vaughan

production team...

Researchers: Debbie Gaunt, Maurice Leonard
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Directors: Royston Mayoh, Terry Yarwood
Executive Producer: Jack Andrews
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

It's a Funny Old Life

it's all about the comedy

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

Frankie Vaughan

Screenshots of Tom O'Connor This Is Your Life

Tom O'Connor recalls his experience of This Is Your Life in his autobiography, Take A Funny Turn...

...This Is Your Life. Oh boy, did that surprise me. It came about so quickly I could hardly take it in. I was filming a comedy show at the studios in Teddington and had hardly any time to breathe. Not a lover of autocue or prompt cards, I insisted on learning every word of the script and re-working every sketch until it was second nature. This needs an iron will. I didn't have it but William G Stewart, my producer did. It was a great show, but certain off stage things just were not right. All day, no word from Pat or from mum, dad or the kids. Very strange. "Don't bother ringing home, boss," said Tommy, my roadie. "I've already checked it out. Everything's OK."

"Blow you, mate," I thought, "I'm the one to check if all's well." So I rang home. No answer. Odd. Rang my parents' home. Nothing. Peculiar.

What I didn't know, of course, was that the O'Connor tribe were gathering in London for a briefing and rehearsal with Eamonn Andrews. They would pounce on me at the weakest moment, just as the TV show ended and I was about to relax. What they didn't know was the trauma I was undergoing, worrying about my family. Roadie Tommy was sacked three times that day. Who the hell kept reinstating him I do not know!

I remember Lionel Blair saying to me once: "If Eamonn catches you, try to remember the first thing that crosses your mind." On his 'Life', Lionel had been approached in the street and wondered why on earth Eamonn was wearing make up!

I was caught as I took a final bow in the studio. I turned and saw the man and thought: "It's Eamonn Andrews' smaller brother." Then I saw the red book. Because he always appeared in the foreground on the show I'd assumed Eamonn was about 6ft 4in; in fact he was about 5ft 10in. But it was him all right and, boy, was I caught! It's a little known fact that after he has agreed to be 'done', there's a break for the victim whilst the cameras are reset, chairs and props arranged and audiences settled down. During this period I quaffed a large brandy and prayed out loud to the researchers that they wouldn't produce a face from the past that I couldn't recognise. They didn't. I knew them all, friends, family, pupils, work mates, club owners – oh, and the legendary Charlie Wilson. Charlie was the concert secretary of a club in Toxteth, Peel Hall. He'd booked me many times, always paying top dollar and ever ready to fill a date if I needed work. He'd even come prepared on my big night. As he recited his piece to camera, he leaned across and whispered in my ear: "There's half a bottle in me inside pocket if you need a swig." Thanks, Charlie, only you could think of that.

It was a great night, tempered by the thought of a long day's recording tomorrow. Above all, perhaps, the video has given me a permanent record of people I loved and subsequently lost. My mother, Uncle Tom, Steve Brown, club owner John Allinson, They'd even found Father Frank Carey, a white missionary from Zambia, who was bundled onto a plane in his tropical clothes and shuffled into Heathrow in mid-winter. He's back in Africa now – and he took my bicycle with him. Hey, Frank – that was only a loan, you know!

Series 17 subjects