Television
Walsh first came to prominence on television in 1994, after he won a role as one of the presenting team on the National Lottery, broadcast regularly on Saturday and Wednesday evenings on BBC1. After Walsh became a public favourite, he was quickly snapped up by rival TV channel ITV1, who offered him the role as presenter on one of the network's new game shows, Midas Touch. In 1997, Walsh was asked to front the British adaptation of popular US game show, Wheel of Fortune.
Walsh's tenure on Wheel of Fortune lasted just that one year (1997), when he decided to turn his hand to acting. He was succeeded by John Leslie. His first acting job involved a minor role in the Channel 4 TV series, Lock, Stock.... Channel 4 later approached Walsh for a role in their 2001 TV film, Mike Bassett: England Manager.
He returned to ITV1 in 2002, after he won a regular role in the short lived British soap opera Night and Day. He featured in a total of fifty-two episodes. In 2003, Walsh played a minor role in the second episode of The Bill spin-off M.I.T.: Murder Investigation Team. In 2004, Walsh was approached by one of the nation's biggest shows, Coronation Street.
On May 31, 2004, Walsh's first scenes in Coronation Street, as factory boss Danny Baldwin, were aired. It was originally envisioned that Walsh's character would be called Vic, however, Walsh asked for the character's name to be changed to Danny after his late father. He also commented that "people had previously called me Young Danny, so I thought it would not be so bad when people called me by my character name." In May 2006, Walsh won the award for 'Best Dramatic Performance' in his role as Danny at the British Soap Awards. In December 2006, Walsh was written out of the serial, but he was not killed off, at his own request. During his time in Coronation Street, Walsh also appeared as Burglar Bill at the Children's Party at the Palace 2006.
In 2007, Walsh took part in Northern Rock's All Star Golf Tournament on ITV, in which his team, Team Europe, won. Walsh stated that he has been playing golf since he was twenty years old. On September 9, 2007, Walsh hosted the countdown 50 Greatest Stars Polls on ITV1, in which people had to vote for their favourite polls on celebrities. In October 2007, Walsh appeared in the three part TV drama Torn. On December 29, 2007, Walsh hosted the countdown No. 1 Soap Fan on ITV1.
In August 2008, Walsh appeared in the reality talent show television series, Maestro, which was broadcast on BBC Two. He placed sixth out of a total of eight contestants. In the same month, he also fronted his own four-part ITV series entitled My Little Soldier, in which young contestants are required to do "grown-up things" such as travelling on their own by train. During November and December 2008, Walsh hosted another game show for ITV1 called Spin Star. During 2008, Walsh also appeared in two episodes of Doctor Who spin-off The Sarah Jane Adventures, in the second story of series two, The Day of the Clown, as a sinister entity that fed off other people's fear. In his role, he played three parts of the same ego - a sinister American sounding clown called Odd Bob, a mysterious European sounding ringmaster called Elijah Spellman, and the infamous Pied Piper of Hamelin.
In January 2009, Walsh, along with his son Barney, featured in a special edition of Channel Five factual TV series, Dangerous Adventures for Boys, based on the best-selling book written by Conn and Hal Iggulden, The Dangerous Book for Boys. Walsh and his son became involved in a hill-climbing activity before learning how to pilot a biplane. In January 2009, Walsh's tenure as the lead male actor in ITV1 crime drama Law & Order: UK began. Walsh plays the character of DS Ronnie Brooks, a recovering alcoholic who has been in the police force for over twenty years. During his time in the programme, Brooks has been paired with DS Matt Devlin (Jamie Bamber) and DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls). Since the series began, Walsh has starred in a total of over thirty-nine episodes, becoming the only original actor to stay with the series to the present day. In June 2009, Walsh became the presenter of popular ITV tea-time game show The Chase and in 2010 and 2011, Walsh was the presenter of Saturday night panel show Odd One In, alongside regular guets Peter Andre and Jason Manford. From 2012, Walsh has hosted The Crime Thriller Awards on ITV3.
Read more about this topic: Bradley Walsh
Famous quotes containing the word television:
“In full view of his television audience, he preached a new religion—or a new form of Christianity—based on faith in financial miracles and in a Heaven here on earth with a water slide and luxury hotels. It was a religion of celebrity and showmanship and fun, which made a mockery of all puritanical standards and all canons of good taste. Its standard was excess, and its doctrines were tolerance and freedom from accountability.”
—New Yorker (April 23, 1990)
“We cannot spare our children the influence of harmful values by turning off the television any more than we can keep them home forever or revamp the world before they get there. Merely keeping them in the dark is no protection and, in fact, can make them vulnerable and immature.”
—Polly Berrien Berends (20th century)
“They [parents] can help the children work out schedules for homework, play, and television that minimize the conflicts involved in what to do first. They can offer moral support and encouragement to persist, to try again, to struggle for understanding and mastery. And they can share a child’s pleasure in mastery and accomplishment. But they must not do the job for the children.”
—Dorothy H. Cohen (20th century)