Biography - Les Dennis

Who is Les Dennis?

Les Dennis is a TV presenter, actor, and comedian by profession, and British by nationality. He is best known for presenting Family Fortunes from 1987 to June 2002, for a total of 15 years.

Les Dennis – Birth, Parents, Siblings

Les Dennis’s birth took place on 12 October 1953 in Garston, Liverpool, England. He was born Leslie Dennis Heseltine to his parents, Leslie Heseltine and Winnie Grimes. He has mentioned in his biography that he is the third of five children. The names and other details of his siblings are not known.

His father served in the Royal Navy during World War II and later worked in a betting shop. Dennis’s father was also listed as a football player on the books of Liverpool F.C. His mother worked in a factory. 

Education, Ethnicity

For education, Les Dennis attended Stockton Wood and Joseph Williams primary schools before studying at Quarry Bank High School. 

His ethnicity is English.

Les Dennis – Wife, Children, Divorce, Girlfriend

Les Dennis’ first marriage was to Lynne Webster. He has a son named Philip from this marriage. Although most details of his marriage have been documented in his autobiography, it is known that he had an extramarital affair with actress Sophie Aldred, which resulted in divorce in 1990.

His second marriage was to actress Amanda Holden. The two wed on 4 June 1995 and split in 2000 before reconciling. Holden’s affair with actor Neil Morrissey was exposed by the press, which resulted in their separation in December 2002. They finally divorced on 18 November 2003.

Les Dennis went on to date Claire Nicholson, who is 18 years younger, in 2005. Their daughter, Eleanor Grace, was born on 24 April 2008. He married for the third time on 23 November 2009 in Highgate. He and his wife welcomed their son Thomas Christopher on 14 April 2011.

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Les Dennis – Career

Early Career

Dennis began his career as a comedian at working men's clubs. He was discovered by theatrical agents Stuart and Dorene Gillespie. In 1971, he began working on a radio broadcast on Stuart's BBC Radio Merseyside series Variety Time. He participated in the 1974 talent show New Faces and won.

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Films, TV series

In 1982, he worked with Russ Abbot's Madhouse, The Russ Abbot Show, and Dustin Gee on their own show Laughter Show. In 1987, he became the third host of the show Family Fortunes, a position he held for 15 years until June 2002.

In addition to his presenting skills, he is also known for his theatrical work. He has starred in theatre productions of Skylight, Mr. Wonderful, Murderer, Cherished Disappointments In Love, The Addams Family (2017), etc.

In films and series, he has made appearances in Bang Bang, It's Reeves and Mortimer, Intimate Relations, Larg, Brookside (2001), Merseybeat, Family Affairs, Casualty, Hotel Babylon (2006), and toured with High School Musical 2, Hairspray, and Legally Blonde The Musical.

Moreover, Les Dennis has participated in Celebrity Big Brother, Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong, and Celebrity MasterChef, among others. He has also published an autobiography.

Dennis's character, Michael Rodwell, was killed off from Coronation Street after a fatal heart attack.

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Co-stars

Les Dennis has been professionally associated with Dustin Gee, Janet Suzman, John Duttine, Michael Ball, Brian Conley, and Michael Starke.

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Les Dennis – Net Worth, Salary

The net worth and salary of Dennis are not known.

Les Dennis – Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

On Twitter, Les Dennis is followed by thousands of followers but is absent from Instagram and Twitter.

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