Simon O'Brien (presenter)

Simon O'Brien (born 19 June 1965 in Garston, Liverpool) is a British television actor and radio presenter as well as a property developer. He is known for his role in the soap opera Brookside from 1982 to 1987 and for presenting on a number of different television shows.

Simon O'Brien
Born (1965-06-19) 19 June 1965
Garston, Liverpool, England
Occupation(s)Actor, radio presenter, property developer
SpouseLiz O'Brien
Children1
Websitehttp://www.simonobrien.com

Early life

Simon O'Brien was born in Garston, Liverpool on June 19, 1965.[1][2] He attended Highfield Comprehensive School in Liverpool.[3]

Career

He came to prominence as the character Damon Grant in Brookside, a role he played from the soap's launch in 1982 until 1987, when his character was killed off in York at the end of the Damon and Debbie "soap bubble".[4] In 1989, O'Brien starred in the British version of Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock until 1990. He portrayed the Lighthouse Keeper called BJ in the much acclaimed musical puppet TV series.

In the 1990s, after a spell presenting BBC football show Standing Room Only and a regular role on the American sitcom Out All Night,[5] he left show business and, with Alan Bate, set up Liverpool Cycle Centre, a combination of vegetarian café, cycle shop, cycle parking and other resources relevant to his enthusiasm for cycling. O'Brien then moved into property development. He has since returned to acting and presenting, with a short-lived football quiz show, Do I Not Know That?, on ITV Digital,[6] co-presenting the BBC One show To Buy or Not to Buy, as well as playing caretaker Wally Scott in Grange Hill from 2003.

O'Brien presented BBC Radio Merseyside's breakfast show with Lucinda Moore from September 2006 until 25 June 2007, when he resigned after the accidental broadcast of a promotional preview clip of a forthcoming radio show of him saying "fuck the government, fuck the planners".[7] In 2014, O'Brien began presenting the TV reality series My Dream Derelict Home, before moving on to Find It, Fix It, Flog It in 2016 with fellow presenter Henry Cole, for Channel 4.[8]

In 2022, it was announced that O'Brien would appear on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street as guest character Frank Bardsley.[4]

Personal life

In 2014, O'Brien was appointed chair of the Liverpool Green Strategy Group.[9] He and his wife Liz, a teacher, have one daughter.[8]

References
  1. "Inside the real life of Coronation Street actor Simon O'Brien after Frank Foster role". Heart. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
  2. "Liverpool presenter Simon O'Brien talks property 'flipping' ahead of new series of The Great House Giveaway". The Guide Liverpool. 26 April 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  3. Pedder, Eddie (1985). Who's who on Television. ITV Books. ISBN 978-0-907965-31-2.
  4. Kilkelly, Daniel (5 May 2022). "Coronation Street casts Brookside legend for new romance storyline". Digital Spy. (Hearst Communications).
  5. When Simon Quit Hollywood
  6. "Do I Not Know That?". ukgameshows.com.
  7. "City radio star quits after on-air outburst". Liverpool Echo. 25 June 2007.
  8. Woodward, Clair (18 September 2016). "Find It, Fix It, Flog It star Simon O'Brien: I don't let jobs get left undone at home". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  9. Hughes, Lorna (4 December 2014). "Actor and environmentalist Simon O'Brien appointed chair of Green Strategy Group". liverpoolecho. Retrieved 25 July 2019.


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