How old is Tommy Cannon and when did he meet Bobby Ball?
TOMMY Cannon was a staple of Saturday night TV with Bobby Ball.
He is now mourning the loss of his comedy partner.
Who is Tommy Cannon and how old is he?
Tommy Cannon is an 82-year-old veteran comedian best known for his work in comedy duo Cannon and Ball, with partner Bobby Ball.
He was born Thomas Derbyshire on June 27, 1938, and met his comedy partner while they were both working as welders in Oldham.
They started out as singers but switched to comedy with Cannon playing the straight man to Bobby's ditzy character.
Cannon became a born-again Christian in 1992 after Bobby's conversion in 1986.
When did Cannon and Ball stop performing?
The comedy partners began performing in clubs as a duo in the early 70s.
After starting out in variety shows, Cannon and Ball landed their own ITV series in the 80s, The Cannon and Ball Show, which ran for nine years and had a prime-time Saturday night audience of 20 million viewers.
The height of their fame coincided with the popularity of "alternative comedy" - when audiences preferred to see skits that referred to social and political concerns.
Since The Cannon and Ball Show was cancelled in the 1990s, Tommy and Bobby have continued to perform comedy together, with cameo appearances in theatre and pantomime, as well as starring in their own sitcom.
The pair also appeared on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in 2005.
Cannon and Ball also came second to EastEnders stars Derek Martin and John Altman in the celebrity version of Coach Trip.
In 2018 the comedy duo signed up to star in Last Laugh in Vegas on ITV.
They were performing together up until Bobby's death on October 28, 2020.
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Is Tommy married?
Tommy's first marriage was to Margaret.
They had two daughters, Jeanette and Julie, but later divorced.
He now lives near York with his second wife Hazel.
They have three children Kelly-Anne, Zoe Louise and Luke Thomas.