Bradley Walsh and The Queen
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The Chase host Bradley Walsh reveals warning he received about the Queen from Des O’Connor

Wise words from his idol

The Chase host Bradley Walsh once revealed a warning he received about the Queen early on in his TV career.

While many fans know him today as the host of ITV’s most popular quiz show, Bradley has had an eclectic career to date – encompassing everything from reality TV and documentaries to presenting, acting, singing and comedy.

Bradley Walsh has hosted The Chase since its launch in 2009 (Credit: ITV)

Best advice The Chase host Bradley Walsh ever received

During a chat back in 2016, Bradders revealed how one of his idols, the late Des O’Connor, had given him what he considered to be the best bit of advice he had ever received.

It was ahead of the 1993 Royal Variety Performance and Brad was due to do a comedy set, in what was to be his big break.

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The day before, the nerves were starting to get to him. But a phone call from Des put him at ease.

Des O'Connor with Bradley Walsh
The best advice he ever received was from Des O’Connor (Credit: ITV)

Brad ‘didn’t acknowledge’ the Queen

Part of Des’ advice included wise words on exactly what to do regarding the Queen, who would be watching Bradley’s performance.

In a chat with HuffPost, Bradley explained: “I was working on the 1993 Royal Variety Performance. [They recorded it] on the Monday, and on the Sunday, I got a phone call – I was only a kid, 33, I think I was, and it was my first big break – from Des O’Connor.

I didn’t even acknowledge the Queen until the end, I had to bow and then get off.

“He said to me: ‘Imagine there are no TV cameras, just be yourself, don’t work to the cameras. But also, don’t work to the Queen, she’s not interested in comedy, she loves the ballet’.

“And I took that on board – I didn’t even acknowledge the Queen until the end, I had to bow and then get off.”

the queen megxit deal
Des O’Connor’s advice concerned Her Majesty the Queen (Credit: SplashNews)

Royal Variety Performance a big career booster

Speaking further, Brad said he did “really well” in his Royal Variety Performance set.

And he thinks Des’ phone call alone “got rid of any worries or any nerves” he had.

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What’s more, Bradley said he thinks it really “helped launch” his career.

Since then, he’s acted in Coronation Street, landed his very own road trip series, Breaking Dad, with his son Barney, and hosted hundreds of episodes of The Chase.

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Nancy Brown
Associate Editor