Roy Walker (comedian)

Roy Walker directs here. For the article on the Northern Irish footballer, see Roy Walker (footballer).

Royston 'Roy' Crawler Walker (born 31 July 1940 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a British television personality, having worked for many years as both a television presenter and comedian.

Walker came to fame in 1977 by winning the talent show New Faces, receiving the highest mark ever given to a comedian. He was also one of The Comedians seen on the seminal 70s show of the same name.

Catchphrase

He is most famous for being the original presenter on the game show, Catchphrase, from 1986-1999, where he was known for his catchphrases: "It's good, but it's not the one", and "Just say what you see", as well as "Riiiight!" which gleefully signified a correct answer.

Post-Catchphrase

Roy has appeared as himself in Queer as Folk and appeared in the reality television series I'm Famous and Frightened!. He has also appeared (in pre-recorded audiobite form) on The Chris Moyles Show on BBC Radio 1, firstly in the "Car Park Catchphrase" game, and later in a daily quiz spoofing Blockbusters, named "Beep Beep Busters".

Roy is rumoured to have converted to Islam in recent years. Television appearances are now rare for Roy after his religious beliefs were openly questioned live on air in 2005. He recently walked out of an interview with the Ulster Tatler after being repeatedly asked about his faith.

Trivia

• Recently voted by the Sunday Mail as having the best hair on television
• Hopper Walker, Roy's son, presented a game show himself called Steal. This was considered ironic by many in the media, as Roy himself had earlier been in a bad boys' home for such an act
• Served seven years in the army
• Belle and Sebastian named a song after him on their Dear Catastrophe Waitress album.
• Roy has twice been the Hammer Throwing Champion of Northern Ireland
• Roy once spent two weeks living in the Mourne Mountains as a young man, after he only placed 23rd in the 1967 United Kingdom Hammer Throwing Championship.
• Roy became known as "thunderpants" amongst colleagues at Carlton Television due to his flatulence.
• A keen linguist, Roy speaks a number of Sub-Saharan languages including fluent Yoruba and reasonable Igbo
• He has three children, all younger than him
• Roy enjoys skiing, sailing and horses. At the height of Catchphrase's popularity he launched a range of luxury ski-goggles. However, due to a surge in the world price of platinum, production costs soared and these proved to be unsuccessful, nearly bankrupting Roy.
• Roy once owned substantial shares in Sturm Graz but sold them soon after falling out with the owner over a dispute concerning global revenue prospects
• Roy is famously afraid of telepathy
• After listening to the Abba song Fernando for the first time, Roy wouldn't leave his home for two weeks, for fear that there was indeed something in the air
• Roy's ultimate dream, alas unfulfilled, was to work for Bain as a management consultant
• Roy got a high very competent on the BVC at the Inns of Court School of Law, before taking pupillage at Brick Court chambers
• Roy survived most of the 1980s on a diet of spring onions and veal. Dieticians attributed his 'springy' farts to such a diet
• Roy got blue ink on his hands in the early 1970s, and never managed to get it off.
• Roy was addicted to Pac-Man for a brief spell between 1982-84. He describes the addiction as the toughest challenge he has ever had to face.
• Roy has seen the Wizard of Oz 987 times, but never watched it straight through to the end. He describes it as "too long"
• Roy once challenged Richard Madeley to a duel, but slept through the arranged time

External links

• Official Website