Brian’s Square deal
From West End to the East End... Conley to be soap star
COMEDIAN Brian Conley is to star in EastEnders – with bosses hoping he will become a regular in the soap for years to come.
The West End actor, 59, is heading to Albert Square to play Terry Cant and says he cannot wait to order his first pint at The Queen Vic.
Brian will begin filming as Sonia Fowler’s long-lost father next month.
He said: “Being a Londoner and now being part of EastEnders is such an incredible moment for me.
“I know for sure my dad’s looking down from above and saying: ‘Good on yer son!’ It was always his favourite programme.
“It really is an honour to be part of such an iconic show and to be working with an incredibly talented team. I cannot wait to order my first pint at The Queen Vic.” A source on the soap said that Brian’s contract was as a series regular and bosses hope he will stay long-term.
Executive producer Jon Sen said: “We had been searching for some time but the moment we met Brian, we knew we had found our man.
“Brian’s a talented performer whose charm, wit and charisma are exactly the qualities we want for Terry. We’ve got some wonderful stories in store for him and can’t wait to see Brian bring him to life.”
Sonia, feeling lonely and missing her daughter Bex, searched for her lost father’s name online last year but to no avail and has never had a relationship with him, having been brought up by her mum Carol.
And Sonia, played by Natalie Cassidy, had given up hope of ever finding Terry, so his arrival in Walford “will be a huge shock”, say insiders on the long-running soap.
The Grimleys star Brian, who has enjoyed a four-decade TV and stage career, will be seen in the soap as Terry later this spring on BBC1.
Brought up in West London, Brian was always the joker as a child and joined a performing arts school. He then lied about his age when he was 16 to become a Pontins’ Bluecoat.
His talents for comedy and music united in showband Tomfoolery. He was spotted and became a warm-up act for Kenny Everett.
During the 80s, he became a household name in comedy and starred in sketch show Brian Conley: This Way Up.
The height of his telly fame came in the 1990s with The Brian Conley Show, a variety programme.
More recently he has had top West End roles in Me and My Girl, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Hairspray and 9 To 5 The Musical.
Brian lives in Buckinghamshire with wife Anne-Marie and they have two daughters Amy and Lucy.
In 2012, he claimed to have turned down offers to work at Coronation Street and EastEnders in the past.