Cannon & Ball appeared in many adverts over the years, here's just a
few of them.
Tommy Cannon and Bobby Ball, known collectively as Cannon and Ball, are
an English comedy double act best known for their comedy variety show
The Cannon and Ball Show, which lasted for nine years on ITV.
The duo
met in the early 1960s while working as welders in Oldham, Lancashire.
They started out as singers working the pubs and clubs of Greater
Manchester and switched to comedy after being told comics earned an
extra £3 a night.
Their first TV appearance was in 1974 in the variety show The
Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club before landing a performance on
Bruce Forsyth's Big Night, although their segment didn't make it to
broadcast. In 1979, LWT offered them their own series, The Cannon and
Ball Show, which premiered in ITV on 28 July 1979. Further series
followed each year through to 1988, along with Christmas and Easter
specials. In 1982, they appeared in a feature film, The Boys in Blue, based
loosely on the classic Will Hay film, Ask a Policeman. The Boys in Blue
was regarded critically as weak in comparison and was their only cinema
outing.
Catchphrases include:- "Rock on, Tommy!", "That'll do for me, cocker!",
"You little liar!", "Deep down, you really hate me, don't yer?", "Aww,
look at it!", "I'm dead excited!", "You've got me skin!", "Pick up the
piggin' phone", "'S a meeting!"
The pair are devout Christians and published a book called Christianity
for Beginners. Currently appearing in ITV's Last Laugh in Vegas.
