James O'Brien says this is a very an honest book

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1976 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-03
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Synopsis
When the newspapers revealed to Les Dennis and the rest of the world that his younger wife Amanda Holden was having an affair with Neil Morrissey, he found it hard to cope with the huge media instrusion on top of the breakdown of his marriage. So when he was shown in the Celebrity Big Brother house talking to the chickens, the press began to fear for his sanity. His little joke to alleviate the boredom was spun against him. But then he appeared on Extras, courageously parodying the perception of him as a lost soul of celebritydom, and his career once again took off. Les Dennis's marvellous memoir takes us back to his childhood days growing up in Liverpool, where he went to the same school John Lennon had attended, through his early days on the comedy circuit as a teenager, before he moved on to theatre and fame on television, most notably his sixteen years as host of Family Fortunes. Packed with hilarious anecdotes from his showbiz life, the book also reveals the pressures our entertainers face - something he discovered all too well when he had to perform straight after Tommy Cooper had collapsed on stage.Les Dennis might be a very familiar face on our TV screens, but until now no one has really known his full and extraordinary story.

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Customer Reviews

Charmingly endearing
Les Dennis has written a very moving account of his turbulent life, a life full of ups and downs, of laughter and regret.. I have read many "honest" autobiographies, but none have moved me as this book has. There is no pretence, no drama, just an honest-to-goodness account of Les' very difficult experiences. He travels painfully from young boy to adulthood and takes the reader with him all the way. Les comes over as charming and forgiving human being and gives us a real insight into the "real" man.

May he be blessed with many, many years of happiness with his wonderful partner: he has clearly earned some peace!

A simple, honest and refreshing read
It is great to read something which is honest and strips away the TV persona which everyone thinks they see and assumes that we know the person.

It also portrays the fact that Les is simply a normal bloke who has had to deal with the difficulties of operating in a public life, and having his personal life exposed in the media in full.

The ability and difficulty to steer through living your life in public should never be underestimated - so it's a sobering thought for all of us who don't have to live in that way, especially when we criticise those in the public eye as we simply cannot comprehend it.

Les has written this book from a perspective that he is (and we are all) fallible and human so it's not pretentious in any way. A good read.

Highly Recommended!
I read this book by accident, what I mean is my wife was reading it and didn't seem to be able to put it down so when she finally did (after about 2 days of solid reading) I seized the moment.

It is a surprisingly honest book and not the sort one would necessarily expect from a household name, however, bear in mind that this is someone who has gone from starring in top West End musicals to talking to chickens in the Big Brother House and then allowing his public persona (and very public marriage) to be ripped to shreds by the media before making an incredible comeback as himself in Ricky Gervais' Extra's.

He has worked with so many well known celebrities that the book is like a who's who of british comedy. Les Dennis is an institution and this book will earn him new admirers whilst endearing him even more to the many fans that have stuck by him.

A really interesting, touching, and amusing read.