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Barry Cryer

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Comedian

The Resume

    (March 23, 1935-January 25, 2022)
    Born in Leeds, England, United Kingdom
    Comedian and gag writer
    Panelist on the BBC radio show 'I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue' (1972- )
    Host of ITV's 'Jokers Wild' (1969-74)
    Wrote material for David Frost, Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, Tommy Cooper, Les Dawson, Kenny Everett, Bob Hope, George Burns, and Richard Pryor
    Named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (2001)

Why he might be annoying:

    He dropped out of the University of Leeds after two years: 'I studied English literature, but I was in the bar, chasing girls, not concentrating.'
    He gave up an early stand-up career to concentrate on writing because of his eczema.
    He recorded a cover of Sheb Wooley's 'Purple People Eater' that became a #1 hit... in Finland.
    He is frequently called on to reminisce about fellow comedians upon their deaths, prompting Ken Dodd to quip that he 'cornered the market' on obituaries.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He has been married to Theresa 'Terry' Donovan for over 50 years.
    He said, 'I knew the Pythons before they were Pythons and all the Goodies before they were Goodies.'
    He returned to the stage in the 1990s, partly because his eczema had cleared up, partly because fewer comedians were hiring outside writers for material.
    'The Guardian' noted, 'He can squeeze laughs out of the oldest groaner.'

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 99 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 23.08% Annoying