Simon O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Simon O'Brien is a British television actor and radio presenter as well as a property developer.
He came to prominence as the character Damon Grant
in Brookside
, a role he played from the soap's launch in 1982 until 1987, when his character was killed off in York
at the end of the 'soap bubble' Damon and Debbie
.
He acted in the UK version of Fraggle Rock
from 1987 until 1988 as BJ the lighthouse keeper. He also presented the first three series of I Can Do That
from 1988-90; a children's quiz show produced by Yorkshire Television and broadcast on the ITV network, as well as the 'Rough Guide' travel programmes for a time with Magenta Devine
.
In the 1990s, after a spell presenting BBC
football
show Standing Room Only
, he left show business
and, with Alan Bate, set up Liverpool Cycle Centre, a combination of vegetarian café, cycle shop, cycle parking and other resources relevant to his enthusiasm for cycling. O'Brien then moved into property development. He has since returned to acting and presenting, with a short-lived football quizshow, Do I Not Know That?, on ITV Digital
http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Do_I_Not_Know_That%3F, co-presenting the BBC One
show To Buy or Not to Buy
, as well as playing caretaker Wally Scott in Grange Hill
since 2003.
He is an Everton F.C.
fan and, in the past, has been the club's Public Address announcer.
He presented BBC Radio Merseyside
's Breakfast show with Lucinda Moore from September 2006 until 25 June 2007, when he resigned after the accidental broadcast of a package which he had prepared of him saying "fuck the government, fuck the planners".
As of January 2008, O'Brien is returning to the airwaves as the co-host of the breakfast show on City Talk 105.9
in his home city.
O'Brien was back on TV on BBC One from 5th September 2011, hosting the second series of "To Build or Not to Build""..
He came to prominence as the character Damon Grant
Damon Grant
Damon Grant is a fictional character in the defunct British soap opera Brookside, played by Simon O'Brien. The character was part of the initial cast, appearing from episode one in 1982 until 1987...
in Brookside
Brookside
Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...
, a role he played from the soap's launch in 1982 until 1987, when his character was killed off in York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
at the end of the 'soap bubble' Damon and Debbie
Damon and Debbie
Damon and Debbie was a three-part 'soap bubble' from Brookside, broadcast late on Wednesday evenings on Channel 4 in November 1987, with an omnibus edition over the Christmas period of that year. A Mersey Television production, it was written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce, directed by Bob Carlton, and...
.
He acted in the UK version of Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
from 1987 until 1988 as BJ the lighthouse keeper. He also presented the first three series of I Can Do That
I Can Do That
I Can Do That was a quiz programme for children that was produced by Yorkshire Television and aired for 4 series on the ITV network from 1988 until 1991, the original host was Simon O'Brien who for the final series was replaced by Bruno Brookes.-Rules:...
from 1988-90; a children's quiz show produced by Yorkshire Television and broadcast on the ITV network, as well as the 'Rough Guide' travel programmes for a time with Magenta Devine
Magenta Devine
Magenta Devine is a TV presenter and journalist. She is perhaps most known for presenting the youth travel programme, Rough Guide and "Reportage" on BBC2 in the 1990s. Then "Young, Gifted and Broke" for ITV.She began her career working for Queen/Thin Lizzy/Whitesnake publicist, the late Tony...
.
In the 1990s, after a spell presenting BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
show Standing Room Only
Standing Room Only (1991 TV programme)
Standing Room Only was a television programme on association football shown on British channel BBC2 1991. The host was Simon O'Brien, but other people, including Shelley Webb, presented small sections of the programme...
, he left show business
Show business
Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz, is a vernacular term for all aspects of entertainment. The word applies to all aspects of the entertainment industry from the business side to the creative element ....
and, with Alan Bate, set up Liverpool Cycle Centre, a combination of vegetarian café, cycle shop, cycle parking and other resources relevant to his enthusiasm for cycling. O'Brien then moved into property development. He has since returned to acting and presenting, with a short-lived football quizshow, Do I Not Know That?, on ITV Digital
ITV Digital
ITV Digital was a British digital terrestrial television broadcaster, which launched a pay-TV service on the world's first digital terrestrial television network as ONdigital in 1998 and briefly re-branded as ITV Digital in July 2001, before the service ceased in May 2002. Its main shareholders...
http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Do_I_Not_Know_That%3F, co-presenting the BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
show To Buy or Not to Buy
To Buy or Not to Buy
To Buy or Not to Buy was a British reality television series made between 2003 and 2010 for BBC One in the UK. The final series was the eleventh and contained 90 episodes, in one of two formats—either 30 or 45 minutes in length. It aired on both BBC1 and BBC2...
, as well as playing caretaker Wally Scott in Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
since 2003.
He is an Everton F.C.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
fan and, in the past, has been the club's Public Address announcer.
He presented BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside
BBC Radio Merseyside is the BBC Local Radio service for the English metropolitan county of Merseyside and north Cheshire. It was the third BBC local radio station to launch on 22 November 1967 initially serving the south west of historic Lancashire....
's Breakfast show with Lucinda Moore from September 2006 until 25 June 2007, when he resigned after the accidental broadcast of a package which he had prepared of him saying "fuck the government, fuck the planners".
As of January 2008, O'Brien is returning to the airwaves as the co-host of the breakfast show on City Talk 105.9
City Talk 105.9
City Talk 105.9 is a commercial radio station in Liverpool, England. The station was awarded a licence by Ofcom on 9 November 2006 and the station launched on 28 January 2008. City Talk is a sister station to the existing Bauer Radio-owned Radio City and Magic 1548, and the stations share studio...
in his home city.
O'Brien was back on TV on BBC One from 5th September 2011, hosting the second series of "To Build or Not to Build""..