Joe Pasquale

Early life

Pasquale attended Torells Comprehensive School, Grays, Essex. He then worked for the Civil Service's Department of Transport before joining the Smithfield meat market. The hours at the meat market became too much for a young Pasquale, so he left to work at a building site and as a spot welder at the Ford factory in Dagenham.

Entertainment career

For a few years, Pasquale worked as an entertainer at holiday camps across the UK and became entertainment manager at Warner Holidays in Corton in Suffolk. Later, he became entertainment manager at Torquay. His big break arrived when he entered and came second in the New Faces competition in 1987.

Stage

Pasquale's live shows include Live And Squeaky (1996), Twin Squeaks (1997), The Crazy World Of Joe Pasquale (1998), Bubble And Squeak (2000), The Everything I Have Ever Done & The First Of Many Goodbye Tours (2004), Does He Really Talk Like That? The Live Show (2005) and Return Of The Love Monkey (2006).

He has done six Royal Variety Performances, most recently in 2005. Pasquale once described how he got drunk one night causing the other performers to avoid him for the entire evening. The situation worsened when the Queen greeted the performers, including Pasquale, who was the 'most drunk' he had ever been.

In recent years Pasquale has begun acting on stage. In 1999, he appeared as a lead character in The Nerd. The show received rave reviews with one source describing it as "rib shatteringly funny". He returned to the stage in Autumn 2004 in the comedy Tom, Dick and Harry.

On 9 December 2001, during the first (and only) annual MuppetFest celebration, Pasquale performed on The Muppet Show Live which was staged at the Hollywood Palace in Hollywood, California. The Great Gonzo introduced him, saying...

Hello, again. Y'know, one of favorite things about "The Muppet Show" was giving a break to talented newcomers. Tonight, we'd like to continue that tradition by introducing someone I recently discovered in England. This is his first appearance in America...and with your help, it can be his last. Ladies and Gentleman, the astounding and baffling Joe Pasquale!.

Pasquale performed in the Mel Brooks West End musical The Producers as Leo Bloom on a UK tour in 2007. He also played the role of King Arthur in Monty Python's Spamalot making his West End musical debut at the Playhouse Theatre and on UK tour from 2013 to 2015.

From spring 2018 he will play Frank Spencer on a UK tour in a stage adaptation of Some Mothers Do 'Av 'Em.

Pantomime appearances

Television

On 19 February 2005, ITV broadcast An Audience with Joe Pasquale, containing some routines from his stage show — culminating in the Edward Scissorhands inspired snow sequence. Nine million people tuned in, and ITV commissioned Another Audience with Joe Pasquale which aired in 2006.

In 2006, he presented The Price is Right which aired at 2pm and 5pm, weekdays on ITV.

Pasquale voiced Nine the cat in the CBBC programme Frankenstein's Cat.

He guest presented The Paul O'Grady Show for two shows on 10 April 2009 and again on 15 October 2009, for Paul's absence.

As of April 2016, Pasquale appears in Tonight at the London Palladium, where he chooses a member of the audience to play "Who's in the Box", which involves the chosen person guessing who the celebrity behind the Royal Box's curtain is in order to spend the rest of the show watching from the Royal Box with the celebrity.

In April 2017, Pasquale was the 'roving reporter' for Bradley Walsh's week on The Nightly Show.

Guest appearances

Reality TV

On 6 December 2004 he won the fourth series of the United Kingdom television show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!. Pasquale overcame competition from butler Paul Burrell and nightclub owner Fran Cosgrave. During his time in the jungle, Pasquale had a relationship with the two emus and became famous for his use of the term "Jacobs" (for Jacobs Crackers: a rhyming slang term for testicles). He was the first celebrity to earn full stars in a bushtucker trial. The special trial involved Pasquale climbing out of an airborne helicopter and climbing down a ladder recovering the stars as he went. Later on in the show, Pasquale found himself being buried underground for five minutes with rats in a trial called Danger Down Under. Before doing the show, Pasquale made his worries about doing the show clear. He insisted it wouldn't be the bushtucker trials that worried him, rather the other 'celebrities'. He claimed to be terrible and shy when it came to meeting new people and was worried about them not liking him. For the 16-day duration of the show, Pasquale was the bookies' favourite to win.

In January 2013, Pasqaule became one of twelve celebrities participating in the eighth series of Dancing on Ice, with skating partner Vicky Ogden. They were eliminated on 10 February, claiming sixth place.

In January 2014, the final series of Dancing on Ice began airing on ITV. To celebrate this it was confirmed that the series was to be an "All-Stars" series, bringing back some of the past contestants including Pasquale who has been partnered with professional skater Robin Johnstone. This time, however Joe and Robin were eliminated in the first week after losing the skate-off to Bonnie Langford.

In 2017 he took part in ITV's Sugar Free Farm.

Live performances

On 24 September 2005, the 30 minute Breakout Trust DVD, entitled "It's a Boy", was published. Pasquale starred as the voice of an Innkeeper named Garralus. Alongside him were such performers as Cannon and Ball, and Sir Cliff Richard. The production is a new take on the nativity story and was released in time for Christmas 2005.

During 2005, Pasquale toured the United Kingdom with his summer tour, Does He Really Talk Like That?! which is the name of his autobiography which released in September 2006. The DVD of Pasquale's 2005 tour was released in time for Christmas 2005.

In 2005 and 2006, Pasquale played Mr. Smee in the Birmingham production of Peter Pan.

Pasquale performed at the Bristol Hippodrome in Peter Pan from 15 December 2006 to 13 January 2007.

Pasquale toured during 2006 with a new show The Return of the Love Monkey that was filmed in Southend, Essex, for a new DVD and that was shown on ITV in 2007.

In March 2009, he played Mr. Smee in Peter Pan at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford in 2008 with a supporting cast including around 25 children who attend The Liz Burville Performing Arts Centre, Old Bexley, Kent.

In 2009 and 2010, Pasquale played Muddles, the princess's best friend in Sleeping Beauty at Plymouth's Theatre Royal in Plymouth.

In late 2010, Joe took to the road again for his "Extra Sensory Pasquale" live show.

Allegations of plagiarism

In 2005, Stewart Lee accused Joe Pasquale of stealing the opening line from his Royal Variety performance from Michael Redmond. Lee further alleged that Pasquale sent his writers to the performances of alternative comedians in order to copy their jokes. Lee incorporated his criticisms of Pasquale into his 90's Comedian stage show.

Other work

Pasquale wrote the musical stage version of Rentaghost with his tour manager Ray Tizzard.

He performed the voice of a rat in Garfield 2.

Pasquale also provides the voice over for Underdog, the cartoon dog mascot of personal injury firm National Accident Helpline.

Charity work

With the help of other celebrities, Pasquale backed the Man Alive 2005 campaign. The campaign, which was run by Cancer Research UK, aimed to alert men to the dangers of being overweight and to encourage exercise. The main danger highlighted by the campaign was that obesity and physical inactivity can cause cancer in men, and that the cancer caused by obesity may be prevented by a healthy diet and regular exercise.

Pasquale has also supported other charities including Diabetes UK.

Personal life

Pasquale has overcome his fear of flying, and has now gained a pilot's licence. He is studying Earth Sciences at the Open University and was hoping to graduate with a BSc degree in 2014.

His son, Joe Tracini, is an actor and singer, and currently plays Dennis Savage in Hollyoaks.

Stand-up VHS & DVDs