Les Dennis

Les Dennis
Dennis in Cardiff Bay in 2010
Born	Leslie Heseltine (1953-10-12) 12 October 1953 (age 63) Garston, Liverpool, England
Nationality	British
Occupation	Broadcaster, actor, game show host, comedian
Years active	1971–present
Notable work	New Faces The Laughter Show Family Fortunes Coronation Street
Spouse(s)	Lynne Webster (m. 1974–1990) Amanda Holden (m. 1995–2003) Claire Nicholson (m. 2009)
Children	3

Leslie Heseltine, known as Les Dennis (born 12 October 1953) is an English television presenter, actor and comedian, best known as the presenter of Family Fortunes for 15 years from 1987 until 2002.

He has played the role of Michael Rodwell in Coronation Street from 2014 to 2016.

Dennis was born in Garston, Liverpool. His father worked in a betting shop after service in the Royal Navy during World War II and a period as a football player on the books of Liverpool F.C. (but did not play for the first team), whilst his mother worked in a factory. Whilst living in a prefab in Speke, he attended the Stockton Wood and Joseph Williams primary schools and then Quarry Bank High School after passing the 11-plus, by which time his family had moved to Childwall He had a Saturday job in Burton's clothes store whilst still at school and started in entertainment as a stand-up comedian in working men's clubs.

As a comedian Dennis worked the North West social and working men's clubs. He was given his earliest opportunities by Liverpool-based husband and wife theatrical agents Stuart and Dorene Gillespie (Stuart and Dorene had been a successful act themselves in variety) and in his autobiography he credits them with discovering him. His first radio appearance was in 1971 on Stuart's BBC Radio Merseyside series Variety Time (the programmes were taped in front of a live audience in Merseyside clubs). In 1974, he won New Faces, an ITV talent show and appeared on numerous light-entertainment shows. Dennis almost became the first contestant ever to score the maximum 120 points on New Faces; but had to settle for 119 when Tony Hatch gave him 9 out of 10 in his final mark, drawing derision from the rest of the panel that included Arthur Askey.