Brian Paul Conley (born 7 August 1961) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Conley has been the host of The Brian Conley Show, as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. In his 40+-year television career, he has starred in award-winning television sitcoms including Time After Time and The Grimleys.
In the West End, he has played the lead role in musicals such as Me and My Girl, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Hairspray, Oliver!, The Music Man, and Barnum. In 1995, He played Al Jolson in the musical Jolson at the Victoria Palace Theatre, which went on to win the prestigious award of Best New Musical at the 1996 Laurence Olivier Awards, and Conley himself was nominated for Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
As a musician, he has released five albums, including Brian Conley Sings, Let the Good Times Roll, and Stage to Stage. He has won numerous awards in his career, including The National Television Award for Most Popular Comedy Performer, Best Live Performer in Manchester Evening News and a British Comedy Award.
From 2021 to 2023, Conley appeared as Tom "Rocky" Cotton in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He returned for one episode that aired on 17 April 2025 as part of the departure storyline for Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy).
Early life
Conley was born on 7 August 1961 in Paddington, London. His father, Colin, was a taxi driver, later working for the BBC in production as a prop man, including for BBC outside broadcast units. His brother, Alan, is a BBC floor manager, including for Strictly Come Dancing. Conley was brought up in Kilburn, North West London, and studied Performing Arts at the Barbara Speake Stage School.
In 1995, He played Al Jolson in the musical Jolson at the Victoria Palace Theatre, which went on to win the prestigious award of Best New Musical at the 1996 Laurence Olivier Awards, and Conley himself was nominated for Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical.
On 7 November 2012, ITV confirmed that Conley would feature in the 2012 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. On 19 November 2012, Brian left the jungle on medical grounds.
On 18 August 2017, it was announced that Conley would be taking part in the fifteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with Welsh professional dancer Amy Dowden. Conley and Dowden were voted off the show in Week 5 after their Jive to Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual".
In February 2021, it was announced that he would be joining the BBC soap opera EastEnders as series regular Terry Cant, the long-lost father of established character Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy). However, it was later revealed that his character was not Terry Cant and was in fact Tom "Rocky" Cotton. In September 2023, Conley confirmed that he had decided to leave EastEnders.
He spoke at length about his exit from Albert Square during his appearance on award-winning motoring podcast Fuelling Around. Conley was on the show to talk about motoring, one of his biggest passions away from the stage and screen.
In December 2024, Conley starred as Billy Barnum at the Bristol Hippodrome's pantomime production of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Film, television and theatre credits
Television
As title star
- Brian Conley: This Way Up (1989–90)
- The Brian Conley Show (1992–95)
- Time After Time (1994–95) – as Kenny Conway
- Jolson (as Al Jolson), Victoria Palace Theatre, 1995–98
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (as Caractacus Potts), London Palladium, 2005, Palace Theatre, Manchester and Birmingham Hippodrome, 2006
- Hairspray (as Edna Turnblad), Shaftesbury Theatre, 2009–10 and UK tour, 2010
- Stage to Stage (Telstar Records, 1996)