Roy Walker - Beyond a Joke

1 x 60' - BBC ONE NI (2019)

From shipyard catch boy to the host of Catchphrase; from stealing cars as a teenage tearaway to becoming Northern Ireland Hammer Throwing champion aged 20; and from the loss of his beloved wife, Jean in mid-life to acquiring legend status at the twilight of his career... comedian Roy Walker has led a momentous life – both on screen and off.

Now for the first time – and as he approaches his 80th birthday - Roy Walker reflects on his eventful life and over four decades in the spotlight.

This entertaining, nostalgic and uplifting documentary tells Roy’s story from his humble beginnings in East Belfast in the 1940s to TV superstardom on primetime television in the 1970s to his career renaissance today, entertaining cruise ship passengers around the world. Age and the changing comedy landscape are no barriers to this peerless star.

With exclusive access to Roy and his personal archive, Roy Walker: Beyond A Joke reveals the candid and colourful story behind the beloved performer. It is journey that takes Roy from childhood memories of grandfather’s cottage in Islandmagee to the glamour of sell-out shows at the London Palladium, and from the sun drenched golf courses of the Canary Islands, to a sell-out show at the Blackbox in Belfast. Contributors include Northern Irish comedy contemporaries Jimmy Cricket and John Linehan to recently acquired celebrity pal and radio presenter Chris Moyles, and, somewhat unbelievably, Shaun Ryder of Happy Mondays– each one playing a significant - and surprising - role in Roy’s enduring career.

Roy Walker: Beyond A Joke also weaves in the fantastic wealth of Roy’s archive from BBC variety shows and chat shows and, of course, his 14-year reign as ‘Mr Catchphrase’ on ITV.

This is the real Roy Walker – Beyond a Joke.