The pair met in the 1980s and have lived together since 1992. Ball performed in a "pne-off" Christmas Concert on 12 December 2009 in aid of The Shooting Star Children's Hospice, which he supports. You can unsubscribe at any time. Like this story? Read about our approach to external linking. But when the age difference cropped up, a small cloud drifted briefly across his brow. Michael Ball was born on the 27th of June 1962 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, United Kingdom, he is sixty years old in 2022. From 6 April 2008, Ball took over Michael Parkinson's Sunday Supplement on BBC Radio 2 every Sunday from 11a.m. to 1p.m. Ball won the 2008 Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Cathy also saved his life another time when a fire engulfed their home while Michael was asleep. Its been a long time., The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, was there; he was photographed with Ball who was, in Ednas pearls, handbag and wig, almost Thatcherite looking delighted. In 2019, Michael toldThe Mirror: Its just not something that we need to do. I had a nice chat with him, says Ball, with a theatrical grimace. You just think: How to make a bad situation worse.. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. Michael Balls Wonderful Wales airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5. I'm thankful that I chose to see my GP and that he quickly realised it might be serious and referred me on for specialist tests. By Richard Irvine-Brown, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Michael Ball hits out at mention of 20-year age gap with partner Cathy, Michael Ball is back performing in Hairspray, Michael Ball to perform on star-studded Canaries cruise, Michael Ball's furious rant about mobile phone use in theatre, 10 brilliant things you can do on Cunards new star-studded cruise, Michael Ball reveals why he has never married his long-time partner, Michael Ball's partner Cathy saved singer's life during 'scary' fire, Michael Ball, 58, hits back at 'toyboy' suggestion with partner, 78, Michael Ball teased Harry as he did 'not see enough of his house', 'Is it career suicide?' Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Fungus case forces Jack Daniels to halt construction, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, West Africans to leave Tunisia after race row, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Fire knocks out half of Argentina's power grid. I was just starting to move into a new level of success Love Changes Everything really projected me into a different realm. "She's taught me so much and she's made me laugh like a drain - and vice versa.". It was a sporty school, and I wasnt. Michael Ball and Alfie Boe video: Watch Michael and Alfie sing Les Mis, Michael Ball and Alfie Boe's most outrageous interview, Michael Ball's partner Cathy saved singer's life during 'scary' fire, Dolly Parton teases her famous assets for new Playboy cover recreation, Lorraine Kelly slams Dominic Cummings for 'smirking' in BBC interview, Piers Morgan blasts 'selfish' Prince Harry for memoir and release date. The singer then added to the Mirror about how important Cathy has been to him. The staged concert was broadcast live to cinemas in the UK on December 2, 2019, and then encore showings in the UK and the USA. When Mackintosh called, offering him a part in a recast Phantom of the Opera, it was a lifeline, and Ball grabbed it. Ball took a trip to his old home in Plymouth before embarking on the final leg of his tour. In 1992, Ball represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest, finishing second with the song "One Step Out of Time". Michael has fronted 3 ITV shows with Alfie Boe. Double act: Michael Ball, pictured with his partner of 22 years Cathy McGowan, says he's happily a one woman man Another devotee, Julia, first saw Michael on stage in 1985, when she was 15. The pair don't share any children, but Michael is stepfather to Cathy's daughter from her first marriage, Emma. Michael Ashley Ball, OBE (born 27 June 1962) is an English actor, singer and radio broadcaster. There's been no evidence of the disease for a year.". Shed never give an interview about it, shes not interested in looking back, he added to The Big Issue. Waking up in the morning, she searched the house until she found him and dragged him to safety. It's a major reason why I am still here today. His first regular show on Radio 2 was Michael Ball's Sunday Brunch in 2008, replacing Michael Parkinson whose show Parkinson's Sunday Supplement had ended the previous year. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. It will be only the second performance of Hairspray, in which Ball plays the matriarch Edna Turnblad, and he is still on a high from opening night. So its hard for her that she happens to have a partner in the public eye.. Michael Ball, 58, has blasted those who bring up the age gap between him and his partner Cathy McGowan, 78. Since 1991, Michael, 59, has been in a relationship with Irish presenter Cathy McGowan, 78. She really encouraged that creativity in all of us as kids we had this amazing dressing-up box, so we could create costumes and plays.. READ MORE:Michael Ball reveals why he has never married his long-time partner. Encourage and support her efforts to share her emotions . 1 in the weekly "Official" UK Singles Chart, making Moore the oldest person to achieve that position and meaning that he will be at No. Pearls suggest chastity, modesty and stable marriage relationships. "Weve been together about 30 years now, and all I can say is I wish I looked as young as she does, because she looks amazing!". Michael Ball on Eurovision offer from BBC, Loose Women fans accuse Michael Ball of miming, Matt Tebbutt red-faced after awkward exchange with Masterchef finalist. Michael Ball, 59, and Cathy McGowan, 78, first met when the acclaimed singer was performing in a musical. After his graduation, Ball's singing career rapidly got off the ground. Michael Ball's birthstone is Pearl, Moonstone and Alexandrite. He spent the first quarter of 2006 on complete vocal rest, following the illness that caused him to leave The Woman in White on Broadway. I loved surprising people, making people laugh. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Explosive found in check-in luggage at US airport, Fungus case forces Jack Daniels to halt construction, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US. I think thats been very useful over this last year. Michael Ball is a singer, presenter, and actor from England. Michael Ball was born in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England, on June 27, 1962. Michael has previously opened up about how important their relationship has been to him. They met around 1989 when she was an entertainment reporter for a BBC London magazine show and interviewed him during rehearsals for Aspects of Love. Andrew Bailey took his daughter to the United States for treatment for a brain tumour in 2014. Michael Balls Wonderful Wales airs on Channel 5 tonight at 8pm. He is from British. It destroyed all my memorabilia gold records, videos and CDs and it didnt matter because everyone was all right.". Producers need to have confidence that they can put productions together knowing that, if they have to be cancelled, theyre covered. It was gone the next day and I don't think such things should be ignored so thought I should get it checked by my GP. An early referral can really help to make a difference!". he beamed, as he discussed his other half. Michael and Imelda were both awarded Olivier awards, best actor and best actress in a musical for their Sweeney Todd performances. Michael continued: It was a really scary thing. The singer spoke about their romance and revealed hethinkshe's now "too old" to be considered a toyboy anymore. Speakingabouthis first meeting with Cathy, Michael said: Cathy came into my life when I was doingAspects of Love. He toured the United Kingdom with an orchestra and five West End stars, (Louise Clare Marshall, Louise Dearman, Emma Williams, Adrian Hansel and Ben James-Ellis), in the autumn, celebrating 25 years in the music industry. Michael Ball, 58, is well-known as a singing sensation after he has been performing in the West End since the 1980s. "Every night is a date night with Cathy!" David credits seeing his GP as a reason for being alive. Im certainly not Mr Showbiz. Released by Decca Records, with all proceeds going to NHS Charities Together, the recording went straight to number one in the United Kingdom's "The Official Big Top 40" chart. But Im also well aware that it wont last. He even got his first No 1 single, last year, when he recorded Youll Never Walk Alone with Captain Sir Tom Moore and the NHS Voices of Care choir, for charity. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. His maternal grandmother, having a musical ear, was proud of Ball's early singing achievements; she died suddenly, however, of a heart attack about one week before his debut in The Pirates of Penzance. DON'T MISSDolly Parton teases her famous assets for new Playboy cover recreation [PICS]Lorraine Kelly slams Dominic Cummings for 'smirking' in BBC interview [REACTION]Piers Morgan blasts 'selfish' Prince Harry for memoir and release date[LATEST]. Michael Balls income source is mostly from being a successful Broadcaster. He felt unable to seek help, muddling his own way through. "Weve been together about 30 years now, and all I can say is I wish I looked as young as she does, because she looks amazing!". "Im too old to be a toyboy, and age has never been an issue or thought about. On 24 April it became No. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. However, their 20-year age difference is something that often pops up in conversation with people; something that Michaelinsists is "irrelevant" when it comes to their relationship. Michael Ball wife: Is Michael Ball married? Theatres, and the whole ecosystem around them, have been devastated by the pandemic. It was released on 20 November 2006. This staged concert has become the highest live stream concert at cinemas in UK history. Balls solo album went to No 2, not No 1 as we originally said, and the governments Cyber First campaign, suggesting ballet dancers could retrain in tech, was launched in 2019, not 2020. When he played Edna in the first run, for which he won the first of his two Olivier awards in 2008, his mother and uncle came to the show, and when they saw me, they cried because I look like her. Ball was interested in the theatre and his father took him to see shows in the school holidays, including a Royal Shakespeare Company production at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre of King Lear, which impressed him as a youngster of about 14 years' age. He continued to discuss aspects of their relationship, adding: "Every night is a date night with Cathy! So to then be working with him, it was the dream come true.. The tour started with two nights in Belfast, before a number of shows in the north of England and the Midlands. A trouper. Michael Ball lost his wife to cancer and believes doctors should be bolder in accepting the potential for cancer being present in a patient. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. Cathy had finished her time on Ready Steady Go!, which had made her a household name. He played the role in London and on Broadway. But the one constant in my life was Wales, and my gran and Mountain Ash [her town in the Cynon Valley], and I always felt a kinship with that., His grandmother, Agnes, known as Lil, was a huge influence on him as a performer. NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, has offered guidelines aimed at speeding up cancer diagnoses in England. Their friendship later evolved into a romance and the couple has been together ever since. More info. Won the 2013 Olivier Award for his performance as the titular character in the West End production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The live stream will be also be available as a DVD and cd early 2020. That also wasnt something he had given that much thought to before. On 2 March 2008, Ball appeared as the guest on the BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs, during which he talked about his early life and his career, including his struggle with stage fright in his early career, and a little about his personal life. Michael Ball, 59, has revealed he felt an instant connection the first time he set eyes on his long-term girlfriend, Cathy McGowan, 78, after she first interviewed him back in 1992. He is an unashamedly mainstream singer, with a legion of devoted fans, and also the man who played a no-cheese, no-chat run at the Donmar Warehouse, with an unusual repertoire that included Radiohead, Bowie and Joni Mitchell. Michael Ball is set to join Alan Titchmarsh on Alan Titchmarsh: Spring into Summer, but how much do you know about the talented singer behind the cameras? "I noticed one morning that I had blood in my urine. Ball starred as Mack in Mack and Mabel, which toured the UK in 2015. Three others with cancer still living in Ireland all survived, the first had a breast removed in 1995. In the end we went for therapy in the United States. Fans are curious to know about Michael Ball's illness and health. All profits made went to this charity. I would say that, wouldnt I? Its recognising that youre on a spiral down, and how to stop that.. Michael Ball is a guest on Alan Titchmarsh's Spring Into Summer tonight. He was, however, forced to leave the show because of a viral infection supposedly caused by the fat suit required for the role; this reportedly raised Ball's body temperature by several degrees during the show. The door closes and Im at home, and its very real. By Richard Irvine-Brown, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. A new compilation album entitled Michael Ball: The Silver Collection was released in July 2007, along with the DVD version of his 1995 film England My England. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. On 10 February 2010, Ball recorded a television pilot for ITV1, which was commissioned as a full series in the summer, titled The Michael Ball Show. If you wish to change your mind and would like to stop receiving communications from hellomagazine.com, you can revoke your consent by clicking on "unsubscribe" in the footer of the newsletter. He knows people might have thought about him: Oh, he just breezes along, its all absolutely marvellous. No, thats my act, thats what I do to survive. On 26 December 2014, Ball starred in Victoria Wood's musical That Day We Sang, reuniting him with his Sweeney Todd co-star Imelda Staunton. When youve been together for 30 years, you know each other really well, and you build a life and a family and a home. If a relationship survives a pandemic, he says with a smile, you know youre on to a winner. Ball is a concert artist: he tours frequently around the United Kingdom and has also performed concerts in Australia and the United States. He joined a youth theatre, which led to his studying drama at Guildford School of Acting, where he found an environment that suited him. He made his West End debut in 1985 playing Marius Pontmercy in the original London production of Les Misrables, and went on to star in 1987 as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera. Dr. Michael W. Ball is a Cardiologist in Indianapolis, IN. I was banging the gong, in a frock, so I dont think he knew quite what hit him. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. He is the son of Tony Ball, who was the head of global sales for British Leyland Ball, and Ruth Ball, his mother. By the middle of July, Ball had taken part in the Royal Court Theatre's celebratory performance of The Rocky Horror Show. This isnt the first time he has opened up about Cathys decision to stay out of the public eye. WATCH: Tom Bradbyon Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh. Express. He is also the. Here, four people recount their experiences of diagnosis, from the benefits to the delays. Ive always been pretty good at making friends quickly, so wherever we would go, I would find people to latch on to, he says. Ball has presented The National Lottery Draws and Children in Need. And shes been there, done that and bought the T-shirt, and has no interest in interviews or pictures. Ball was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 Birthday Honours for his services to musical theatre. However, despite living together all this time, the pair have never tied the knot. This song was released as a single by Ball in 1989 and stayed in the British pop charts for fourteen weeks. As soon as I get a job, Im thinking: What the hell am I going to do after this one? Ive got to learn not to do that so much. He really does have to go now. 8. I genuinely didnt think Id be doing what Im doing. But he listened., Ball is cautiously optimistic that the West End will bounce back, but there has been a big impact on regional theatre and on many performers. 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