I met Julian Clary in 2006 when he came to my local Waterstones to talk about his autobiography A Young Man's Passage. He was very funny and kept his audience well entertained!
Julian signed my copy of his autobiography, also my Carry On book and my autograph book. I also had a chance to make a fuss of his lovely little dog, Valerie!
As a child, he was deeply religious, attending several different Catholic primary schools. When eleven years old he moved to St Benedicts School, part of Ealing Abbey in West London. Discipline could be harsh and, according to his autobiography, he was sometimes beaten with a leather belt by the headmaster, a monk he calls 'Father G'. Clary and
In 2004, Julian Clary starred in Boy George's extravagant musical Taboo as the infamous performance artist and 'anti-celebrity', Leigh Bowery.
Julian Clary was the subject of This is Your Life in 2001 and, more recently, was seen researching his ancestors in TVs Who Do You Think You Are? The same year, 2006, he made it through to the final of Strictly Come Dancing with his professional partner, Erin Boag.
Throughout the past fifteen years, Clary has appeared on countless TV chat shows, game shows and quizzes. Just take a look at the list on IMDb (see links) to see the huge variety of programmes in which he has been involved.
Julian Clary is a 'natural' for pantomime and has starred in four for ITV - Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Aladdin and Dick Whittington. In films
The act did get Clary noticed by several TV producers and this led to him appearing on Friday Night Live. After 1988, his career took off. He wrote for TV shows - Sticky Moments with Julian Clary (1989), Desperately Seeking Roger (1991), Terry & Julian (1992). and Brace Yourself Sydney (1993) for Australian audiences, and also presented shows like Top of the Pops and Trick or Treat.
Around this time, Clary acquired a stray dog from Battersea Dog's Home. He called her 'Fanny - The Wonder Dog' and she featured in his 'alternative comedy' shows of the early 80s. His act became known as 'The Joan Collins Fan Club' in which he was usually dressed in leather or PVC costumes. Clary had to change the name when Joan Collins herself objected to it.
Julian Clary went on to study drama at Goldsmiths College, now part of the University of London. On leaving college in 1983 with a degree in Drama and English, he joined the cabaret circuit as 'Gillian Pie-Face', a drag act which brought him much derision and heckling from his audiences.
Julian Clary was born in 1959 in Surbiton, Surrey. His father was a policeman, his mother a probation officer and he has two older sisters, Beverley and Frances.
Life with Fanny the Wonderdog (1989) which he co-wrote with fellow comedian, Paul Merton. In 2005 came his hilariously funny autobiography A Young Man's Passage - even the title is a typical Clary entendre
Sadly, Fanny the Wonder Dog died in 1999 aged 19. She has been replaced by his mongrel, Valerie (whose pedigree Julian describes as 'mother a whippety affair - father unknown'), but so far she hasn't shown too much potential to work in show business! There is a super page on Julian's web-
videos
his schoolfriend Nick were also bullied incessantly by other boys because of their effeminate ways. The staff turned a 'blind eye' - one master said to Julian, "You bring it on yourself, you know."
the prison governor, Don Juan Diego, in Carry On Columbus (1992) and played Jason, a gay gangster, in The Baby Juice Express (2004).
he had a small role as
I was pleased to have time to make a fuss of
Sticky Moments with
Julian Clary, Lee Simpson and Fanny in
Julian Clary
Terry & Julian
Julian Clary and his friend Neen at Goldsmiths
Julian Clary in Cinderella
Julian Clary
Julian Clary as The Joan Collins Fan Club, with Fanny the Wonderdog
Julian Clary with his kitten, Pao
Julian Clary as a boy
Valerie whilst I was waiting to meet Julian Clary
Julian signed this page of my Carry On book which shows
Strictly Come Dancing
him with Bernard Cribbins and Keith Allen in
Two photographs of Julian Clary with his gorgeous companion, Valerie
Julian Clary
Erin Boag and Julian Clary in
Carry On Columbus
Julian Clary publicity shot
Julian Clary as Leigh Bowery in
Taboo
Julian Clary signed my copy of his
Julian Clary, the chairman of
The All Star Talent Show
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JULIAN CLARY OFFICIAL WEBSITE
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In 1993, Clary compéred the live telecast of the British Comedy Awards. A sexual joke involving Norman Lamont, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, received uproarious laughter from the celebrity audience. Although there were only 12 complaints from a viewing audience of 3 million, the next day's press was indignant and called for him to be banned from television! As a result, Clary toured Australia with outrageous
Today, Julian Clary lives in a 15th Century half-timbered house, Goldenhurst Farm in Aldington, overlooking the Romney Marshes in Kent. This house was owned for thirty years by the writer and entertainer Noel Coward.
site, all about Valerie.
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shows like Brace Yourself Sydney which played
to packed-out Australian audiences. There is a YouTube link below to a video of the 'Lamont incident'.
Julian Clary now has several books to his name. The first was the delightfully humourous My
double-entendre! Now he has completed his first novel Murder Most Fab (2007) in which the main character is clearly based on himself.
autobiography with his very
distinctive autograph
Julian Clary's home Goldenhurst
Julian Clary
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