Tony Barber facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tony Barber OAM
Barber in 2011
Born	Anthony Ferraro Louis Barber (1940-03-28) 28 March 1940 (age 85) Oldham, England
Occupation	Television presenter radio announcer singer former advertising executive
Years active	1961−present
Known for	Host of Great Temptation, Sale of the Century and Wheel of Fortune
Spouse(s)	Helen Barber (deceased) Kristine Barber
Children	Kelly, Jacqueline

Anthony Ferraro Louis Barber OAM (born 28 March 1940) is a famous British Australian television host, radio announcer, and singer. He is well-known for hosting many popular game shows in Australia. He has been working in entertainment since the early 1960s.

Tony Barber's Life Story

Growing Up

Tony Barber was born in Oldham, England, in March 1940. He moved to Australia with his family in 1947. He often says that his cheerful personality comes from his loving Irish grandmother and many aunts. They helped keep spirits high during the tough years of World War II.

He went to school with the Sisters of Mercy and the Irish Christian Brothers. He also studied at the Britannia Royal Naval College and finished there in 1960.

Tony Barber once said about his schooling:

"The Sisters of so-called Mercy taught me to sing & dance, the brothers taught me to bob & weave. The navy taught me to play rugby."

Starting in Radio

Tony Barber began his career in media in 1961. He started as a cadet announcer at a radio station called 6GE in Geraldton, Western Australia.

By 1962, he was a top radio announcer in Perth. He also performed weekly at the Charles Hotel and the Lido Coral Room. There, he would do impressions of famous singers like Johnny Mathis and Paul Anka. Before moving to Sydney, he also acted in plays with the Scarborough players.

In Sydney, Tony Barber performed at many hotel talent shows. He also worked as a regular host and singer at Spellsons nitery. At the same time, he had a job as an advertising executive. He even starred in a 1960s cigarette commercial as the "Cambridge Whistler." This commercial made him famous across Australia.

Tony Barber on Television

The head of the Seven Network, Bruce Gyngell, noticed Tony Barber's talent. He suggested that Tony host a show for Reg Grundy, a big name in TV production.

Tony Barber is most famous for hosting Sale of the Century. But his TV career actually started earlier, in the 1970s. He hosted a popular game show on the Seven Network called The $25,000 Great Temptation. This show was very successful and had both daytime and evening versions.

In 1974, the show moved to a later time slot. It tried to get viewers from another popular show, Number 96. But Number 96 won the ratings battle, and The $25,000 Great Temptation ended in 1975. After that, Tony hosted the Australian version of Family Feud on the Nine Network from 1977 to 1979.

In 1980, the Reg Grundy Organisation brought back $25,000 Great Temptation with its original name, Sale of the Century. Tony Barber hosted this show on the Nine Network from 1980 until 1991. He had co-hosts like Victoria Nicolls, Delvene Delaney, and Alyce Platt. Tony left the show in 1991 because he was offered a shorter contract than usual. Glenn Ridge took over as host.

Tony then hosted the Australian version of Jeopardy! on Network 10 in 1993. Some people say it didn't do well because it was shown at 6:00 pm, against popular news shows. Tony later said that Jeopardy! was his favorite game show to host. After Jeopardy!, Tony took over from John Burgess as host of Wheel of Fortune in July 1996. This show moved from Adelaide to Sydney and tried some new things to get more viewers. However, the changes and the loss of John Burgess led to lower ratings. Tony Barber decided to leave the show by the end of 1996. He appeared at the start of the 1997 series to hand the show over to Rob Elliott. Tony estimates he has hosted over 8,500 episodes of game shows during his TV career.

He also hosted a small competition called TV1's Cash Trivia Challenge on the Australian cable TV network Foxtel. On March 14, 2007, he returned as a guest host on Temptation, with his former co-host Alyce Platt.

In August 2013, Tony Barber was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. He also returned to Family Feud as a contestant in 2016. His team won the game, and he ended the episode with his famous catchphrase: "Keep smiling, and bye for now."

Awards and Recognition

Honours

In June 1991, Tony Barber received the Medal of the Order of Australia. This award recognized his great service to the entertainment industry.

Awards

In 1973, Tony Barber won the TV Week Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television. This is a very important award in Australian TV.

Music Albums

Tony Barber has also released several music albums. Here are some of them:

Compilation Albums

TV Shows and Movies

Tony Barber has appeared in many TV shows and specials. Here are some of his most notable roles: