8 surprising facts about Bradley Walsh
Ahead of the new Sky HISTORY series, Bradley Walsh: Egypt’s Comic Code, discover eight fun facts about the popular presenter you might not know.
Image: Not many people know about Bradley Walsh's passion for Egyptology | Bradley Walsh: Egypt's Cosmic Code
Bradley Walsh is one of the most recognisable faces on British television. Known for his infectious humour, versatile career and ability to make audiences laugh (Fanny Chmelar, anyone?), he’s now embarking on a new adventure.
Bringing his signature charm to Bradley Walsh: Egypt’s Comic Code, Bradley shares his secret fascination with the pyramids and Egyptology. Diving into the mysteries of ancient Egypt, Bradley uses his engineering background to explore one of the world’s most fascinating archaeological puzzles. The show will be available on Sky HISTORY from Tuesday, 18th March.
Read on to discover eight fun facts you might not know about Bradley Walsh.
1. He was an apprentice engineer at Rolls Royce
Long before he was cracking jokes on TV, Bradley’s first job was as an apprentice engineer at Rolls Royce in Watford. Working on helicopter engines, it was here that Bradley developed a keen interest in engineering and honed his technical knowledge that features in Egypt’s Cosmic Code.
2. He has a passion for Egyptology
As he explains in the series, the pyramids have been a source of fascination for Bradley since his Rolls Royce apprenticeship.
'It was while working at Rolls Royce that I realised there was no way the ancient Egyptians could have built these Pyramids. They just couldn’t have done it.'
'It’s an anomaly - an absolute cornucopia of ideas and fantasies,' he enthuses.
Throughout the series, Bradley explores ancient sites and questions leading Egyptologists to uncover the secrets behind some of the world’s most intriguing historical structures.
3. He once played professional football
During his apprenticeship at Rolls Royce, Bradley joined the company’s football team. His abilities caught the eye of a talent spotter at Brentford, and he was signed to the team at the age of 18.
Despite failing to make the first team due to injuries, Bradley was a regular member on Brentford’s reserves for two years. He later played for Barnet, Tring Town, Borehamwood and Chalfont St Peter before an ankle fracture ended his playing career.
But Bradley’s love of the game continues to this day – and he’s also represented Team England in the 2006 and 2010 Soccer Aid matches.
4. He’s also an avid golfer
Football isn’t the only sport Bradley has demonstrated a talent for – he’s also a keen golfer.
He’s been taking to golf courses around the world since the age of 20, and has competed against the likes of John Terry and Dragon’s Den investor Peter Jones.
Back in 2007, Bradley took part in Northern Rock’s All-Star Golf Tournament on ITV, helping Team Europe to victory.
5. He’s sold over 100,000 albums
While better known for his TV career on the likes of Coronation Street and The Chase, Bradley is a successful jazz and pop singer.
In November 2016, he released his debut album, Chasing Dreams. Consisting of jazz covers, the album peaked at number 10 on the UK albums chart and sold 111,650 copies!
A year later, he released a second album, When You’re Smiling. Featuring covers of traditional pop songs, it reached number 11 in the charts.
6. He’s met an (in)famous female skier…
One of Bradley’s best-known moments while presenting The Chase involved his reaction to the name of female German skier, Fanny Chmelar. His desperate attempts to stifle laughter went viral, but for Bradley, that wouldn’t be the end of the story...
Several years later, he came face-to-face with Chmelar while appearing on Michael McIntyre’s Big Show. Ever the gentleman, he apologised profusely for his reaction, which, fortunately, she saw the funny side of.
7. He’s a fan of Doctor Who and starred in it
Bradley is a big Whovian (Doctor Who fan to you and me), and was cast as Graham O’Brien, a companion to the Thirteenth Doctor – Jodie Whittaker. He played the role from 2018 and departed the show in the 2021 New Year’s Day special, ‘Revolution of the Daleks’.
8. He presents Gladiators with his son, Barney
Bradley’s son Barney has followed in his father’s footsteps. The father-and-son duo first worked together in the travel series, Bradley Walsh & Son: Breaking Dad. But since 2024, they have also presented the revived Gladiators series on the BBC.
What you might not know is Bradley took part in the celebrity versions of Gladiators back in 1997. He was given the slightly unfortunate contestant name of Crumpet.
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