Ugly Dave Gray

Ugly Dave Gray
Born Graham David Taylor
(1933-12-26) 26 December 1933
Manchester, England
Occupation Comedian
Children Lisa and David Gray

Graham David Taylor, (born 26 December 1933), known better as Ugly Dave Gray, is a British Australian television personality and comedian.

Career

Gray was a regular panellist on Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks in 1977-1978.[1] He had earlier taken a straight dramatic role as publican Bunny Howard in the early episodes of soap opera The Young Doctors in 1976. He left his role in The Young Doctors after his initial 13-week contract expired in order to work on Blankety Blanks. Kennedy himself had convinced Gray to do Blankety Blanks [2] Gray had been receiving $100 a day for The Young Doctors, with Blankety Blanks paying $45 an episode this represented a pay cut.[3] Later Gray signed with agent Harry M Miller who negotiated the increased pay rate of $75 per episode of Blankety Blanks which remained until the series ended.[4]

Gray hosted an Australian version of the American game show Beat The Clock called Free for All in 1973.

Gray was appointed Court Jester to 1977 King of Moomba Mickey Mouse (controversial choice with some Melburnians preferring a 'home-grown' Blinky Bill).[5]

Gray later hosted the celebrity game show Celebrity Tattle Tales from 1979-1980, and Play Your Cards Right from 1984-1985.

In the 1980s Gray also presented a drive-time radio program on 3UZ, with Mary Hardy.

According to Gray's autobiography It's Funny Being Ugly, on 31 May 2005 Gray was not invited to speak at Kennedy's funeral, and did not know where the funeral was to be held. He had to call presenter Philip Brady for details.[6]

On 19 October 2011, Gray appeared in a comedy sketch for the ABC1 show Hamster Wheel.

Other work

In the 2000s Gray endorsed an erectile dysfunction nasal spray.[7]

Personal life

Ugly Dave Gray has two children, a daughter and a son. His son, also called Dave Gray, is following in his father's footsteps as a comedian.[8]

In 2011 Gray announced that he wished to be cryogenically frozen after death.[9]

Filmography

Gray was portrayed by Angus Sampson in the 2007 television movie The King, about the life of Graham Kennedy.

References

  1. ↑ "Ugly Dave's Gray-ve plan". The Gold Coast Bulletin. Australia. 13 December 2010. p. 17.
  2. ↑ Gray, Dave. It's Funny Being Ugly, New Holland Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1-74110-409-2 pp 125-6
  3. ↑ Gray, Dave. It's Funny Being Ugly, New Holland Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1-74110-409-2 p 126
  4. ↑ Gray, Dave. It's Funny Being Ugly, New Holland Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1-74110-409-2 p 133
  5. ↑ Craig Bellamy, Gordon Chisholm, Hilary Eriksen (17 February 2006) Moomba: A festival for the people.: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/rsrc/PDFs/Moomba/History%20of%20Moomba.pdf PDF pp 17-22
  6. ↑ Gray, Dave. It's Funny Being Ugly, New Holland Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1-74110-409-2 p 224
  7. ↑ "Impotent to get money back". theage.com.au. 4 December 2003. Retrieved 2007-09-30.
  8. ↑ http://davidgray.netfirms.com/
  9. ↑ Jeffrey, James (13 December 2010). "Strewth". The Australian. p. 13.
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