Tommy Cannon


Thomas Derbyshire, known professionally as Tommy Cannon, is an English comedian and singer. He is best known as the straight man of comedy double act Cannon and Ball, along with Bobby Ball, in The Cannon and Ball Show.
Cannon was chairman of Rochdale Football Club until 1988.

Cannon and Ball

Cannon is one half of comedy duo Cannon and Ball opposite his friend and colleague Bobby Ball. The duo's primetime Saturday night television series The Cannon and Ball Show, was one of LWT's most successful series, with consistently high viewing ratings that lasted for twelve years. They starred in the film The Boys in Blue together in 1982 and guest starred in the Eric Sykes slapstick film, Mr H is Late in 1988. Other notable guest appearances were The Kenny Everett Show in 1982 and Shooting Stars in 1996.

Television

In late 2005, Cannon and Ball appeared in the fifth series of reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.
In 2012, Cannon and Ball appeared in the third celebrity series of Coach Trip.
Cannon and Ball star in the Safestyle UK television advertisements. He made a one-off guest appearance in the 2014 Christmas special of Not Going Out on BBC One.
Cannon was cast in ITV soap opera Emmerdale as pensioner Derek in 2019. He appears in multiple episodes and features in a story that has "serious consequences" for regular characters. The character was killed-off at the conclusion of Cannon's guest stint.

Personal life

Cannon's first marriage was to Margaret; they had two daughters, Jeanette and Julie, and divorced. He lives in York with his second wife Hazel, by whom he has three children: Kelly-Anne, Zoe Louise and Luke Thomas
Cannon and Ball are devout Christians and have published a book called Christianity for Beginners. Ball became a born-again Christian in 1986 and Cannon in 1992. It had a lot to do with the rekindling of their broken friendship. They now regularly feature in their own gospel and "an audience with..." show in churches around the country.