Celebrities Who Started Their Careers as Bingo Callers

Let’s be honest here, most first jobs are not quite on the glamorous side… we’ve all been there! Unlike most of us, however, some have actually climbed up the ladder substantially since their first day on the job.

There’s a whole host of celebrities that started at the bottom and some of them started out as bingo callers — certainly not as bad as many first jobs we’ve heard of, but it does just go to show that even those destined for the glitz and glam of Hollywood had to start somewhere.

So if you ever go to in-person bingo or play online bingo games, then you should probably be nice to the caller. After all, you never know who they might become!

Here are just some of the celebs who plied their trade as bingo callers before their big break.

In the music scene

If your mother thinks you have the best voice in the world or your shampoo bottles are equally as gushing in their praise, then perhaps becoming a bingo caller should be on the—ahem—cards. It seems as if the step from bingo caller to world-famous millionaire musician is a rather natural step if you look at some of the famous folk that have gone before you.

When it comes to boy band singers, we have Kian from Westlife and delightful Simon Webbe from Blue that both started off on the bingo calls. We’re sure the elderly ladies didn’t only attend these nights for the bingo, if you know what we mean.

Then we have Take That’s lead singer Gary Barlow. The dreamy, singer-songwriting machine also made his start as a dashing bingo caller before he hit the stage. In fact, his love for his first job has lasted so long that he recently celebrated his 10 year anniversary as a caller for bingo games with his friends and family.

Wayne McFarlane was actually still a bingo caller while he was releasing his first single. His big break came courtesy of a karaoke bar, in which he was spotted by a producer. Maybe all those inebriated nights singing, “Don’t Stop Believing” could actually pay off…?

It seems as if being a bingo caller is an excellent way to exercise the vocal cords if these previous bingo callers are anything to go by.

Stage presence

If you thought all actors just went straight from acting school onto the big stage, then here’s some news for you. Even the most famous TV and movie celebs started out somewhere. Some were servers at McDonald’s, some were strippers (cough, Channing Tatum) and others, well, they were bingo callers.

First up, we have Australian heartthrob Russell Crowe. Now, you may not think that he would make the prime candidate for bingo caller, given his propensity for serious roles, but once you find out a little more about how he left the job it will all start to make sense. Crowe was fired from his caller position because he was rude and used his position to call out inappropriate bingo rhymes, which sounds a little more down his alley.

Now here’s one that might not surprise you: Anthony Cotton. And get this… he is STILL a bingo caller! But he gets paid handsomely to travel the UK and act as a caller for special occasions and bingo halls are clambering for his services. If you don’t know who Anthony Cotton is, he’s the high-energy, flamboyant character in Coronation Street.

EastEnders actor Shane Ritchie also started his lofty career as a caller in his local bingo hall. His Queen Vic character, landlord Alfie Moon, would be aghast at such beginnings, but luckily Ritchie takes it in his stride and still has a strong love for the game.

Although not all celebs started off as bingo callers, a few of them enjoy playing the part for charity and stars such as X-Factor singer Chico, Eastenders actress Brooke Kinsella, and Carly Stenson and Anthony Quinn from Hollyoaks have hosted online bingo at BingoCams. Sports stars have also been known to take the mic on a bingo evening, all for a good cause.

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Not everyone can make it as a caller, or a celeb for that matter, but everyone can play bingo and that’s one of our favourite things about the game. Lucky Pants Bingo is the best online bingo platform for players from all walks of life; our witty banter and reputation precede us, not to mention that we have a huge variety of games, from traditional bingo to Slingo bingo and even slot machines on our fun-loving bingo site.