Joe Longthorne

Longthorne appeared on television in 1981, through the London Weekend Television series Search For a Star, where he performed as a singer and impressionist. His success on the show led to appearances at the London Palladium and a month-long season at London's Talk of the Town. He played the London Palladium many times.

In 1988 he presented his own television series The Joe Longthorne Show.

Longthorne was diagnosed with chronic lymphatic lymphoma, for which he received treatment, around the time of his appearance at the Royal Variety Performance in 1989. He continued to perform in spite of his illness. However, in 2005 the lymphoma degenerated into leukaemia, and he underwent a bone marrow transplant. In 2014, Longthorne was found to have throat cancer, but remained adamant in newspaper interviews that he would continue to perform after his operation.

The Variety Club awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007; this placed him amongst past recipients such as Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Longthorne lived in Blackpool, Lancashire, with his husband and manager, James Moran. Longthorne was bisexual, and had a son, Ricky, from a previous relationship, and the two of them were estranged for 17 years until reuniting in 2009.

Longthorne was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours for services to charity.

Longthorne died at home in Blackpool on 3 August 2019, aged 64.