The true identity of 90's TV icon Mr Blobby – Noel Edmonds to Shakespearean actor

Nineties BBC TV programme Noels House Party, hosted by Noel Edmonds, was cancelled on this day (February 25) in 1999.

Fans were left devastated when the news broke on February 25, 1999 that the popular entertainment programme, set at the fictional Crinkley Bottom House, would be coming to an end.

Not only did it launch Noel Edmonds to new heights of fame, but it also introduced the world to the one and the only Mr Blobby.

Yes, love him or loathe him, you couldn’t escape Mr Blobby in the nineties – and neither could the celebrities, with Mr Blobby playing pranks on some of the biggest stars of the decade.

But who were the actors behind Mr Blobby? Where are they now? And what was the inspiration behind the character? Daily Star investigates.

Who created Mr Blobby – and why?

The pink and yellow icon Mr Blobby was created by Noel’s House Party producer Michael Leggo, who had previously worked with Noel Edmonds in the eighties.

After introducing the popular Gotcha segments, where Noel Edmonds would prank celebrities, Michael began to wonder how they would continue to catch out the stars for future episodes – with many already figuring out that Noel might be there to prank them.

After witnessing Noel Edmonds prank Eamonn Holmes while wearing a monster costume, a spark was lit – and Michael got to work on what would become undoubtedly one of the 90s biggest icons.

He drew a sketch of Mr Blobby, telling the costume designer that the name was inspired by his family’s use of the word to describe something that had no shape.

After he was created, host Noel Edmonds soon realised how successful the character was going to be, saying to Michael: “Blobby is going to be huge.”

Well Noel, you were certainly right – not only was Mr Blobby huge, he was a megastar.

A legend had been born.

Overnight sensation and pop icon

Mr Blobby went on to prank unsuspecting celebrities and became an overnight sensation, with more than 80% of fan mail for the programme directed straight to the famous character.

From firing cream cakes at celebrities to knocking over the Noels House Party set while frantically shouting “Blobby, Blobby, Blobby” it seemed that fans could not get enough of him.

He even launched his own merchandise range, had a briefly lived series of theme parks and beat Take That and Meat loaf to the Christmas number one in 1993.

Talking about Mr Blobby’s pop success, Michael Leggo told BBC News: “I came up with Mr Blobby, who helped us get so many people and then of course took on a life of his own.

“We could do anything with him, he would appear with major film and sport stars and then one day a guy rang me up and wanted to do a music single, which actually kept Take That off the top spot when it got to number one in the chart.

“I do hope one day Gary Barlow will forgive me.”

Who played Mr Blobby – and how was his identity hidden?

Mr Blobby was only meant to appear in one series of Noel’s House Party, with Michael Leggo explaining to Vice that Noel Edmonds and an unnamed actor both shared the role originally.

He explained that the actor would rehearse the prank in the costume, but without wearing the head.

This was intended to hide the fact that the person inside the costume during the actual prank would be Noel Edmonds instead.

However Noel’s involvement was soon blown, with Michael saying: “We could only do these pre-recorded before the shows went out.”

As soon as you transmit one, the secret’s blown that Noel’s inside the costume. I was hugging myself that we got eight.”

When the character became an overnight sensation, Michael knew that he and the team had to resort to a different tactic to not only fool the celebrities, but keep Mr Blobby’s identity a secret too.

Shakespearean actor Barry Killerby was hired to play Mr Blobby, after Michael spotted him in a production of Measure For Measure.

Barry was no stranger to TV however, as he already starred in drama series including The Monocled Mutineer and Never The Twain.

He later went on to play Mr Blobby on Noel’s House Party between 1994 to 1998, taking great lengths to hide both his identity and the iconic suit.

Nineties paparazzi photos even showed Barry Killerby concealing the suit in a huge bag as he travelled from the set to his home.

However in the years after playing Mr Blobby, Barry reflected on his famous role and was quoted as saying in an interview: “People think it’s easy bouncing around saying, ‘blobby’, but they should try it.

“It was exhausting and demanding.”

What happened to Barry Killerby?

When Blobbymania died down, Barry Killerby continued to act onstage and in various TV programmes including CBBC show Chucklevision.

However, he did come out of Mr Blobby retirement to play the character a handful of times, appearing on programmes including The Big Fat Quiz of the 90s, where he chased comedian Jack Whitehall.

Barry also played Mr Blobby during an appearance on The Chatty Man Christmas Show in 2016.

The actor has since hung up the Mr Blobby suit for good, but it has been reported that he now works as a compare for an entertainment company.

He also continues to act and appeared in a one man show about the last days of Harry Houdini in 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic.

Will we ever see Mr Blobby again?

Mr Blobby might not be a regular fixture on our TV screens anymore, but it doesn’t mean he has left the limelight – making a series of onscreen cameos in recent years.

As well as causing chaos on a BBC news segment in 2021, he also knocked over Carol McGiffin on an episode of Loose Women in 2018.

Talking about the moment three years later on Loose Women, Carol said she was left ‘shaking’ after Mr Blobby accidentally pulled her to the floor.

During the episode, the Loose Women panel then said that Mr Blobby had returned, with Christine Lampard saying: “Carol, we have actually got a little bit of a surprise for you,” before revealing that it was a joke.

Carol later said: “I swear I was literally about to get off and run off the set. I am not doing that again.”

While he might not have returned for Loose Women, Mr Blobby certainly has not left our lives for good – leaving viewers to wonder when and where the pink and yellow 90s icon may turn up next.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk