OFTEN described as the ultimate entertainer, this year he is celebrating 50 years in television as well as his 80th birthday.

Des O’Connor, pictured, will be starring in a Friday night special at The Concorde tonight.

In the first half of his show will be adlibs and talking about his star-studded showbiz career. And in the second part he will switch into singing mode, accompanied by top musicians.

Despite all those wisecracks from Morecambe and Wise about his singing ability, Des was a multi-million selling singer and spent 117 weeks in the top ten charts.

His first TV series was in 1963 and he still holds the world record for the number of years he has starred in his own mainstream television show.

Des, who was awarded the CBE for his services to entertainment and broadcasting, has appeared more than 1,000 times at the London Palladium.

n Terry Alderton is back on the road with a brand new show for 2012.

Winner of the Three Weeks Critics Award and Best International Comedian by the New Zealand Comedy Guild, he is at The Berry Theatre, Hedge End tonight.

n Cult creator of League Against Tedium, Alan Parker – Urban Warrior and BBC2’s Attention Scum, Simon Munnery is a regular at The Edinburgh Festival, regularly tours to sell out audiences across the country, and numerous appearances on radio and television.

He plays The Comedy Bar in the Nuffield’s Studio Café Bar on Sunday.