Brian Protheroe

Brian Protheroe (born 16 June 1944) is an English singer, songwriter, narrator and actor. He is best known for his first single, "Pinball", released in August 1974, which entered the UK Singles Chart at number 40 and reached a peak of number 22. He has been narrating the Channel 4 dating show First Dates since 2015.

Career Music Protheroe was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England, on 16 June 1944, to a Welsh father and English mother. He joined a local church choir when he was twelve years old, and started piano lessons at about the same time. The music of Cliff Richard and the Shadows inspired him to start learning the guitar. He joined a rock band called the Coasters (not to be confused with the similarly titled United States outfit) as a lead singer in 1961, and also became a member of an amateur theatre group called the Studio Theatre.

Protheroe's first job was a library assistant for a year followed by three years as a student technician in a hospital pathology laboratory. Then followed by an album of the same name.

In 1997 Basta Records released a compilation album of the first three albums from the 1970s, with an additional disc of unreleased material in a box set, Brian's Big Box. The advent of the internet allowed for a resurgence in interest in his musical career. He released the collection Citysong in 2005. It was described as a "new single with seventeen bonus tracks and two movies". It included the new song "Holyoke Hotel" as well as two homemade videos. After remastering his original tapes at Abbey Road Studios, EMI studios released a greatest hits collection called Pinball and Other Stories in 2006.

Acting A developing acting career found Protheroe, in 1976, starring in the London production of the rock musical, Leave Him to Heaven at the New London Theatre.

His television work includes: Reilly, Ace of Spies, Gentlemen and Players, Lovejoy, Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less Hot Spot Melodies (2021), independent A Salisbury Boy (2023), independent The Last Serenade (2024), independent The Live One (2024), independent Comin up Midnight (2025), independent Still Walking (2026), independent

EPs The Cookie Jar (2018), independent

Singles

"Pinball" (1974), Chrysalis "Pinball" / "Money Love" (1974), Chrysalis "Fly Now" (1974), Chrysalis "The Good Brand Band Song" (1975), Chrysalis "Running Through the City" (1974), Chrysalis "Scobo Queen" (1974), Chrysalis "Citysong" (2005), Basta "Venice" (digital only) (2012), independent "Broken Bridges" (digital only) (2013), independent "Sad Song" (digital only) (2016), independent "Night Traveller" (digital only) (2018), independent "Enjoy It" (remix) (digital only) (2019), independent "Fly Now" (digital only) (2020), independent

Compilations Brian's Big Box (1997), Basta (contains 'Pinball', 'Pick Up' and 'I/You' plus a bonus album 'Unreleased') Pinball and Other Stories (2006), EMI The Albums 1974–76 (2020), Cherry Red (contains 'Pinball', 'Pick Up' and 'I/You' plus a total of five bonus tracks)

Selected filmography Superman (1978) – Co Pilot Strangers Episode Duty Roster (1978) – Ward A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (1979) – Stan the Spinner Metroland (1997) – Woody (uncredited) Il gioco (1999) Royal Shakespeare Company: The Merchant of Venice (2015) – Aragon Litvinenko (2022) – Sir Robert Owen

Video games SOMA (2015) – Terry Akers Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (2015) – Archbishop Thordan VII Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (2019) – Seto, Bismarck