Bernard King (television)
Encyclopedia
Bernard King was an Australia
n stage actor, celebrity chef, and television personality.
, Queensland
. He attended a Christian Brothers College in Nudgee
, Queensland
on a scholarship. After graduation he taught school.
fund-raising effort, Smokes for Six Soldiers. While attending college he gained a reputation as a keen student and a powerful debater.
Even though he was working full-time as a teacher after graduation, he found time to participate in amateur theatre productions and variety shows. Part-time work on ABC Radio eventually became sufficient to allow him to give up the teaching post.
His career as a chef began almost accidentally, due to a party he hosted for English actress Vivien Leigh
and the Stratford on Avon Theatre Company. The dinner, for 50 people, was at his small apartment in Brisbane
. One of the attendees was Maureen Kissell, host of ABC's program A Woman's World; she was so impressed that she invited him to present a cooking demonstration on her show in Sydney
.
Another party at his residence, attended by Good Morning Australia
hostess Del Cartwright, resulted in an invitation to demonstrate his prowess on that program. That soon became a regular part of the program, and then a separate 30-minute program, King's Kitchen.
He became a judge on the daytime TV talent show Pot of Gold, then Pot Luck, and New Faces
. He soon gained a reputation as an ascerbic judge. King took pride in steering the talentless away from show business. He would frequently give a contestant very low scores, such as two out of ten, and would at times simply give them zero.
King pioneered television advertorial
s, demonstrating the use of sponsor-supplied products. He mounted a cabaret
show at Sydney's Roxy Theatre, which ran for 7 years.
By 1982 King had become an industry, earning five million dollars from lucrative sponsorship deals, licensing arrangements, a signature range of herbs and spices and wide-ranging media commitments.. During the late 1990s he made public appearances in shopping centres, television programs and other public locations to host cooking demonstrations. These appearances were made alongside two well built and scantily clad male assistants dubbed The Bernardettes.
and had many lovers. His biographer, Stephanie Clifford-Smith, says "Fidelity wasn't top of his list". His partner of thirteen years was Alan Marshall. One of his best known platonic friendships was with song and dance man Sammy Davis, Jr.
In later years, King struggled with his finances. He mortgaged his house to fund a second season at the troubled Parramatta Riverside Theatres. The season was a flop and the house was lost.
King died in the garden of a house where he was living rent-free in exchange for gardening duties, on the Gold Coast
, Queensland
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n stage actor, celebrity chef, and television personality.
Early life
King was born into a farming family in MalenyMaleny, Queensland
Maleny is a small, scenic town north of Brisbane on the Blackall Range overlooking the Sunshine Coast hinterland in Queensland, Australia. Nearby towns include Landsborough, Montville and Peachester...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. He attended a Christian Brothers College in Nudgee
Nudgee, Queensland
Nudgee is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is north of the CBD.Nudgee was part of the Toombul Shire Council until 1925 when it was absorbed by the Brisbane City Council....
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
on a scholarship. After graduation he taught school.
Acting career
King entered his first talent competition at age eight. He also participated in a World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
fund-raising effort, Smokes for Six Soldiers. While attending college he gained a reputation as a keen student and a powerful debater.
Even though he was working full-time as a teacher after graduation, he found time to participate in amateur theatre productions and variety shows. Part-time work on ABC Radio eventually became sufficient to allow him to give up the teaching post.
His career as a chef began almost accidentally, due to a party he hosted for English actress Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh
Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier was an English actress. She won the Best Actress Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire , a role she also played on stage in London's West End, as well as for her portrayal of the southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, alongside Clark...
and the Stratford on Avon Theatre Company. The dinner, for 50 people, was at his small apartment in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. One of the attendees was Maureen Kissell, host of ABC's program A Woman's World; she was so impressed that she invited him to present a cooking demonstration on her show in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
Another party at his residence, attended by Good Morning Australia
Good Morning Australia
Good Morning Australia from Network Ten was the name of two different programs. This article is for Bert Newton's morning program, not to be confused with the breakfast news program of the same name....
hostess Del Cartwright, resulted in an invitation to demonstrate his prowess on that program. That soon became a regular part of the program, and then a separate 30-minute program, King's Kitchen.
He became a judge on the daytime TV talent show Pot of Gold, then Pot Luck, and New Faces
New Faces (Australian)
New Faces was an Australian talent show that preceded the British show of the same name, produced at GTV-9 Melbourne. The program began in 1963 under the name Kevin Dennis Auditions, sponsored by Kevin Dennis Motors, running on Saturday mornings...
. He soon gained a reputation as an ascerbic judge. King took pride in steering the talentless away from show business. He would frequently give a contestant very low scores, such as two out of ten, and would at times simply give them zero.
King pioneered television advertorial
Advertorial
An advertorial is an advertisement in the form of an editorial. The term "advertorial" is a portmanteau of "advertisement" and "editorial." Merriam-Webster dates the origin of the word to 1946....
s, demonstrating the use of sponsor-supplied products. He mounted a cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
show at Sydney's Roxy Theatre, which ran for 7 years.
By 1982 King had become an industry, earning five million dollars from lucrative sponsorship deals, licensing arrangements, a signature range of herbs and spices and wide-ranging media commitments.. During the late 1990s he made public appearances in shopping centres, television programs and other public locations to host cooking demonstrations. These appearances were made alongside two well built and scantily clad male assistants dubbed The Bernardettes.
Personal life
King was gayGay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
and had many lovers. His biographer, Stephanie Clifford-Smith, says "Fidelity wasn't top of his list". His partner of thirteen years was Alan Marshall. One of his best known platonic friendships was with song and dance man Sammy Davis, Jr.
Sammy Davis, Jr.
Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....
In later years, King struggled with his finances. He mortgaged his house to fund a second season at the troubled Parramatta Riverside Theatres. The season was a flop and the house was lost.
King died in the garden of a house where he was living rent-free in exchange for gardening duties, on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.