Michael Flatley
Encyclopedia
Michael Ryan Flatley is an American Irish dancer
, choreographer, actor
, musician and occasional television presenter
. He became internationally known for Irish dance shows Riverdance
, Lord of the Dance
, Feet of Flames
, and Celtic Tiger
. On April 20, 2010 Michael announced he would return to the stage for the European tour of 'The Return of Michael Flatley as Lord of the Dance'. A movie of the show was released worldwide on Saint Patrick
's Day 2011 in 3D.
of Chicago, born to Irish
parents. He began dancing lessons at 12 and, in 1975, became the first non-European resident to win the All-Ireland World Championship for Irish dance. He is a trained amateur pugilist as well as a proficient flautist
, having twice won the All-Ireland Competition.
In dance, Flatley was taught by Dennis Dennehy at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance in Chicago, then went on to producing his own show. After graduating from Brother Rice High School, on Chicago's Southwest Side, he opened a dance school.
From 1978–79 he toured with Green Fields of America
. Later he toured with The Chieftains
in the 1980s.;
He received the National Endowment for the Arts
' National Heritage Fellowship
in 1988.In May 1989, Flatley set a Guinness Book world record for tapping speed at 28 taps per second. Flatley was named one of National Geographic Society's Living Treasures in 1991 for mastery of a traditional art form by a living person – the youngest person at that time ever to receive this accolade.
Flatley choreographed the original Riverdance
and led the show to great success as the intermission act in the Eurovision Song Contest
on April 30, 1994. He then starred in the full-length show that was developed from the original seven-minute act. He also took a starring role in the show's U.K. debut. After leaving the show due to disagreement over creative control after its first run in London, he produced, directed, and choreographed Lord of the Dance
which was played mostly in arenas and stadiums instead of theaters. He also put together a dance production called Feet of Flames
in 1998. He later went on to produce another version of that show of which around 50% of the numbers were different from that of the 1998 show. Titled 'Feet of Flames The Victory Tour', he toured Europe in 2000 and the USA in 2001.
He broke his own record for tapping speed in February 1998, by achieving 35 taps per second.
Flatley also received Guinness Book recognition in both 1999 and 2000 for being the highest paid dancer, earning $1,600,000 per week and for having the highest insurance policy placed on a dancer's legs at $40,000,000.
In December 2001, Flatley became the first recipient of the Irish Dancing Commission Fellowship award, an honorary degree in Irish dance, and was simultaneously made a Fellow of the American Irish Dance Teachers’ Association. Irish America magazine
named Flatley Irish American of the Year in March 2003.
In 2004, Flatley received an honorary doctorate degree from University College Dublin and that same year received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York.
His latest Irish dance show is Celtic Tiger
, which opened in July 2005. The show explores the history of the Irish people and Irish emigration to the US, fusing a wide range of dance styles, including jazz. The show also includes popular elements from his previous shows, such as Flatley's flute solos and the line of dancers in the finale.
In March 2006, Flatley released his own autobiographical book titled Lord of the Dance: My Story. Regarding his future, Flatley was quoted in the Celtic Tiger program book as saying, "I will be a dancer until the day I die," though more developments in entertainment are planned (see below).
On the June 3, 2007, The Freedom of the City of Cork was conferred on the entertainer at a ceremony in Cork's City Hall. In 2008, he was conferred with the Freedom of the Borough of Sligo
at a ceremony in Sligo City Hall.;
The Variety Club of Ireland presented Flatley with their Entertainer of the Decade Award in 2008 as well.;
In the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars
in the US, he appeared as a guest, filling in for Len Goodman
. In the fall of 2007, Flatley and a troupe of male dancers performed on Dancing with the Stars
in the USA and in 2008, he performed the solo 'Capone' from Celtic Tiger.
He was the host of the NBC
show Superstars of Dance
, which premiered on January 4, 2009.
Michael Flatley returned to the stage in 2009 for a limited run of the "Hyde Park" version of Feet of Flames in Taiwan. His return was met with multiple standing ovations and the run of shows had to be extended to meet the demand for tickets.;
In April 2010, he announced that he would be returning to headline the Lord of the Dance show, with performances in Dublin's The O2, Belfast's Odyssey Arena, London's O2 arena
, Sheffield's Sheffield Arena, Manchester's MEN Arena, Birmingham's LG Arena
, Nottingham's Trent FM Arena, Liverpool's Echo Arena, London's Wembley Arena
, Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena in November 2010, with dates also announced in Germany
, Switzerland
& Austria
, the first time he will have done so since 1998;.
June 2010 Michael launched The Garden of Music and Memory in Culfadda County Sligo the village his father left to seek a new life in America, part of this ceremony including Michael's speech and an impromptu performance of one of his father's favourite tunes can be heard at http://www.podcasts.ie/michael-flatley-in-culfadda/
Michael Flatley was among the list of international film and sports stars and amateur golfers who participated in the fundraising golf Pro-Am, the JP McManus Pro-Am in Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort in Adare, Co Limerick, Ireland on the 5th and 6 July 2010.
In March 2011, Lord of the Dance 3D, the movie, debuted in theatres worldwide. Filmed during Flatley’s return tour in the fall of 2010, the movie featured new sets, new costumes, state-of-the-art lighting, pyrotechnics and projections. A DVD of the show was released on June 28, 2011 in USA and Canada, and August 4 in Australia. It will be released on September 12, 2011 in the U.K. and October in Germany, France, Benelux and Scandinavia.
In March 2011, Michael Flatley was inducted into Irish America magazine
's Irish America Hall of Fame
.
make-up artist Beata Dziąba, and divorced in 1997.
In April 2006, Flatley spoke about his recent discovery of a facial skin cancer. He had kept the cancer a closely guarded secret, but said, "I'm completely fine now, thank God."
At the 10th Anniversary of Lord of the Dance in June 2006, Flatley was accompanied by dancer Niamh O’Brien, who dances with him in Celtic Tiger. The 30-something O'Brien had danced with Flatley in Riverdance
, Lord of the Dance
, and Feet of Flames
before they shared the stage in Celtic Tiger
. The two shortly thereafter announced that they were dating, and were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony in Fermoy, Co. Cork, on October 14, 2006.
On November 15, 2006, Flatley was admitted at Harley Street hospital in London after falling ill in his London home as said by his publicist. According to media reports, a serious viral infection caused the illness. All the fall and winter tours of his latest production, Celtic Tiger
, were cancelled. He was discharged after spending two weeks there and claimed that he will release future tour dates but never did.
Niamh Flatley gave birth to son, Michael St. James Flatley, on Thursday April 26, 2007.
There was a false allegation from real estate agent and former stripper and girlfriend of NFL and Chicago Bear player Brian Urlacher
, Tyna Marie Robertson claiming that Michael had raped her in 2002 at a Las Vegas hotel and even threatened to sue him unless he paid a settlement of at least seven figures. She was ordered to pay $11 million in a defamation suit. It was revealed that she tried to extort $33 million from him. Michael claimed that he will donate the recovered money to charity.
Flatley's financial worth was estimated at £350 million (US $700 million) in a Daily Mail
article, and he is known to maintain homes in Barbados
, Chicago
, France
, Ireland
and London
. As of 2010, his estimated fortune is around $650 million (UK: £421 million; Ireland: €495 million)
, I'm Alan Partridge
, 3rd Rock From The Sun
, and Celebrity Deathmatch
, and movies such as Dudley Do-Right
and The Boondock Saints
. As well as The Simpsons
episode The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star
.
On an episode of Family Guy
, Stewie questioned if Michael Flatley was still alive. When Stewie realized he was, then wrote down in a notebook that he wanted to kill Flatley.
In one of the episodes of Friends
("The One with the Embryos
"), Flatley is referred to as the biggest phenomenon that "scares the bejesus" out of Chandler Bing
.
In the opening scene of an episode of I'm Alan Partridge
, a radio poll entitled "Which is the best Lord?": a choice between the Dance
, the Flies
, or the Rings sees the latter two being "roundly trounced by the quick feet of blouse-wearing tycoon Michael Flatley".
Irish dance
Irish dancing or Irish dance is a group of traditional dance forms originating in Ireland which can broadly be divided into social dance and performance dances. Irish social dances can be divided further into céilí and set dancing...
, choreographer, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, musician and occasional television presenter
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
. He became internationally known for Irish dance shows Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
, Lord of the Dance
Lord of the Dance (musical)
Lord of the Dance is an Irish musical and dance production that was created, choreographed, and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, who also took a starring role...
, Feet of Flames
Feet of Flames
Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames is an Irish dance show directed by Michael Flatley and scored by Ronan Hardiman.-Feet of Flames:Hyde Park:Feet of Flames was created in 1998 by dancer Michael Flatley, made famous by the musical Riverdance...
, and Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger Live
Celtic Tiger Live or more often known "Michael Flatley's Celtic Tiger" or just "Celtic Tiger" was an Irish Dance show.-History:Michael Flatley, famous for his Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames shows, created Celtic Tiger. After being retired for 4 years, Michael announced he was going to tour...
. On April 20, 2010 Michael announced he would return to the stage for the European tour of 'The Return of Michael Flatley as Lord of the Dance'. A movie of the show was released worldwide on Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick
Saint Patrick was a Romano-Briton and Christian missionary, who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland or the Apostle of Ireland, although Brigid of Kildare and Colmcille are also formally patron saints....
's Day 2011 in 3D.
Early life
Flatley is a native of the South SideSouth Side (Chicago)
The South Side is a major part of the City of Chicago, which is located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Much of it has evolved from the city's incorporation of independent townships, such as Hyde Park Township which voted along with several other townships to be annexed in the June 29,...
of Chicago, born to Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
parents. He began dancing lessons at 12 and, in 1975, became the first non-European resident to win the All-Ireland World Championship for Irish dance. He is a trained amateur pugilist as well as a proficient flautist
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
, having twice won the All-Ireland Competition.
In dance, Flatley was taught by Dennis Dennehy at the Dennehy School of Irish Dance in Chicago, then went on to producing his own show. After graduating from Brother Rice High School, on Chicago's Southwest Side, he opened a dance school.
Career
He was the first American to win the World Irish Dance Championships and also won numerous All-Ireland Flute Championships.From 1978–79 he toured with Green Fields of America
Green Fields of America
The Green Fields of America is an ensemble which performs and promotes Irish traditional music in the United States."The Green Fields of America" was formed in 1978 in Philadelphia and still led by musician and folklorist Mick Moloney. The band was created to present and tour some of Irish...
. Later he toured with The Chieftains
The Chieftains
The Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
in the 1980s.;
He received the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
' National Heritage Fellowship
National Heritage Fellowship
The National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
in 1988.In May 1989, Flatley set a Guinness Book world record for tapping speed at 28 taps per second. Flatley was named one of National Geographic Society's Living Treasures in 1991 for mastery of a traditional art form by a living person – the youngest person at that time ever to receive this accolade.
Flatley choreographed the original Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
and led the show to great success as the intermission act in the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
on April 30, 1994. He then starred in the full-length show that was developed from the original seven-minute act. He also took a starring role in the show's U.K. debut. After leaving the show due to disagreement over creative control after its first run in London, he produced, directed, and choreographed Lord of the Dance
Lord of the Dance (musical)
Lord of the Dance is an Irish musical and dance production that was created, choreographed, and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, who also took a starring role...
which was played mostly in arenas and stadiums instead of theaters. He also put together a dance production called Feet of Flames
Feet of Flames
Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames is an Irish dance show directed by Michael Flatley and scored by Ronan Hardiman.-Feet of Flames:Hyde Park:Feet of Flames was created in 1998 by dancer Michael Flatley, made famous by the musical Riverdance...
in 1998. He later went on to produce another version of that show of which around 50% of the numbers were different from that of the 1998 show. Titled 'Feet of Flames The Victory Tour', he toured Europe in 2000 and the USA in 2001.
He broke his own record for tapping speed in February 1998, by achieving 35 taps per second.
Flatley also received Guinness Book recognition in both 1999 and 2000 for being the highest paid dancer, earning $1,600,000 per week and for having the highest insurance policy placed on a dancer's legs at $40,000,000.
In December 2001, Flatley became the first recipient of the Irish Dancing Commission Fellowship award, an honorary degree in Irish dance, and was simultaneously made a Fellow of the American Irish Dance Teachers’ Association. Irish America magazine
Irish America magazine
Irish America magazine is a bi-monthly periodical that aims to cover topics relevant to the Irish in North America including a range of political, economic, social, and cultural themes. The magazine’s inaugural issue was published in October 1985...
named Flatley Irish American of the Year in March 2003.
In 2004, Flatley received an honorary doctorate degree from University College Dublin and that same year received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in New York.
His latest Irish dance show is Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger Live
Celtic Tiger Live or more often known "Michael Flatley's Celtic Tiger" or just "Celtic Tiger" was an Irish Dance show.-History:Michael Flatley, famous for his Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames shows, created Celtic Tiger. After being retired for 4 years, Michael announced he was going to tour...
, which opened in July 2005. The show explores the history of the Irish people and Irish emigration to the US, fusing a wide range of dance styles, including jazz. The show also includes popular elements from his previous shows, such as Flatley's flute solos and the line of dancers in the finale.
In March 2006, Flatley released his own autobiographical book titled Lord of the Dance: My Story. Regarding his future, Flatley was quoted in the Celtic Tiger program book as saying, "I will be a dancer until the day I die," though more developments in entertainment are planned (see below).
On the June 3, 2007, The Freedom of the City of Cork was conferred on the entertainer at a ceremony in Cork's City Hall. In 2008, he was conferred with the Freedom of the Borough of Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
at a ceremony in Sligo City Hall.;
The Variety Club of Ireland presented Flatley with their Entertainer of the Decade Award in 2008 as well.;
In the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (U.S. season 7)
The seventh season of Dancing with the Stars premiered on September 22, 2008 as a part of ABC's fall line-up. Instead of 12 couples like previous seasons, this was the first season to showcase a lineup of 13 couples...
in the US, he appeared as a guest, filling in for Len Goodman
Len Goodman
Leonard Gordon 'Len' Goodman is a British professional ballroom dancer, dance judge, and coach. He is a leading personality on television dance programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars and runs a ballroom dance school in Dartford, Kent.-Early life and career:Goodman was...
. In the fall of 2007, Flatley and a troupe of male dancers performed on Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...
in the USA and in 2008, he performed the solo 'Capone' from Celtic Tiger.
He was the host of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
show Superstars of Dance
Superstars of Dance
Superstars of Dance was an American reality television show that debuted on January 4, 2009 on NBC. The show featured dance routines from eight different countries from six continents. It was hosted by Michael Flatley, co-creator of Riverdance and creator of Lord of the Dance, and was co-hosted...
, which premiered on January 4, 2009.
Michael Flatley returned to the stage in 2009 for a limited run of the "Hyde Park" version of Feet of Flames in Taiwan. His return was met with multiple standing ovations and the run of shows had to be extended to meet the demand for tickets.;
In April 2010, he announced that he would be returning to headline the Lord of the Dance show, with performances in Dublin's The O2, Belfast's Odyssey Arena, London's O2 arena
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
, Sheffield's Sheffield Arena, Manchester's MEN Arena, Birmingham's LG Arena
LG Arena
LG Arena may stand for* LG KM900 , an LG Electronics multimedia phone* National Exhibition Centre , a multi-purpose arena in the UK...
, Nottingham's Trent FM Arena, Liverpool's Echo Arena, London's Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
, Newcastle's Metro Radio Arena in November 2010, with dates also announced in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
& Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the first time he will have done so since 1998;.
June 2010 Michael launched The Garden of Music and Memory in Culfadda County Sligo the village his father left to seek a new life in America, part of this ceremony including Michael's speech and an impromptu performance of one of his father's favourite tunes can be heard at http://www.podcasts.ie/michael-flatley-in-culfadda/
Michael Flatley was among the list of international film and sports stars and amateur golfers who participated in the fundraising golf Pro-Am, the JP McManus Pro-Am in Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort in Adare, Co Limerick, Ireland on the 5th and 6 July 2010.
In March 2011, Lord of the Dance 3D, the movie, debuted in theatres worldwide. Filmed during Flatley’s return tour in the fall of 2010, the movie featured new sets, new costumes, state-of-the-art lighting, pyrotechnics and projections. A DVD of the show was released on June 28, 2011 in USA and Canada, and August 4 in Australia. It will be released on September 12, 2011 in the U.K. and October in Germany, France, Benelux and Scandinavia.
In March 2011, Michael Flatley was inducted into Irish America magazine
Irish America magazine
Irish America magazine is a bi-monthly periodical that aims to cover topics relevant to the Irish in North America including a range of political, economic, social, and cultural themes. The magazine’s inaugural issue was published in October 1985...
's Irish America Hall of Fame
Irish America Hall of Fame
Irish America Hall of Fame The Irish America Hall of Fame was founded by Irish America magazine in November 2010. It recognizes extraordinary figures in the Irish American community who have had a profound effect on the Irish in America and strengthened the bonds between the United States and...
.
Personal life
In 1986, Flatley wed PolishPoland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
make-up artist Beata Dziąba, and divorced in 1997.
In April 2006, Flatley spoke about his recent discovery of a facial skin cancer. He had kept the cancer a closely guarded secret, but said, "I'm completely fine now, thank God."
At the 10th Anniversary of Lord of the Dance in June 2006, Flatley was accompanied by dancer Niamh O’Brien, who dances with him in Celtic Tiger. The 30-something O'Brien had danced with Flatley in Riverdance
Riverdance
Riverdance is a theatrical show consisting of traditional Irish stepdancing, notable for its rapid leg movements while body and arms are kept largely stationary. It originated as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest, a moment that is still considered a significant...
, Lord of the Dance
Lord of the Dance (musical)
Lord of the Dance is an Irish musical and dance production that was created, choreographed, and produced by Irish-American dancer Michael Flatley, who also took a starring role...
, and Feet of Flames
Feet of Flames
Michael Flatley's Feet of Flames is an Irish dance show directed by Michael Flatley and scored by Ronan Hardiman.-Feet of Flames:Hyde Park:Feet of Flames was created in 1998 by dancer Michael Flatley, made famous by the musical Riverdance...
before they shared the stage in Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger Live
Celtic Tiger Live or more often known "Michael Flatley's Celtic Tiger" or just "Celtic Tiger" was an Irish Dance show.-History:Michael Flatley, famous for his Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames shows, created Celtic Tiger. After being retired for 4 years, Michael announced he was going to tour...
. The two shortly thereafter announced that they were dating, and were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony in Fermoy, Co. Cork, on October 14, 2006.
On November 15, 2006, Flatley was admitted at Harley Street hospital in London after falling ill in his London home as said by his publicist. According to media reports, a serious viral infection caused the illness. All the fall and winter tours of his latest production, Celtic Tiger
Celtic Tiger Live
Celtic Tiger Live or more often known "Michael Flatley's Celtic Tiger" or just "Celtic Tiger" was an Irish Dance show.-History:Michael Flatley, famous for his Lord of the Dance and Feet of Flames shows, created Celtic Tiger. After being retired for 4 years, Michael announced he was going to tour...
, were cancelled. He was discharged after spending two weeks there and claimed that he will release future tour dates but never did.
Niamh Flatley gave birth to son, Michael St. James Flatley, on Thursday April 26, 2007.
There was a false allegation from real estate agent and former stripper and girlfriend of NFL and Chicago Bear player Brian Urlacher
Brian Urlacher
Brian Keith Urlacher is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He attended the University of New Mexico, where he was one of the school's most decorated athletes. In addition to setting multiple university records, Urlacher earned consideration for the...
, Tyna Marie Robertson claiming that Michael had raped her in 2002 at a Las Vegas hotel and even threatened to sue him unless he paid a settlement of at least seven figures. She was ordered to pay $11 million in a defamation suit. It was revealed that she tried to extort $33 million from him. Michael claimed that he will donate the recovered money to charity.
Flatley's financial worth was estimated at £350 million (US $700 million) in a Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
article, and he is known to maintain homes in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. As of 2010, his estimated fortune is around $650 million (UK: £421 million; Ireland: €495 million)
In other media
Flatley and his work have been referenced and parodied in a wide variety of media, including television shows such as Britain's Got TalentBritain's Got Talent
Britain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
, I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002...
, 3rd Rock From The Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun
3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...
, and Celebrity Deathmatch
Celebrity Deathmatch
Celebrity Deathmatch is a claymation television show that depicts celebrities against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in the loser's gruesome death. It was known for its excessive amount of blood used in every match and exaggerated physical injuries...
, and movies such as Dudley Do-Right
Dudley Do-Right
Dudley Do-Right, created by Alex Anderson, is the eponymous hero of a segment on The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show which parodied early 20th century melodrama and silent film in the form of the Northern genre....
and The Boondock Saints
The Boondock Saints
The Boondock Saints is a 1999 American action comedy film written and directed by Troy Duffy. The film stars Sean Patrick Flanery and Norman Reedus as Irish fraternal twins, Connor and Murphy MacManus, who become vigilantes after killing two members of the Russian Mafia in self-defense...
. As well as The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star
"The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star" is the last episode of The Simpsons sixteenth season. The episode aired on May 15, 2005 in the United States. Originally supposed to air April 10, the episode was dropped from the week's schedule due to the death of Pope John Paul II, since this...
.
On an episode of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, Stewie questioned if Michael Flatley was still alive. When Stewie realized he was, then wrote down in a notebook that he wanted to kill Flatley.
In one of the episodes of Friends
Friends
Friends is an American sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. The series revolves around a group of friends in Manhattan. The series was produced by Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
("The One with the Embryos
The One with the Embryos
"The One with the Embryos" is the twelfth episode of the fourth season of the American television situation comedy Friends, which was broadcast on NBC on January 15, 1998...
"), Flatley is referred to as the biggest phenomenon that "scares the bejesus" out of Chandler Bing
Chandler Bing
Chandler Muriel Bing is a fictional character on the popular U.S. television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Matthew Perry.-Background:Chandler Muriel Bing was born on April 8, 1968, the son of an erotic novelist mother and a cross-dressing Las Vegas star and is of Scottish ancestry. Chandler was Ross...
.
In the opening scene of an episode of I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge
I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002...
, a radio poll entitled "Which is the best Lord?": a choice between the Dance
Lord of the Dance
Lord of the Dance may refer to:Personalities* Nataraja, Shiva in his dancing posture* Lord of the Dance, a title given to Jesus Christ in some musical adaptationsLiterature* Lord of the Dance , a 1984 novel by Father Andrew GreeleyMusic...
, the Flies
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
, or the Rings sees the latter two being "roundly trounced by the quick feet of blouse-wearing tycoon Michael Flatley".