John Sparkes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Sparkes (born 6 January 1954) is a Welsh comedian born in Swansea and is more commonly known on Welsh television as Barry Welsh, in the award-winning (Best Light Entertainment, Welsh Baftas, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004) series Barry Welsh is Coming.
He starred in the sketch shows Absolutely, Barry Welsh is Coming, Pub Quiz and Jeff Global's Global Probe. He provides the voice of the Narrator and some other characters in the children's animated series Peppa Pig, Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends and Shaun the Sheep.
Barry Welsh is shown only in Wales, as was Jeff Global's Global Probe (both ITV) and Pub Quiz (BBC), in which he played the character Frank Hovis, originally devised for the Absolutely series. As well as playing Barry Welsh, the host of a chat show, Sparkes also plays other characters within the programme, such as pub singer Gwyn and Fishguard news reporter Hugh Pugh.
Although the series ended in 2004, it did return in 2007 for a series of one-off specials broadcast throughout the year - Barry Welsh Has an Election, Hugh Pugh Kicks Off and Hugh Pugh's Christmas Cracker, a Christmas compilation special (shown on Wednesday 19 December 2007).
John Sparkes also starred in the sketch show Naked Video, where he played Siadwell, the geeky bed-sit poet who wore an anorak and glasses.
John Sparkes is also the voice of Fireman Sam and other characters in the 2004 animated series The New Adventures of Fireman Sam.
Currently, John is writing and presenting two ongoing television series for ITV Wales called "Great Pubs of Wales." He also writes and presents "Ghost Story" in which he spends the night-alone-with a camcorder in haunted houses around Wales.
