Robert Harper (28 January 1944 – 28 October 2020), known professionally as Bobby Ball, was a British comic, actor, singer and television host. He was best known as a member of the comic double act Cannon and Ball, with Tommy Cannon (Thomas Derbyshire). They hosted their own ITV show, The Cannon and Ball Show, for nine years between 1979 and 1988. Ball then went on to star in various sitcoms and dramas including Last of the Summer Wine, Heartbeat and Not Going Out. In 2005, Ball took part in I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. Early life Ball was born at Boundary Park General Hospital in Oldham, Lancashire, on 28 January 1944, to May (née Savage) and Bob Harper. He attended Crompton House C of E school, Shaw, Oldham, and briefly studied Shipping Management at Wigan Mining & Technical College before going to work in a factory as a welder, where he also met his future partner in comedy, Thomas Derbyshire (Tommy Cannon). Career Cannon and Ball Ball was one half of comedy duo Cannon and Ball, opposite his friend and colleague Tommy Cannon. The duo's primetime Saturday night television series The Cannon and Ball Show, was one of LWT's most successful series, with consistently high viewing ratings that lasted for twelve years. They starred in the film The Boys in Blue together in 1982 and guest starred in the Eric Sykes slapstick film, Mr H Is Late, in 1988. Other notable guest appearances were The Kenny Everett Television Show in 1982 and Shooting Stars in 1996. Cannon and Ball competed in the fifth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, and in 2011, Cannon and Ball were guest judges on one episode of ITV's Show Me the Funny. Television Ball was the creator of the ITV children's cartoon series Military Style!, which aired in 1990, and the BBC children's cartoon series Juniper Jungle, which aired in 1992. He played Mr. Turner (also known as Topsy Turner) in the ITV drama series Heartbeat from 2005 to 2006. From 2005 to 2008, he played Lenny in the BBC series Last of the Summer Wine. In 2009, Ball starred in the comedy The Fattest Man in Britain playing Morris Morrissey. In 2009, Ball was cast as Frank in the long-running BBC One Sitcom Not Going Out. Ball made his final appearance as Frank in the eleventh season, which began