Vince Earl is an English singer, comedian and actor most famous for his portrayal of the character Ron Dixon in the soap operaBrookside, a role which he played from 1990 until the show's demise in 2003. He is equally well known for hosting the critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful interactive DVD gamePub Quiz: Hosted by Vince Earl. In it, he deploys his famous wit and charm to crack jokes and ask questions in such a way that it creates a convivial, pub-like atmosphere. He was involved in the Merseybeat scene of the 1960s as singer with the Vince Earl and the Talismen, and Vince Earl & the Attractions. He also played in the band "Rory Storm and the Hurricanes" and The Wirral band The Zero's who played in the Majestic nightclub Conway street Birkenhead in the early 1960s. He is a stand up comedian who appeared on the Granada Television showThe Comedians before landing the Brookside part. As Frank in the film No Surrender his performance was both menacing and hilarious at the same time. He also appeared in Boys from the Blackstuff. In 2001, while still appearing in Brookside, Earl appeared on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank. In November 2007, Earl returned to the set of Brookside in West Derby, Liverpool for an interview with ITV Local News to celebrate 25 years since the show started on Channel 4. He showed reporters around the Close, showing them his character's house, and the infamous patio where Trevor Jordache was found. Michael Starke, who played Sinbad Sweeney, also featured in the interview from the set of his new soap home at Coronation Street. He is a supporter of Liverpool F.C. In 2010, he was hospitalised with Goodpasture's syndrome which resulted in the need for regular dialysis. In the summer of 2012, he successfully underwent a kidney transplant. Earl has gone on record as saying that his favourite scene of Brookside was a breakfast scene filmed entirely in one shot. Earl's character, Ron, sat in the centre of the scene as various other characters attempted to steal his breakfast, ultimately leading Ron to exclaim: "Hey! Where's me tea gone?". Earl has also declared that he prefers stand-up to acting as he relishes the 'immediate feedback' offered by the former.
