Tessie O’Shea Returns to Blackpool with The Beatles

Teresa Mary O’Shea, affectionately known as “Tessie,” was born on 13 March 1913 at 61 Plantagenet Street, Riverside, Cardiff. The daughter of James Peter O’Shea, a former soldier and newspaper wholesaler of Irish descent, and his wife Nellie Theresa Carr, she grew up steeped in the vibrant musical traditions of the British variety stage. From early childhood she demonstrated an exceptional gift for performance, making her first public appearance at the age of six under the billing “The Wonder of Wales.” Family anecdotes recall that while staying in Weston-super-Mare as a girl she once went missing, only to be discovered entertaining passers-by by singing the comic hit “An N’Egg and some N’Ham and some N’Onion.”

O’Shea’s career flourished within the music hall and seaside circuits that formed the backbone of British entertainment in the early twentieth century. During the 1930s she performed frequently in Blackpool, then the undisputed capital of variety theatre. Her exuberant personality and generous physique became part of her stage identity, and she adopted “Two Ton Tessie from Tennessee” as her signature song—a number that encapsulated her humour, warmth, and self-deprecating charm.

Throughout the 1940s she established herself as one of Britain’s most popular variety stars, headlining at the London Palladium and appearing regularly in summer seasons along the Fylde Coast. Her voice, rich and powerful, made her equally successful as a recording artist in the 1950s. A familiar figure in Blackpool’s entertainment scene, she performed at the North Pier, the Opera House and the Winter Gardens, where her rendition of “You’re at Blackpool By the Sea” became a favourite with holiday audiences.

In 1950 she appeared alongside the actor Terry-Thomas at the opening of the Moorland Sports Club, reflecting her status as both a national celebrity and a friend to the resort’s community. Her growing reputation carried her beyond Britain, and in 1963 she made her debut on The Ed Sullivan Show in the United States. Her return engagement in 1964, when she shared the billing with the Beatles, attracted what was then the largest audience in American television history, introducing her to millions of new viewers and securing her international fame.

O’Shea also pursued a parallel film career, appearing in productions such as London Town (1946), The Blue Lamp (1950), The Shiralee (1957), The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), and Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971). On British television she became a familiar face on the long-running BBC series The Good Old Days, which celebrated the music-hall tradition from which she had sprung.

Later in life O’Shea made her home in Blackpool and in nearby Poulton-le-Fylde, maintaining close ties with the town that had been central to her career. She remained a beloved figure in British entertainment until her death on 21 April 1995, remembered for her formidable stage presence, her comic vitality, and her deep connection to the seaside theatres and audiences that had shaped her life’s work.

Miss United Kingdom Grand Final, Blackpool. Tessie O’Shea, one of the judges with some of the competitors. Swimwear Section, 8 August 1968. © Alamy

This image shows her home at no. 40 Warbreck Hill Road as it is today, not far from Gynn Square in Blackpool. © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd

This image show two shots of the inside of no. 40 and one from the flat roof overlooking the area. © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd

In 1939, Tessie O’Shea moved to Rose Cottage on Breck Road in Poulton, close to her beloved Blackpool theatres and to her in-laws the Rollo family, who owned the Bloomfield Hotel, where she used to lodge whilst performing in Blackpool. As a celebrity she was invited to many local events, and was present with Terry Thomas at the opening of Moorland Sports Club in 1950. The cottage has since been divided into at least 3 units. This view shows what used to be the front of Rose Cottage but the plaque on the door now says Mulberry Cottage. The image © Deeper Blue Marketing & Design Ltd