Dancing on Ice's Bez’s life from prison & bankruptcy to politics & beekeeping

He's only been in one episode so far but Bez has already made his mark on this season of ITV's Dancing on Ice.

The 57-year-old Happy Mondays dancer became a fan favourite when he made his entrance onto the rink sitting on massive maracas, wearing a watermelon helmet and skating to his old band's song One Step.

But Bez's fans were gutted when he announced he wouldn't be performing in the second episode of the ITV show because he had caught Covid, but this week he's back with his skates on.

READ MORE: ITV Dancing on Ice star Bez offered full-time Hollyoaks role by Channel 4 bosses

The media personality has featured on numerous big shows like Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Gogglebox and Celebrity Masterchef before Dancing on Ice, but his personal life has also made headlines.

Bez, real name Mark Berry, has had a varied personal life ranging from being bankrupt twice, and arrested for assault, to running for MP and becoming a beekeeper. He's also known for owning a pimped-out London black cab.

He joined The Happy Mondays in 1980 as the rock band's maraca player and dancer.

When they first broke up in 1993 he followed lead singer and good friend Shaun Ryder to his next group, Black Grape but left after four years.

In 2005 he appeared on Celebrity Big Brother and was very open about the fact that he was in it for the money.

He had been declared bankrupt just months before and needed the winnings to pay off tax bills.

But, even though he won, his money troubles didn't stop.

Bez treated himself with some of his winnings by spending £10,000 on a new engine and exhaust system for the London Black cab he had previously rescued from a scrap heap.

The black cab even featured on MTV's Pimp My Ride UK and came away painted purple with 20 speakers, 15 TV screens and the word TAXI replaced with PIMP on its sign.

Bez rejoined The Happy Mondays when they reformed, but was bankrupt again by 2008.

He told Martin Lewis that Big Brother had done "nothing" for him financially but added: "I don't actually worry about finance because, obviously being the person that I am, I always find a way to make a bit of Yankee Dolla when I need to."

In 2010 he was convicted of physically assaulting his ex-girlfriend following a row about money.

He was initially sentenced with a community order and told to pay £450 in costs but after he reportedly said "I'm not doing it" was sentenced to jail for four weeks. He served two of the four weeks at Strangeways Prison in Manchester.

The Happy Mondays star was homeless for six years when he was young and in 2014 he became a patron of homeless organisation Coffee4Craig.

In 2015, he turned his sights to politics and ran for MP in his home city Salford.

He launched his campaign by unveiling a “join the revolution” billboard and handing out free beer to supporters. He promised to fight for "free energy, free food and free anything" but came sixth place in the constituency.

During the third lockdown in January 2021, he branched out into the online fitness world, launching ""Buzzin’ with Bez."

Nowadays, when he's not on TV, Bez lives in a remote home in Wales where he brews his own beer and keeps bees.

You can watch Bez on Dancing on Ice on Sundays at 6.30pm on ITV.

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