Bingo isn’t just a game for pensioner’s in crowded halls – a host of A-list celebrities and even Royals love it too.
Prince William, the Queen, Robbie Williams, Russel Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones have all spoken publicly about their joy at playing bingo.
And the 500-year-old game is sure to become even more popular as technology revolutionises the way that it is played.
Although traditional metal ball tumblers might no longer be needed, the fundamentals of bingo remain the same where ever it is played.
Eagle-eyed players have to match a ‘line’ or ‘full house’ of numbers on their sheet as they are called out.
Gala Bingo – perhaps the most well-known provider of bingo halls in the UK – has an impressive range of online bingo games that are sure to excite even the most experienced players.
They are available at www.galabingo.com.
And to mark the launch of Gala Bingo’s ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’ game and ‘Hoff’ game, we’ve put together a list of the top five celebrities who play bingo.
Robbie Williams
Star singer Robbie Williams is a massive fan of bingo.
The Take That legend is rumoured to favour 90 ball bingo and there’s no doubt that playing online allows him to escape the paparazzi’s lenses.
Last year he even posted a picture on Twitter of former bandmate Gary Barlow playing bingo at home.
Robbie and showbiz pals enjoy playing at each other’s homes – and some even visit upmarket private clubs for games.
Robbie also took part in a Hollywood bingo competition in which he won a prize and raised money for charity.
His days of rock and roll might be gone – but there’s no doubt that he’s a bingo superstar.
Prince William and the Queen
Few people know exactly what happens when the Royal Family get together for special occasions.
But is well known that both Prince William and the Queen enjoy the occasional game of bingo.
In 2006 Prince William and a group of friends spent a night at a bingo club near Sandhurst military academy where he had been training.
And the Queen is known to play bingo for fun.
So it’s easy to imagine that on Christmas Day the whole family like to sit together and after finishing off the turkey hand out cards for a pleasant game of bingo.
Russel Crowe
There are few women who wouldn’t mind Hollywood star Russel Crowe dropping by their local bingo hall.
But perhaps the serious players wouldn’t be too impressed with Crowe’s abilities as a bingo caller.
The Australian actor had a job reading out numbers when he was 22 – but was sacked for being ‘too rude’.
Former colleague Daniel Abineri said that that he met the Oscar-winnig actor in the 1980s just after the incident.
He added: ‘Russel had just been sacked from his job as a bingo caller in Rotorua – apparently he was rude to the crowd when he was calling out the numbers, and he was quite proud of that!’
Russel carried on playing bingo for fun – in between filming box office blockbusters, of course.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta Jones grew up in the Welsh valleys before becoming a A list Hollywood Celebrity.
It’s perhaps here that Catherine’s love of bingo was first born.
She has played the game throughout her life – and now regularly hosts ‘bingo parties’ every year for family and close friends, including her husband Michael Douglas and their children.
Even moving to the U.S hasn’t dampened the Mask of Zoro star’s enthusiasm for bingo.
Catherine has adapted by playing U.S. rules bingo. The American 75 Ball game card has a 5 x 5 grid containing 25 out of a possible 75 numbers. The grids have five rows, each starting with the letters of the word ‘BINGO’.
Denise van Outen
Denise van Outen is bingo mad!
The former Big Breakfast presenter is regularly seen at bingo halls near her home in Essex.
And she has even tried to persuade radio co-stars to go along to a club on a night out with her.
Perhaps if they don’t fancy venturing out in public to play bingo, they could get the hang of the game by playing from behind the safety of their computer screens.
And here are a number of other celebrities who play bingo…
Sharon Osbourne
Katie Price
Barbara Windsor
Keith Chegwin
Ricky Tomlinson
Kerry Katona
Stacey Solomon
Glenda Gilson
