Tessie O'Shea

b. Teresa O'Shea, 13 March 1913, Cardiff, Wales, d. 21 April 1995, Leesburg, Florida, USA. A warm, ebullient, and immensely endearing entertainer, ‘Two Ton Tessie', as she was billed, was taken to watch variety acts perform at Cardiff Empire when she was only four years old. She later won talent contests for her singing and dancing, and when she was 12, made her solo stage debut at the Bristol Hippodrome. This was followed by an engagement at the Chiswick Empire, and further variety circuit bookings. Always conscious of her more than ample girth - she eventually reached 17 sto...