ACTOR BRIEF: Sean attended St. Joseph's College in Ipswich and was first introduced to acting while studying for his O Levels. After leaving school, he travelled in America for six months with a friend, doing various odd-jobs including carpet laying and swimming pool maintenance. Then after returning home, he got a job at the Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich. He then went on to receive professional training and attended the Central School of Speech and Drama.
TV AND FILM ROLES: Sean's TV and film roles include:
Me and My Girl
C.A.T.s Eyes
Hot Metal
The Bill
Crossroads
Minder
Tank Malling
The Krays
Tree of Hands
Pirate Prince
Black Beauty
First Knight
Staying Alive
It'll Be Alright On The Night
Doctor Who
Great Expectations
Rockcliffe
The Chief
Bluebirds
To Have and To Hold
An Audience with Freddie Starr
A Touch of Frost
Holby City
The Penalty King
Dalziel and Pascoe
Doctors
U Be Dead
Law and Order: UK
New Tricks
Casualty
THEATRE ROLES: Sean's theatre roles include:
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Moll Flanders
The Can Opender
Romeo and Juliet
The Country Wife
Edward II
As You Like It
The Hop-Pickers
Picasso at the Lapin Afile
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
TV AND FILM ROLES: Sean's TV and film roles include:
Me and My Girl
C.A.T.s Eyes
Hot Metal
The Bill
Crossroads
Minder
Tank Malling
The Krays
Tree of Hands
Pirate Prince
Black Beauty
First Knight
Staying Alive
It'll Be Alright On The Night
Doctor Who
Great Expectations
Rockcliffe
The Chief
Bluebirds
To Have and To Hold
An Audience with Freddie Starr
A Touch of Frost
Holby City
The Penalty King
Dalziel and Pascoe
Doctors
U Be Dead
Law and Order: UK
New Tricks
Casualty
THEATRE ROLES: Sean's theatre roles include:
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Moll Flanders
The Can Opender
Romeo and Juliet
The Country Wife
Edward II
As You Like It
The Hop-Pickers
Picasso at the Lapin Afile
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
![Picture](/uploads/2/1/4/6/21467072/1457853.jpg)
NAME: John Hallam
RANK: Sub Officer
ACTOR: Sean Blowers
SERIES: Movie, 1 - 9
BRIEF: John Hallam was the Watch's Sub Officer. He was very career minded, but never got the promotion he wanted.
FAMILY: John was married to Sandra and they had children in the earlier series, which disappeared later on!
ROMANCE: John was married to Sandra, but had an affair with counselling student Jenny, but he ended it.
TOUGH TIMES: While on a Brigade course, Duffy continually tried to get Hallam to go out in the evenings, but Hallam wanted to stay in and study and didn't fancy Sandra getting fed any false stories.
However, on the last night, while John was in the pub, Duffy went into Hallam's room and smothered lipstick on Hallam's y-front and put them back in his suitcase! When Hallam arrived home, Sandra found them and was not amused. She told him that he will do his own washing from now on and she also makes him sleep in the spare bedroom!
In Ding Dong Merrily, Hallam's eyebrows are singed off, after his father-in-law, Albert, pours too much brandy on the Christmas pudding!
In Series 2, Hallam was put in charge of the Blue Watch at Borough Street, where a young black fireman - Desmond Maddox, was being subjected to bullying and racism by his fellow Watch members, lead by Scouser. Scouser accused Maddox of complaining to Hallam. The Watch grabbed Maddox and died him to a ladder and balanced him over a makeshift dame, which was full of water. As the Watch went off to have a smoke, Scouser kicked the ladder, causing Maddox's head to go under water.
As the bells went down, Hallam went out into the appliance bay and found Maddox. He quickly ordered his appliance off the run and him and some Watch members pulled Maddox out. Maddox luckily survived and the firemen faced a disciplinary hearing. All involved were kicked out of the service. Hallam pleaded guilty to negligance and faced a hearing of his own.
Hallam was killed in Series 9, after he and Geoff were trying to save a group of teenagers in a burning building. They had gone in to watch a group shooting a pop video, but a fire took hold. As Hallam began to walk across a gantry, it broke away from the wall, leaving Hallam dangling. Hallam fell and later died in hospital.
RANK: Sub Officer
ACTOR: Sean Blowers
SERIES: Movie, 1 - 9
BRIEF: John Hallam was the Watch's Sub Officer. He was very career minded, but never got the promotion he wanted.
FAMILY: John was married to Sandra and they had children in the earlier series, which disappeared later on!
ROMANCE: John was married to Sandra, but had an affair with counselling student Jenny, but he ended it.
TOUGH TIMES: While on a Brigade course, Duffy continually tried to get Hallam to go out in the evenings, but Hallam wanted to stay in and study and didn't fancy Sandra getting fed any false stories.
However, on the last night, while John was in the pub, Duffy went into Hallam's room and smothered lipstick on Hallam's y-front and put them back in his suitcase! When Hallam arrived home, Sandra found them and was not amused. She told him that he will do his own washing from now on and she also makes him sleep in the spare bedroom!
In Ding Dong Merrily, Hallam's eyebrows are singed off, after his father-in-law, Albert, pours too much brandy on the Christmas pudding!
In Series 2, Hallam was put in charge of the Blue Watch at Borough Street, where a young black fireman - Desmond Maddox, was being subjected to bullying and racism by his fellow Watch members, lead by Scouser. Scouser accused Maddox of complaining to Hallam. The Watch grabbed Maddox and died him to a ladder and balanced him over a makeshift dame, which was full of water. As the Watch went off to have a smoke, Scouser kicked the ladder, causing Maddox's head to go under water.
As the bells went down, Hallam went out into the appliance bay and found Maddox. He quickly ordered his appliance off the run and him and some Watch members pulled Maddox out. Maddox luckily survived and the firemen faced a disciplinary hearing. All involved were kicked out of the service. Hallam pleaded guilty to negligance and faced a hearing of his own.
Hallam was killed in Series 9, after he and Geoff were trying to save a group of teenagers in a burning building. They had gone in to watch a group shooting a pop video, but a fire took hold. As Hallam began to walk across a gantry, it broke away from the wall, leaving Hallam dangling. Hallam fell and later died in hospital.
It's Rio or bust!; BLOW-BY-BLOWERS ACCOUNT AS LONDON'S BURNING STAR SHIPS OUT TO TAKE ON THE WORLD.
The BT Global Challenge is the toughest yacht race in the world. So when London's Burning star Sean Blowers told his mates he was ending his 10-year stint with the series to take up the challenge, they told him he was insane. Now, with the 5,000-mile first leg from Southampton to Rio de Janeiro behind him and several months of sailing ahead, the 35-year-old actor, who played Sub-Officer John Hallam, is starting to suspect they were right. On terra firma in Brazil, and reunited briefly with his wife Shirley, Sean let the Daily Mirror take an exclusive peek in his seafaring diary... It's D-Day, September 29, and Southampton is being lashed by gales.
The race is about to start, and I feel a mixture of excitement and fear, overshot by sheer adrenaline.
The physical effort required to drive a 67ft, 40 ton steel yacht through 15ft waves, with the wind and rain bashing in your face, is immense.
But I'm rarin' to go. Honest.
Shirley brought the kids [Kimberly, 11, Rory, nine, and Hattie, two] to say goodbye to me at the hotel last night.
Tears roll down my cheeks as I catch a brief glimpse of them on the supporters' boat trailing our yacht. I'll miss them all dreadfully.
As we bump our way out to sea, half the crew are seasick and everybody gets drenched.
Exhausted, I crawl into my bunk and crash out. I fall asleep thinking, " Things can only get better".
After 48 hours at sea, they do.
The sun is shining as we pass the Bay of Biscay, heading towards the northern coast of Spain. Everyone is wearing T-shirts and shorts.
Establishing a routine isn't coming easily. We eat, we sleep, we sail.
The freeze dried rations are only palatable if you spice them up.
But a diet of curry, chilli and Mars bars is playing havoc with my guts and I long to be able to sit on a toilet that isn't at an angle of 45 degrees.
I'm already missing my family. I shan't see Shirley for a month and my three children for three times that. I keep in touch by fax, and receive regular updates from home.
Every day is filled with new sights. I've seen whales, dolphins and flying fish and sharks - and the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises you can imagine.
At night there are starlit skies, the like of which I have never witnessed, or maybe never noticed.
It's a strange feeling being in the middle of the ocean miles from anywhere. It gives you a tremendous sense of being.
In the race we are lying fourth. In one 24-hour we ran 269 miles - a record. It is looking good, too good in fact.
WEEK TWO. Our first unwelcome drama. In the middle of a complicated sail manoeuvre, Sid, our bowman, is hurled into the air when a strop on the spinnaker pole snaps.
Although he is attached to a line, he bounces around the rigging before slamming into the mast.
It takes a few heart-stopping moments to get everything back under control.
Sid has a badly lacerated hand. It's a warning to us all how dangerous the boat can be.
Margot "Nursey" Douglas gives Sid a few shots of whisky and puts him to bed. She decides she needs a few whiskies, too, and also has to be put to bed.
The spinnaker is ripped. Hours of work are needed to make an effective repair. I signed up to go sailing, not to join a sewing circle.
As we approach the Equator it becomes very, very hot. BO and and smelly feet become major issues. So does our precious water.
Our water maker takes many hours to produce just enough to wash one hairy armpit.
My cabin mate announces that he hasn't washed for two weeks. He doesn't need to tell me.
WEEK THREE. Skipper Richard Merryweather cheers us all up by announcing a happy hour and produces two bottles of Irish Whisky.
It's a chance for us to let our hair down and relax, though two bottles don't go far between 14.
I notice with alarm that I have started to suffer from gunwhale bum - a rash on the rear end caused by wet and salt.
Richard advises me to lie on the foredeck and expose my bottom to the sun. Two hours later I realise my gunwhale bum has been replaced by third- degree sunburn.
I spend the next 48 hours standing up as I can't sit down. This is the lowest point of the voyage.
I miss my family and my everyday comforts. Full of self-pity, I long for just one night at home.
Nearing the Equator, we encounter our first squall.
The massive black cloud heading straight for us looks threatening, but it turns out to be the only squall in the Altantic without a breath of wind.
Our own black cloud descends. We sit in the Doldrums for two and a half days. The leading boats are moving further ahead and those behind catching up.
Things can only get better has become our theme tune. We sing it - and we believe it.
Sid, myself and Lars, our resident super Swede, have formed a band called The Three Moosekateers. With our red rock-star wigs and inflatable guitars, we give the crew our version of Status Quo's Rocking All Over the World.
It goes down a storm and eases everyone's frustrations.
When we reach the Equator, the traditional crossing the line ceremony is held. We appear before King Neptune, aka the skipper complete with Bacofoil trident and crown, to answer a list of trumped-up charges.
I'm accused of possessing too many pairs of shorts. I am given 30 seconds to defend myself, but it's hopeless.
I am found guilty and promptly smothered in a pot full of evil-looking brew, half of which is poured down my shorts.
Other crimes include possession of nail clippers, snoring, smelly feet and so on... By the end of the ceremony, there are 12 very messy sailors and one extremely mucky boat.
It takes two hours to clean it up. The quickest way to clean ourselves is to lie on the foredeck and wait for a wave to break over the bow.
It is finally my turn for mother watch - that is cooking and cleaning for the rest of the boat.
Luckily, I have brought my French maid's apron and inflatable breasts.
Bowman Sid falls for my charms and asks me out after work.
WEEK FOUR. The Brazilian coast lies ahead. We have slipped back a long way behind the leaders but are still holding on to fifth place.
With 1,000 miles to go, we should hit Rio in about six days. I can't wait. I yearn for real food, cold beer and a proper bed.
As the wind drops the frustration increases. It's not helped when we sail into a fishing net at night and spend three hours disentangling it.
With Rio only 120 miles away, once again we are becalmed. Finally it appears through the rain - like Clacton on a wet weekend, but less entertaining.
Through the murk we can just make out Corcovado, the statue of Christ that overlooks the city. Shirley and I plan to retake our marriage vows there when she arrives next week.
With no wind, we drift around for six hours before eventually crossing the finishing the line. A huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders.
The Three Moosekateers do their stuff for Rio. We look more like a carnival float than a racing yacht.
Rio Yacht Club at last. I jump on to the jetty and kiss the ground. Wonderful. We've done it!
The BT Global Challenge is the toughest yacht race in the world. So when London's Burning star Sean Blowers told his mates he was ending his 10-year stint with the series to take up the challenge, they told him he was insane. Now, with the 5,000-mile first leg from Southampton to Rio de Janeiro behind him and several months of sailing ahead, the 35-year-old actor, who played Sub-Officer John Hallam, is starting to suspect they were right. On terra firma in Brazil, and reunited briefly with his wife Shirley, Sean let the Daily Mirror take an exclusive peek in his seafaring diary... It's D-Day, September 29, and Southampton is being lashed by gales.
The race is about to start, and I feel a mixture of excitement and fear, overshot by sheer adrenaline.
The physical effort required to drive a 67ft, 40 ton steel yacht through 15ft waves, with the wind and rain bashing in your face, is immense.
But I'm rarin' to go. Honest.
Shirley brought the kids [Kimberly, 11, Rory, nine, and Hattie, two] to say goodbye to me at the hotel last night.
Tears roll down my cheeks as I catch a brief glimpse of them on the supporters' boat trailing our yacht. I'll miss them all dreadfully.
As we bump our way out to sea, half the crew are seasick and everybody gets drenched.
Exhausted, I crawl into my bunk and crash out. I fall asleep thinking, " Things can only get better".
After 48 hours at sea, they do.
The sun is shining as we pass the Bay of Biscay, heading towards the northern coast of Spain. Everyone is wearing T-shirts and shorts.
Establishing a routine isn't coming easily. We eat, we sleep, we sail.
The freeze dried rations are only palatable if you spice them up.
But a diet of curry, chilli and Mars bars is playing havoc with my guts and I long to be able to sit on a toilet that isn't at an angle of 45 degrees.
I'm already missing my family. I shan't see Shirley for a month and my three children for three times that. I keep in touch by fax, and receive regular updates from home.
Every day is filled with new sights. I've seen whales, dolphins and flying fish and sharks - and the most beautiful sunsets and sunrises you can imagine.
At night there are starlit skies, the like of which I have never witnessed, or maybe never noticed.
It's a strange feeling being in the middle of the ocean miles from anywhere. It gives you a tremendous sense of being.
In the race we are lying fourth. In one 24-hour we ran 269 miles - a record. It is looking good, too good in fact.
WEEK TWO. Our first unwelcome drama. In the middle of a complicated sail manoeuvre, Sid, our bowman, is hurled into the air when a strop on the spinnaker pole snaps.
Although he is attached to a line, he bounces around the rigging before slamming into the mast.
It takes a few heart-stopping moments to get everything back under control.
Sid has a badly lacerated hand. It's a warning to us all how dangerous the boat can be.
Margot "Nursey" Douglas gives Sid a few shots of whisky and puts him to bed. She decides she needs a few whiskies, too, and also has to be put to bed.
The spinnaker is ripped. Hours of work are needed to make an effective repair. I signed up to go sailing, not to join a sewing circle.
As we approach the Equator it becomes very, very hot. BO and and smelly feet become major issues. So does our precious water.
Our water maker takes many hours to produce just enough to wash one hairy armpit.
My cabin mate announces that he hasn't washed for two weeks. He doesn't need to tell me.
WEEK THREE. Skipper Richard Merryweather cheers us all up by announcing a happy hour and produces two bottles of Irish Whisky.
It's a chance for us to let our hair down and relax, though two bottles don't go far between 14.
I notice with alarm that I have started to suffer from gunwhale bum - a rash on the rear end caused by wet and salt.
Richard advises me to lie on the foredeck and expose my bottom to the sun. Two hours later I realise my gunwhale bum has been replaced by third- degree sunburn.
I spend the next 48 hours standing up as I can't sit down. This is the lowest point of the voyage.
I miss my family and my everyday comforts. Full of self-pity, I long for just one night at home.
Nearing the Equator, we encounter our first squall.
The massive black cloud heading straight for us looks threatening, but it turns out to be the only squall in the Altantic without a breath of wind.
Our own black cloud descends. We sit in the Doldrums for two and a half days. The leading boats are moving further ahead and those behind catching up.
Things can only get better has become our theme tune. We sing it - and we believe it.
Sid, myself and Lars, our resident super Swede, have formed a band called The Three Moosekateers. With our red rock-star wigs and inflatable guitars, we give the crew our version of Status Quo's Rocking All Over the World.
It goes down a storm and eases everyone's frustrations.
When we reach the Equator, the traditional crossing the line ceremony is held. We appear before King Neptune, aka the skipper complete with Bacofoil trident and crown, to answer a list of trumped-up charges.
I'm accused of possessing too many pairs of shorts. I am given 30 seconds to defend myself, but it's hopeless.
I am found guilty and promptly smothered in a pot full of evil-looking brew, half of which is poured down my shorts.
Other crimes include possession of nail clippers, snoring, smelly feet and so on... By the end of the ceremony, there are 12 very messy sailors and one extremely mucky boat.
It takes two hours to clean it up. The quickest way to clean ourselves is to lie on the foredeck and wait for a wave to break over the bow.
It is finally my turn for mother watch - that is cooking and cleaning for the rest of the boat.
Luckily, I have brought my French maid's apron and inflatable breasts.
Bowman Sid falls for my charms and asks me out after work.
WEEK FOUR. The Brazilian coast lies ahead. We have slipped back a long way behind the leaders but are still holding on to fifth place.
With 1,000 miles to go, we should hit Rio in about six days. I can't wait. I yearn for real food, cold beer and a proper bed.
As the wind drops the frustration increases. It's not helped when we sail into a fishing net at night and spend three hours disentangling it.
With Rio only 120 miles away, once again we are becalmed. Finally it appears through the rain - like Clacton on a wet weekend, but less entertaining.
Through the murk we can just make out Corcovado, the statue of Christ that overlooks the city. Shirley and I plan to retake our marriage vows there when she arrives next week.
With no wind, we drift around for six hours before eventually crossing the finishing the line. A huge weight has been lifted from our shoulders.
The Three Moosekateers do their stuff for Rio. We look more like a carnival float than a racing yacht.
Rio Yacht Club at last. I jump on to the jetty and kiss the ground. Wonderful. We've done it!
. He is well known for playing John Hallam in London's Burning from 1988 to 1996
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