Barry Cryer was born in Leeds. Educated at Leeds Grammar School and Leeds University, He is B.A.Eng.Lit. (Failed) Of the latter, this was due to the outbreak of World War II, he says, which was sixteen years before, but upset him very deeply. While appearing in a University revue, he was offered a week’s work at the famous City Varieties Theatre, home of the Good Old Days, the longest running television light entertainment show in the world. In later years, he was to appear on the show many times. While appearing there, he was seen by a London agent and offered work in variety. He appeared all over the country in what were known as the "Number Three’s" and then auditioned for the Windmill Theatre in London, a legendary school for comedians, whose graduates included Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers, Jimmy Edwards, Alfred Marks and many more. He passed the audition and started work at the theatre an hour and a half later. Top of the bill was Bruce Forsyth, who became a friend and colleague to this day.

After seven months of six shows a day, six days a week, he left to appear in Expresso Bongo, a musical savaging the pop music scene of the day, starring Paul Schofield, Millicent Martin and Susan Hampshire. It was during this period he started making records and had the rare distinction of being Number One in Finland. He believes that this may have had something to do with the fact that they gave away a car with each record. After this, he commenced writing for revues at the Fortune Theatre, home of Beyond the Fringe. This led to writing and appearing in night club show for Danny La Rue, an association that was to last for thirteen years.

While still working with Danny, he met David Frost who invited him to join the writing roster on the BBC Programme, the Frost Report – an amazing group of writers who included what was to become the whole of Monty Python, Marty Feldman, David Nobbs, (author of Reginald Perrin series and a future writing partner) and many more. On show – "Frost over England" – won the Golden Rose at that year’s Montreux Festival. Barry has also been associated with Silver and Bronze award winning shows at the Festival.

He moved with Frost to ITV and wrote and appeared in the Frost Programme, Frost on Sunday etc etc, until he returned to the BBC as one of the original Two Ronnies writers. His association with Ronnie Corbett had begun in the Danny La Rue shows and still continues with Barry writing for the last two series of Small Talk. Also around this time, he had become one of the chairmen at the famous Players’ theatre Old Time Music Hall at Charing Cross, where he still appears in their annual charity shows. In 1984 he appeared as the Dame in Sleeping Beauty at the Shaw Theatre, in 1988 he appeared as the King in Jack and the Beanstalk in Leicester and in 2994 Barry played Dame Daisy in Jack and the Beanstalk at Hackney Empire.

Following his Frost years, he went on to write for practically every top comedian in the country, including Morecambe and Wise, Bruce Forsyth (on the number one ratings show The Generation Game), Tommy Cooper, Stanley Baxter, Dick Emery, Dave Allen, Frankie Howard, Les Dawson (with David Nobbs), the Carry on team on television, Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, Mike Yarwood, Billy Connolly, Russ Abbot, Bobby Davro, Jasper Carrot and many more. Also during a long association with ATV, he wrote for Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Phil Silvers, Phyllis Diller, Richard Pryor and other visiting stars. He also wrote shows for singers such as Tom Jones and Petula Clark (a Silver Rose winner) and advised and wrote a musical show for Dennis Waterman of The Sweeney and Minder. A Harry Secombe show which he co-wrote with Spike Mullins and Peter Vincent (both writing partners for many shows) won the Pye Light Entertainment award of its year. For eight years, he wrote (with Ray Cameron) the Kenny Everett Shows for ITV and BBC, which to date have won several awards, including BAFTA, the Royal Society, The Press Guild and two special mentions at Montreux. The Everett connection has yielded nine series, Christmas and New Year shows, two independently mad videos and a feature film. The same team produced Assaulted Nuts – a series for HBO cable TV in America and on Channel Four.

As a performer, he moved into TV and radio from the theatre and night clubs and has appeared in practically every panel game on British TV, including Countdown, That’s Showbusiness, Blankety Blank, What’s My Line, Punch Lines, Give us a Clue, Gibberish (and on radio) I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue, Just a Minute etc etc. For five years he was the chairman of Jokers Wild on ITV. He wrote and appeared in Hello Cheeky with Tim Brooke-Taylor and John Junkin on both radio and television. He wrote and appeared in What’s On Next and The Steam Video company for Thames TV and also appeared in All Star Secrets for LWT and I’ve Got A Secret for BBC. He hosted a series of Cross-Wits for Tyne Tees Television and was the host for the BBC’s Music Match. 1992 Barry made a guest appearance as Sergeant Sammy Simpson in the Detectives alongside Jasper Carrott & Robert Powell.

He has become one of the country’s most popular after-dinner speakers. He has spoken at tributes for Gene Kelly, Tommy Steele, Frankie Howard and Harry Secombe. He appeared regularly on Granada TV’s Milord Ladies and Gentlemen, a programme which featured the country’s leading after-dinner speakers. He has addressed and entertained at hundreds of corporate events including; British Leyland in London and Vienna, the Coal Board, Avon Cosmetics, British Telecom, Smiths Foods, ITV Advertisers, the Institute of Bankers (three times), Fiat (three night conference), Webster's Brewery (three night conference), EMI and many more. He has presided over copious Awards ceremonies including the Sony Video Awards and speaks regularly at the Cambridge Union. He has spoken before the Prince and Princess of Wales at both Guildhall and the Mansion House, entertained Princess Anne in music has and shared speaking duties with the Duke of Edinburgh at the Savoy Hotel. He has spoken many times at Wembley Stadium at Cup Finals and International celebrations and for the Lords Taverners and for the Variety Club regularly addresses large audiences in London and the provinces.

In 1990 Barry teamed up with old friend Willie Rushton in their own show "Two Old Farts In The Night" which they performed to full houses at the Edinburgh Festival (1992 and 1993), The Brighton Comedy Festival (1992) and at various corporate events around the country including the Barbican Centre (to two thousand employees of the architects Ove Arup), The Albert Hall (for the Institute of Directors) and The Festival Hall (entertaining the might of the Metropolitan Police Force). In 1994, Barry & Willie toured with the show playing at over 50 theatres around the UK.

The Summer of 1994 saw Barry & Willie returning to the Edinburgh Festival with their new show "Farts 2 – The Musical".

In 1993 Barry started touring his one-man-show around the UK and the show continues to delight audiences under the new 1998 title "The First Farewell Tour". This show led to a guest appearance on Vive Cabaret, the stand up comedy show transmitted on Channel 4. 1993 also saw Barry playing Louis Blore/King of France in the Cole Porter musical Du Barry Was a Lady at the Barbican.

At the beginning of 1994 Barry hosted 8 shows of Cryer’s Crackers – a panel game for Yorkshire Television. This was re-commissioned and the second series was transmitted in 1994 and a third in 1995.

In 1995, Barry joined an illustrious list by becoming a "victim" on This Is Your Life.

Also, in 1995 Barry hosted Stand Up ten part series for BBC1 showcasing young comedians. The show was re-commissioned and the second series was transmitted 1996 on BBC1 on Saturday nights.

"Two Old Farts" continued to tour the country to full houses during ’95 and’96 up until the untimely death of Willie Rushton.

The long running (29 series) Radio 4 show I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue wan the 1995 Sony Radio Award for Best Comedy Programme and television’s British Comedy Award for Best Radio Programme also in 1995.

Christmas 1997 saw Barry appear as a vicious uncle in "Season’s Greetings" by Alan Ayckbourne. The show opened in Farnham, followed by a short tour.

Barry continues to write for other comedians and in 1998 he wrote Bruce Forsyth’s 70^th Birthday Concert transmitted live form the London Palladium and he worked on Ronnie Corbett monologues for Ben Elton’s most recent series.

Additionally, he was Script Editor on the Thoughts Of Chairman Alf, the late Johnny Speight’s last television series for Alf Garnett.

In 1998 Barry wrote his autobiography "You Won’t Believe This But…" which has been tremendously received and Barry has read extracts transmitted daily on Radio 4. He is about to complete a full recording of the book to be released on audio cassette soon.

As part of the I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue team Barry has been jointly responsible for the Limerick book published in 1998 and the latest book, The Almost Complete I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue, which was launched in October 1999.