Just as a great wedding needs an entertaining MC (master of ceremonies,) a fun game of online bingo needs a master bingo caller. But what is a bingo caller? And which celebrities started their careers as bingo callers? Read on to learn more about this essential role in making the game of bingo even more fun.

What Is a Bingo Caller?

If you know your “fat ladies” from your “one little duck,” you might have what it takes to become a bingo caller. But you’ll need more than just the right bingo lingo to become a bingo caller par excellence. At its most basic, the role requires you to call out the numbers — but there is a bit more to it than that. Being a great bingo caller requires you to be a great entertainer.

What Does It Take To Be a Good Bingo Caller?

When it comes to mastering the art of bingo calling, there are a few key aspects that separate the great from the good. A fun bingo caller is a crucial aspect of creating an enjoyable gaming experience for all the players. Delve into the essential qualities that make a bingo caller stand out:

Make the Game Exciting

Even though a game of online bingo doesn’t last very long because of its fast pace, the online bingo caller needs to take their time calling the number to make the game as exciting as possible. Did you know that most online bingo rooms will only consider a number legitimate once the caller has called it out — and not just when it’s been shown on the screen?

Keep the Audience Amused

Whether it’s an online bingo variant or one of the many types of bingo offered at local bingo halls, the prime responsibility of the bingo caller is to keep the audience engaged. Ideally, they need to be humorous and have an innate stage presence. This is why celebrity bingo callers are in high demand, especially for charity bingo nights and fundraisers.

Read the Room

The best online bingo requires a bingo caller who can read the virtual room and take cues from the audience. Is the audience energetic or requiring relaxation? Would they prefer a soothing bingo-calling voice or something more upbeat? This is all part of the bingo-calling strategy. 

So, which bingo callers have become famous celebrities? 

Some Famous Celebrity Bingo Callers

It may surprise you that some well-known celebrities started out as bingo callers. Little did they know that their skills in entertaining an audience would ultimately lead them to Hollywood.

Russell Crowe

Back in 1980, ruggedly handsome Russell Crowe worked as a bingo caller on Pakatoa Island, located between Auckland and the Hauraki Gulf in New Zealand. The dashing Hollywood star of blockbusters like “Gladiator,” “Cinderella Man,” “A Beautiful Mind,” and “Robin Hood” was actually fired for his bingo-calling role. Why? He was sacked for rudeness and making up offensive bingo calls. Luckily, he was hired soon after for a touring version of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Interestingly, Pakatoa Island was on the market a couple of years ago with an asking price of $40 million. 

Matthew McConaughey

The True Detective star joined a Zoom call to play virtual bingo with the residents of The Enclave during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Granted, McConaughey didn’t start out as a bingo caller. But the American actor, who starred in movies like “The Wedding Planner,” “Failure to Launch,” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” had his opportunity to amuse elderly Texans in what must have been one of the best online bingo games ever. McConaughey was accompanied by his mother, wife and kids.

Kian Egan

It’s not just famous Hollywood actors who have done their time as bingo callers. Kian Egan is a key member of the prominent Irish boy band Westlife, formed in 1998. His face was no doubt plastered across the bedroom of many teenage girls in the late 90s, but before boy band fame, he had several jobs, including a stint as a bingo caller.

Now that you’re familiar with a few celebrity bingo callers, learn which celebrities just like to kick back and enjoy the game. 

Celebrities Who Love Playing Bingo

There are so many people across the world who enjoy playing bingo. Here are some well-known celebrities — can you imagine any of them as bingo callers?

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Since her childhood, Catherine Zeta-Jones has loved a game of bingo. It’s a game often enjoyed in the social clubs of Wales, from where Zeta-Jones hails. She would reportedly accompany her parents to bingo games and get involved in marking off the numbers on their bingo cards. Some reports even say that it was a lucky bingo game that helped her follow her acting dreams. The win was reportedly over £100,000, which allowed Zeta-Jones’ parents to send her to dance classes, which catapulted her love for the entertainment industry. Her love for the game hasn’t faltered over the years, and she is said to hold bingo parties in her home frequently and even make her own custom-made bingo cards for the guests.

Kate Moss

Kate Moss has been a massive fan of the game all her life, according to reports. Once the rockstar supermodel gave up the runway for a quieter family life, a bingo game with her children became a weekly highlight. 

Cristiano Ronaldo

When you think of famous footballers and gambling, you’ll probably instinctually picture them playing more high-stakes casino games like poker or roulette. Cristiano Ronaldo, on the other hand, said in a 2008 interview that he finds bingo very exciting. He recalled the thrill of friendly competition and waiting anxiously for the numbers he needed to win to be called, only for his friends to get the lucky number he was waiting for before him. The famous Portuguese soccer star apparently started playing bingo to improve his English after moving clubs to play for Manchester United in 2003. 

Looking To Play Bingo at an Online Casino?

If you want to join other celebrities and enjoy a stimulating yet relaxing game of bingo, register with Borgata Online, a platform that houses many online casino games, including bingo. Join friends or make new ones as you enjoy bingo online at the virtual casino.