Jason Gardiner (born 6 November 1971) is an Australian choreographer, singer, and theatre producer best known for his role as a caustic and controversial judge on the
ITV shows ''
Dancing on Ice'', ''
Born to Shine'' and ''
Stepping Out''.
Gardiner was a judge on the first series of the BBC talent show ''
Strictly Dance Fever''. From 2006 to 2011, Gardiner was one of the original judges on the
ITV show ''
Dancing on Ice''. Gardiner returned to ''Dancing on Ice'' for its
eighth series in 2013, but the show was cancelled after its
ninth series in 2014. He returned as a judge on the show in 2018., before leaving the show for a second time in 2019.
In 2006, Gardiner was one of the judges invited to take part in ''
Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice'', an
Australian
Australian(s) may refer to:
Australia
* Australia, a country
* Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia
** European Australians
** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists
** Aboriginal A ...
version of ''Dancing on Ice'', screened on the
Nine Network.
Early life
Adopted at the age of six months, Gardiner was born in
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and grew up in at rural
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
. He was bullied at school for being homosexual and suffered from
anorexia
Anorexia nervosa, often referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder characterized by low weight, food restriction, body image disturbance, fear of gaining weight, and an overpowering desire to be thin. ''Anorexia'' is a term of Gre ...
for two years until he came to terms with his
sexuality at the age of 16.
At 12, Gardiner wrote and submitted his first musical and was the youngest ever applicant to attend The Workshop in Sydney.
Television
Film
*1998 – ''
Cats'' –
Alonzo
Alonzo is both a given name and a Spanish surname. Notable people with the name include:
Mononym
*Alonzo (rapper), French singer and hip hop artist, formerly Segnor Alonzo of Psy 4 de la Rime
Given name
* Alonzo de Barcena, 16th-century Span ...
Guest appearances
*''
Daily Cooks Challenge'' – Celebrity judge
*''
The Chase: Celebrity Special'' (26 October 2013) – Contestant
*''
The Great Sport Relief Bake Off
''The Great British Bake Off'' (often abbreviated to ''Bake Off'' or ''GBBO'') is a British television baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of rounds, atte ...
'' (January 2014) – Contestant
*''
Celebrity Juice'' (13 March 2014) – Guest
*''
Tipping Point: Lucky Stars'' (6 August 2014) – Contestant
*''
Let's Do Christmas with Gino & Mel'' (11 December 2014) – Guest
Theatre
*1987 – ''
Cats'' – Australian Cast – Theatre Royal Sydney
*1988 – ''
42nd Street'' – Original Australian Cast – Her Majesty's Theatre
*1991 – ''
West Side Story
''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents.
Inspired by William Shakespeare's play '' Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid ...
'' – USA National Tour – Dance Captain
*1992 – ''
Kizmet'' – Miami – Jackie Gleeson Theatre USA
*1993 – ''42nd Street'' – Dance Captain – Australian National
*1994 – ''
My Fair Lady
''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...
'' – Dance Captain – Victorian State Opera
*1995 – ''West Side Story'' – Riff – Princess Theatre, Melbourne
*1996 – ''
Dames at Sea
''Dames at Sea'' is a 1966 musical with book and lyrics by George Haimsohn and Robin Miller and music by Jim Wise.
The musical is a parody of large, flashy 1930s Busby Berkeley-style movie musicals in which a chorus girl, newly arrived off the ...
'' – Dick – Ambassador's Theatre London
*1997 – ''Cats'' –
Munkustrap
Munkustrap is a Jellicle cat from T. S. Eliot's 1939 poem "The Naming of Cats". He is a principal character and the main narrator in Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 musical ''Cats'', which is based on Eliot's poems.
Munkustrap is the storyteller and ...
,
Rum Tum Tugger
Rum Tum Tugger is one of the many feline characters in the 1939 poetry book ''Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats'' by T. S. Eliot, and in the 1981 musical '' Cats'' which is based on Eliot's book. Rum Tum Tugger is a rebellious Jellicle cat wh ...
, Alonzo and
Gus – New London Theatre
*1998 – ''
Oklahoma!
''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...
'' – Fight Captain – Royal National Theatre London
*1999 – ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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'' – Aaron – Adelphi Theatre London
*2000 – ''
Lady Be Good'' – Bertie Bassett/Choreographer – La Fenice Opera, Venice, Italy
*2002 – ''Lady Be Good'' – Bertie Bassett/ Director/Choreographer – Sao Carlos Opera House Lisbon, Portugal
*2002 – ''
Anything Goes
''Anything Goes'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap ant ...
'' – Royal National Theatre- Associate Choreographer
*2003 – ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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'' – Fred Casely – Baalbeck Festival, Lebanon
*2004 – ''Anything Goes'' – Dance Captain – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
*2011 – ''
Aladdin'' – Abanazar – Venue Cymru, North Wales
Qdos Entertainment
Qdos Entertainment was one of the largest entertainment groups in Europe.
Pantomimes
Qdos Entertainment was the world's largest pantomime producer, having produced over 700 productions since it started.
In 2017, Qdos Entertainment confirmed i ...
*2018 – ''
Ruthless!
''Ruthless! The Musical'' is an all-female musical with music by Marvin Laird and book and lyrics by Joel Paley that spoofs Broadway musicals, like '' Gypsy'' and ''Mame'', and movies such as '' The Bad Seed'' and ''All About Eve''. The musical ...
'' –
Arts Theatre
The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London.
History
It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamber ...
*2018 – ''Aladdin'' – Abanazar – The Hawth Theatre, Crawley
*2022 – ''
Jack And The Beanstalk
"Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Co ...
'' – Evil's O'Greedy – Queen's Theatre, Barnstaple
Choreography
*1989 – Kylie Minogue – Sydney Mardi Gras – Dance Captain
*1990 – Ce Ce Peniston – USA Tour – Assistant Choreographer/Dance Captain
*1992 – Lalique Show – Hong Kong – Choreographer and Director
*1993 – YSL Fashion Show – Hong Kong – Choreographer and Director
*1994 – Piaget 120th Anniversary Show – Manila Philippines – Director/Choreographer
*1996 – Björk – Smashits Concert – Dancer
*1997 – Shirley Bassey – Royal Albert Hall – Choreographer
*1998 – Cher – Heaven Concert – Choreographer
*2000 – Ultra Nate – Mardi Gras Sydney – Choreographer
*2000 – Lady Be Good – La Fenice Opera House, Venice – Director/Choreographer
*2001 – Marc Almond – Soft Cell Concert – Choreographer
*2001 – Benefit – Edel Records – Choreographer
*2002 – Lady Be Good – Sao Carlos Opera House, Lisbon – Director/Choreographer
*2002 – Caroline O’Conner – Sydney Opera House – Guest artist
*2002 – Victoria Wilson James – Purple in the Park – Choreographer
*2002 – Gareth Gates Wembley – Choreographer
*2002 – MTV EUROPE – Mondo Show Germany – Director/Choreographer
*2003 – London Concert for Peace – Theatre Royal Drury Lane – Producer/Choreographer
*2003 – Johnny P – Zurich Gay Pride Concert – Choreographer
*2003 – Elton John Premier League Football campaign – BSkyB TVChoreographer
*2003 – Persil Trade Show – Leicester Square – Director/Choreographer
*2003 – Scuzz TV campaign – SkyTV commercial – Choreographer
*2003 – Blue TV – SkyTV commercial – Choreographer
*2004 – Premier League/Championship Snooker – BSkyB commercial – Choreographer
*2005 – Graham Norton’s Celebrity All Stars – BBC One – Choreographer
*2005 – Peyton Hed Kandi Gay Pride Concert – London – Producer/Choreographer
*2005 – Pregnancy Week Campaign – Discovery Channel – Choreographer
Vocal recordings
*''42nd Street'' – Original Australian cast recording
*''Oklahoma!'' – Royal National Theatre Production
*''Chicago'' – Billy Flynn and Amos, Time Music
*''La Cage aux Folles'' – Time Music
*''A Chorus Line'' – Paul San Marco, Time Music
*''Oliver'' – Time Music
*''Follies'' – Old Ben and Young Ben, Time Music
*''Anything Goes'' – Royal National Theatre Production, First Night Music
References
External links
Official Twitter page*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gardiner, Jason
1971 births
Living people
Australian choreographers
Australian male dancers
Australian male musical theatre actors
Australian male stage actors
Australian television personalities
Australian gay actors
LGBT choreographers
LGBT dancers
Australian LGBT broadcasters
Australian LGBT singers
Gay musicians
Male actors from Melbourne
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century LGBT people