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Gordon Angus Deayton (; born 6 January 1956) is an English actor, writer, musician, comedian, and broadcaster. He was the original presenter of the satirical panel game ''
Have I Got News for You,'' the host of British panel show ''
Would I Lie to You?'' from 2007 to 2008, and a regular cast member of the
David Renwick
David Peter Renwick (; born 4 September 1951) is an English author, television writer, actor, director and executive producer, best known for creation of the sitcom ''One Foot in the Grave'' and the mystery series ''Jonathan Creek''. He was awar ...
sitcom ''
One Foot in the Grave
''One Foot in the Grave'' is a British television sitcom written by David Renwick. There were six series (each consisting of six half-hour shows) and seven Christmas specials over a period of ten years from early 1990 to late 2000. The first fi ...
'' from 1990 until 2000. He also played George Windsor in the series 8-10 of ''
Waterloo Road''.
Early life
The youngest of three sons of a
Prudential insurance broker/manager English father and a
home economics
Home economics, also called domestic science or family and consumer sciences, is a subject concerning human development, personal and family finances, consumer issues, housing and interior design, nutrition and food preparation, as well as texti ...
school teacher Scottish mother,
["Angus Deayton on Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland and returning to the Fringe"]
– '' The Herald'', 30 July 2016 Deayton was brought up in
Banstead
Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in Surrey, England. It is south of Sutton, south-west of Croydon, south-east of Kingston-upon-Thames, and south of Central London.
On the North Downs, it is on three of the four main ...
, Surrey, and attended Oakhurst Grange School and
Caterham School. He showed early promise as a
footballer and had a trial with
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace may refer to:
Places Canada
* Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick
* Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario
* Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...
.
He was captain of the Caterham U16 Rugby team.
Deayton read French and German at
New College, Oxford,
where, in 1978,
[ he was recruited into the ]Oxford Revue
The Oxford Revue is a comedy group primarily featuring students from Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University, England. Founded in the early 1950s, The Oxford Revue has produced many prominent comedians, actors and satirists. The Revue w ...
, performing with them at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This led to the creation of the parody band the Hee Bee Gee Bees
The Hee Bee Gee Bees was a fictitious pop group which parodied pop groups and performers in the early 1980s, consisting of Angus Deayton, Michael Fenton Stevens, and Philip Pope of the UK radio series ''Radio Active''.
Their first single was "M ...
in 1980, with the songs written by Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis (born 8 November 1956) is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, producer and film director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he is known primarily for romantic comedy films, among them '' ...
and Philip Pope
Philip R. J. Pope is a British composer and actor. He is best known for role as Tony Angelino in Only Fools And Horses. He was educated at Downside School and New College, Oxford.
Performer
Pope appeared in the Oxford Revue in Edinburgh Festi ...
. Their best-selling single "Meaningless Songs (In Very High Voices)" (plus the B-side "Posing in the Moonlight") was a parody of the falsetto style of disco hits by the Bee Gees.
Radio and television career
Deayton began his career on '' Radio Active'', a parody
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
of British local radio stations broadcast on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
between 1981 and 1987, which he co-wrote and performed. It transferred to television as '' KYTV'' between 1989 and 1993. Deayton presented a tribute to ''Radio Active'' and KYTV colleague and friend (and long-time BBC producer) Geoffrey Perkins
Geoffrey Howard Perkins (22 February 1953 – 29 August 2008) was a British comedy producer, writer and performer. Best known as the BBC head of comedy (1995–2001), he produced the first two radio series of ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galax ...
for BBC Radio 4 on 4 October 2008.
Deayton was frequently a straight man
The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, the straight man is expected to maintain composure. The direct contribution to the c ...
alongside Rowan Atkinson. He starred with Atkinson as a pool attendant and a man on a park bench in the ''Mr. Bean
''Mr. Bean'' is a British sitcom created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, produced by Tiger Aspect and starring Atkinson as the title character. The sitcom consists of 15 episodes that were co-written by Atkinson alongside Curtis and R ...
'' episode " The Curse of Mr. Bean" and appeared opposite Atkinson in the '' Black Adder'' episode "Born to Be King
''Born to Be King'' may refer to:
* ''Born to Be King'' (2000 film), a Hong Kong crime drama film, part 6 of the ''Young and Dangerous'' film series
* ''Born to Be King'' (2014 film), a film written and directed by Peter Capaldi
* ''Born to Be K ...
" (1983) as one of the Jumping Jews of Jerusalem.
From 1988 to 1991, Deayton was a featured player in all three series of the Emmy award-winning sketch comedy programme ''Alexei Sayle's Stuff
''Alexei Sayle's Stuff'' is a British television comedy sketch show which ran on BBC2 for a total of 18 episodes over 3 series from 1988 to 1991.
Cast
Alexei Sayle's Stuff stars stand-up comedian Alexei Sayle, with a recurring cast including A ...
.'' In 1990, Deayton was cast as the Meldrews' neighbour Patrick Trench in the British suburban sitcom ''One Foot in the Grave
''One Foot in the Grave'' is a British television sitcom written by David Renwick. There were six series (each consisting of six half-hour shows) and seven Christmas specials over a period of ten years from early 1990 to late 2000. The first fi ...
'' and was selected as host of '' Have I Got News for You''. The same year, he featured on television advertising the Vauxhall Nova
The Opel Corsa is a supermini car engineered and produced by the German automobile manufacturer Opel since 1982. Throughout its existence, it has been sold under a variety of other brands owned by General Motors (most notably Vauxhall, Chevrolet ...
. Andre Ptaszynski tried to persuade him to take the lead role in Steven Moffat
Steven William Moffat (; born 18 November 1961) is a Scottish television writer, television producer and screenwriter. He is best known for his work as showrunner, writer and executive producer of the science fiction television series ''Doct ...
's sitcom ''Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...
'', a role eventually taken by David Bamber
David James Bamber (born 19 September 1954) is an English actor. He has worked in television and theatre. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
Early years
Bamber was born in Walkden, Lancashire. By September 1973, he was ...
.[''After the Chalk Dust Settled'', featurette on ''Chalk'' Series 1 DVD, ReplayDVD.co.uk, prod. & dir. ]Craig Robins
Craig Lewis Robins (born February 15, 1963) is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of Dacra Development, the co-founder and co-owner of Design Miami and developer of the Miami Design District.
Early ...
Deayton worked with David Renwick again appearing in the miniseries '' If You See God, Tell Him''.
In an episode of ''Coupling
A coupling is a device used to connect two shafts together at their ends for the purpose of transmitting power. The primary purpose of couplings is to join two pieces of rotating equipment while permitting some degree of misalignment or end mov ...
'', he appears in a fantasy sequence with Mariella Frostrup
Mariella Frostrup (born 12 November 1962) is a British journalist and presenter, known in British television and radio mainly for arts programmes.
Early life
Frostrup was born in Oslo, Norway, to Peter and Joan Frostrup, but moved with her fam ...
. He hosted the late-1990s BBC show ''Before They Were Famous'', which showed early and frequently embarrassing clips of TV and film stars (including Deayton himself) when they were relatively unknown. He was much in demand as a presenter of television specials including the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's New Year's Eve show and the
BAFTA Awards. He also featured in a series of advertisements for
Barclaycard
Barclaycard (; stylized as barclaycard) is a brand for credit cards of Barclays PLC. , Barclays had over ten million customers in the United Kingdom.
History
Barclays launched Barclaycard on 29 June 1966, initially as a charge card, but followi ...
and the films ''Savage Hearts'' and ''Elizabeth''.
''Have I Got News for You''
Deayton's suave manner as host of ''Have I Got News for You'' led to his being nicknamed "TV's Mr Sex", by a ''
Time Out'' listings writer.
In May 2002, the British tabloid newspaper the ''
News of the World'' reported he had taken
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
and had sex with prostitutes. He was ridiculed by
Paul Merton
Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), known under the stage name Paul Merton, is an English writer, actor, comedian and radio and television presenter.
Known for his improvisation skill, Merton's humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and somet ...
and
Ian Hislop
Ian David Hislop (born 13 July 1960) is a British journalist, satirist, writer, broadcaster, and editor of the magazine ''Private Eye''. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programmes and has been a team captain on the BBC quiz sho ...
in the following episode of ''Have I Got News for You'' but continued as presenter. Deayton began the episode with: "Good evening and welcome to ''Have I Got News for You'', where this week's loser is presenting it." He added later, "There is, by the way, no need to adjust your set, my face is this red." After more allegations in October, Deayton was dismissed two episodes into the new series. One online poll, on the BBC's own website, showed over three-quarters of respondents wanted Deayton to stay on as the programme's host. In April 2003,
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
supported Deayton by refusing to appear on the show again.
Responding to Merton's "I didn't stab him in the back, I stabbed him in the front" line regarding the episode, in 2016 Deayton said: "Yes, I've heard this and
is commentis a way of not answering the question. But it's such a tangled web to describe what happened. And Merton and Hislop probably don't know what was happening in the background."
[
]
Subsequent career
After his stint on ''Have I Got News for You'' ended, Deayton's work included a reunion of the ''Radio Active'' cast in a new episode in December 2002. In 2003, he guest-starred as Downing Street
Downing Street is a street in Westminster in London that houses the official residences and offices of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Situated off Whitehall, it is long, and a few minutes' walk f ...
's spin doctor in an episode of the BBC comedy '' Absolute Power'', starring Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...
and John Bird. In January 2004, he starred in the BBC comedy ''Nighty Night
''Nighty Night'' is a BBC black comedy television sitcom starring Julia Davis. It was first broadcast on 6 January 2004 on BBC Three.
Notorious for its dark humour, the show follows narcissistic sociopath Jill Tyrell (Julia Davis) alongside he ...
''. Deayton had a cameo role as a hotel receptionist in the 2004 film ''Fat Slags
''The Fat Slags'' is a British comic strip appearing in the alternative British comic '' Viz''. The characters made their debut in 1989, their first appearance being in issue 36. The eponymous slags are Sandra Burke and Tracey Tunstall, known ...
''. A few months later, he presented the quiz '' Bognor or Bust''. In January 2006, he hosted an ITV show based upon self-help videos called ''Help Your Self''.
Deayton is associated with Comic Relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.
Definition
Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
/Sport Relief
''Sport Relief'' was a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, established in 2002.
It was the idea of Kevin Cahill, CBE, who had joined Comic Relief in 1991 to establish a new department as Director of Educat ...
and featured in its broadcasts. He co-presented the Sport Relief charity programme ''Only Fools on Horses
''Only Fools on Horses'' is a BBC reality television programme produced by Endemol UK. The show's name was a play on that of the sitcom ''Only Fools and Horses'', and first aired on 7 July 2006. It featured twelve celebrities who performed eques ...
'' in July 2006. Deayton appeared for the England team as a second-half substitute in the Soccer Aid
''Soccer Aid'' is a British annual (formerly bi-ennial) charity event that has raised over £38 million in aid of UNICEF UK, through ticket sales and donations from the public. The televised event is a friendly-style football match between t ...
match in support of UNICEF
UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...
on 27 May 2006. He returned as a starting player for England in a 7 September 2008 rematch.
In 2007, he was in ''Casualty
Casualty may refer to:
*Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster
**Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare
* The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'', playing an exaggerated version of himself in a Comic Relief-related story. In June 2007, Deayton returned to the BBC to host panel show, '' Would I Lie to You?''. In November 2007, he was censured by the BBC for making a "pungently personal" joke about Jimmy Savile and his mother on the show. Deayton left the show in 2009 and was replaced by Rob Brydon
Robert Brydon Jones (; born 3 May 1965) is a Welsh actor, comedian, impressionist, presenter, singer and writer. He played Dr Paul Hamilton in the Australian/British comedy series ''Supernova'', Bryn West in the BBC sitcom '' Gavin & Stacey'' ...
. On 3 September 2007, Deayton hosted the third series of ''Hell's Kitchen'', but was dismissed in 2009 after arguments with chef Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White (born 11 December 1961) is a British chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He has been dubbed "the first celebrity chef" and the ''enfant terrible'' of the UK restaurant scene. In January 1995, aged 33, White became ...
and was replaced by Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Anne Irena Winkleman (born 15 January 1972) is an English television presenter, radio personality, film critic and journalist. Between 2004 and 2010, she presented '' Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two'' on weeknights on BBC Two. Since ...
.
In 2008, Deayton also presented ''Comedy Sketchbook'', a nostalgic look at classic comedy sketches, on BBC1. On 6 December 2008, he presented the 2008 British Comedy Awards
The National Comedy Awards (known as the British Comedy Awards from 1990 to 2014) is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom, celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.
The British Comedy Awards (1 ...
, after host Jonathan Ross stepped down because of controversy surrounding ''The Russell Brand Show'' prank calls row.Jack Davenport
Jack Arthur Davenport (born 1 March 1973) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series '' This Life'' and ''Coupling'', and as James Norrington in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' series. He has also appeared ...
, Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher (born 31 January 1966) is an English film director and actor. He has appeared in Guy Ritchie's ''Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels'', as well as in television shows such as the comedy drama '' Hotel Babylon'' and the HBO serie ...
and David Soul
David Soul (born David Richard Solberg; August 28, 1943) is an American-British actor and singer. He is known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television series ''Starsky & Hutch'' from 1975 to 1979; Joshua Bolt on ' ...
), '' Swinging with the Finkels'' (2011, written and directed by Jonathan Newman
Jonathan Newman is a British filmmaker and writer. Newman made his first feature film at the age of 25. ''Being Considered'' starred James Dreyfus and David Tennant.
His recent movies include the action adventure film ''Mariah Mundi and the Mi ...
, with Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her de ...
and Martin Freeman
Martin John Christopher Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. Among other accolades, he has won an Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award, and has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
Freeman's most not ...
), and ''Playing the Moldovans at Tennis
Antony Gordon Hawksworth, MBE (born February 27, 1960), known professionally as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author.
Early life
Born in Brighton, Sussex, Hawks was educated at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Brighto ...
'' (2012). He returned to BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...
in 2011 to host the panel show '' It's Your Round''.
On 12 December 2012, Deayton joined the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
drama series ''