''Channel 4's Comedy Gala'' of 2011 is a British comedy benefit show organised by
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
. It is the second
Channel 4 Comedy Gala, an annual charity event held
O2 Arena O2 Arena may refer to:
*The O2 Arena, London
* O2 Arena, Prague
*The 3Arena, Dublin, formerly known as The O2
*The Uber Arena, Berlin, formerly known as O2 World
*The Barclays Arena
Barclays Arena (originally known as the Color Line Arena an ...
in London in aid of the
Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Found ...
. It was filmed live on 24 May 2011, then broadcast on Channel 4 on 10 June 2011. The
first Comedy Gala was held 30 March 2010 and broadcast on 5 April 2010. Billed by Channel 4 as "the biggest live stand up show in UK history", it featured seventeen comedians performing stand-up, as well as a number of others performing live and pre-recorded sketches. The first gala raised money for a new
anaesthetic
An anesthetic (American English) or anaesthetic (British English; see spelling differences) is a drug used to induce anesthesia — in other words, to result in a temporary loss of sensation or awareness. They may be divided into t ...
room, while the second aims to raise money for a new
operating theatre
An operating theater (also known as an Operating Room (OR), operating suite, operation suite, or Operation Theatre (OT)) is a facility within a hospital where surgical operations are carried out in an aseptic environment.
Historically, the ter ...
.
Beneficiary
As with the 2010 gala, the 2011 performance was in aid of the
Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Found ...
. The 2011 proceeds were to go towards funding a new 24-hour
operating theatre
An operating theater (also known as an Operating Room (OR), operating suite, operation suite, or Operation Theatre (OT)) is a facility within a hospital where surgical operations are carried out in an aseptic environment.
Historically, the ter ...
, costing £5 million.
[ The new theatre would reduce waiting times at the hospital for the children treated from across the UK with life-saving heart, brain and spinal surgery.][ As with the 2010 show, the performers were to give their time for free for the gala.][
]
History
On 10 March 2011, Michael McIntyre
Michael Hazen James McIntyre (born 21 February 1976) is a British comedian, writer, and television presenter. In 2012, he was the highest-grossing stand-up comedian in the world. He currently presents the variety and stand-up comedy show '' Mic ...
and John Bishop
John Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former semi pro footballer.
His first television appearance was in 2007 on the RTÉ topical-comedy show '' The Panel'', where he was a regular panelist until 20 ...
visited a cardiac ward of the hospital with the ''Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'', who announced a second comedy gala at the O2 in aid of the hospital was to be held on 24 May 2011. To be filmed and broadcast on Channel 4 at a later date, tickets were due to go on sale the next day, at 9 am.[ Channel 4 confirmed this with an announcement on its Comedy Gala website the next day.][ While tickets went on general sale that day at 9 am, a pre-sale begun at 9 am the day before.][
As with the 2010 gala, the 2011 show was commissioned by the Channel 4 ]commissioning editor
In book publishing, a commissioning editor is essentially a buyer. It is the job of the commissioning editor to advise the publishing house on which books to publish. Usually the actual decision of whether to contract a book is taken by a senior m ...
Syeda Irtizaali, the promoter was Off the Kerb
Off The Kerb Productions is a British talent agency company that mainly works with comedians.
The company was owned by Addison Cresswell. The company is responsible for many comedians, including Jack Dee, Lee Evans, Jeremy Hardy, Jo Brand, Al ...
Productions and it was to be filmed by Open Mike Productions.[
The gig at the O2 was to open at 6.30 pm.][
]
Participants
When the second gala was announced, the confirmed line-up included the following performers:[
* ]Alan Carr
Alan Graham Carr (born 14 June 1976) is an English comedian, broadcaster, and writer. His breakthrough was in 2001, winning the '' City Life'' Best Newcomer of the Year and the BBC New Comedy Awards.
In the ensuing years, Carr's career burgeo ...
* Andi Osho
Yewande "Andi" Osho (born 27 January 1973) is a British actor, writer, and blogger who had previously been a stand-up comedian and television presenter.
Life and career
Osho was born in Plaistow, East London,In an interview for BBC Radio 4 E ...
* Chris Moyles
Christopher David Moyles (born 22 February 1974) is an English radio and television presenter, author and presenter of '' The Chris Moyles Show'' on Radio X.
Previously he presented '' The Chris Moyles Show'' on BBC Radio 1 from 2004 to 2012 ...
* Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain ( , ; born 4 February 1972) is an Irish comedian and television presenter based in the United Kingdom. He is noted for performing stand-up comedy shows all over the world and for hosting topical panel shows such as ''Mock the Wee ...
* Jack Dee
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee (born 24 September 1961) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, presenter, and writer known for his sarcasm, irony, and deadpan humour. He wrote and starred in the sitcom '' Lead Balloon'' and hosts the panel show ...
* Jack Whitehall
Jack Peter Benedict Whitehall (born 7 July 1988) is an English comedian, actor, writer and television personality. He is known for his roles as JP in the Channel 4 comedy-drama series '' Fresh Meat'' (2011–2016) and as Alfie Wickers in the BBC ...
* Jo Brand
Josephine Grace Brand (born 23 July 1957) is an English actress, comedian, presenter and writer. Starting her entertainment career with a move from psychiatric nursing to the alternative comedy stand-up scene and early performances on '' Satur ...
* John Bishop
John Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and former semi pro footballer.
His first television appearance was in 2007 on the RTÉ topical-comedy show '' The Panel'', where he was a regular panelist until 20 ...
* Jon Richardson
Jon Joel Richardson (born 26 September 1982) is an English comedian and radio presenter. He is known for his appearances on '' 8 Out of 10 Cats'' and '' 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown'' and his work as co-host with Russell Howard on BBC Rad ...
* Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Stephen Ross (born 17 November 1960) is an English broadcaster, film critic, comedian, actor, writer, and producer. He presented the BBC One chat show '' Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' during the 2000s and early 2010s, hosted his ow ...
* Kevin Bridges
Kevin Andrew Bridges (born 13 November 1986) is a Scottish stand-up comedian. His 2012 television series ''Kevin Bridges: What's the Story?'' was based on his stand-up routines.
He has appeared on many television panel shows, including '' Woul ...
* Lee Evans
* Mark Watson
Mark Andrew Watson (born 13 February 1980) is an English comedian, novelist and producer.
Early life
Watson was born in Bristol to a Welsh people, Welsh mother and English father. He has younger twin sisters and a brother, Paul Watson (footba ...
* Michael McIntyre
Michael Hazen James McIntyre (born 21 February 1976) is a British comedian, writer, and television presenter. In 2012, he was the highest-grossing stand-up comedian in the world. He currently presents the variety and stand-up comedy show '' Mic ...
* Micky Flanagan
Michael John Flanagan (born 7 October 1962) is an English comedian. Flanagan has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and toured Britain with stand-up shows. He presented ''Micky Flanagan: What Chance Change?'' for Radio 4 and has appeared on vario ...
* Paul Kaye
Paul Kaye (born 15 December 1964) is an English comedian and actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as Thoros of Myr in the HBO fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'' (2013–17). He started as shock interviewer Dennis Pennis on ''The Sunday ...
* Rhod Gilbert
Rhodri Paul Gilbert (born 18 October 1968) is a Welsh comedian and television and radio presenter who was nominated in 2005 for the Perrier Best Newcomer Award. In 2008 he was nominated for the main comedy award (as the Edinburgh Comedy Award ...
* Rich Hall
Richard Travis Hall (born June 10, 1954) is an American comedian, writer, director, actor, and musician, first coming to prominence as a sketch comedian in the 1980s. He wrote and performed for a range of American networks, in series such as ...
* Sarah Millican
Sarah Jane Millican (' King; born 29 May 1975) is an English comedian. Millican won the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, comedy award for Best Newcomer at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In February 2013 she was listed as one of the 100 most powerf ...
* Sean Lock
Sean Lock (22 April 1963 – 16 August 2021) was an English comedian and actor. He began his comedy career as a stand-up comedian and in 2000, he won the British Comedy Award, in the category of Best Live Comic, and was nominated fo ...
* Shappi Khorsandi
Shaparak Khorsandi (, ; born 8 June 1973), who previously performed as Shappi Khorsandi, is an Iranian-born British comedian and author. She is the daughter of the Iranian political satirist and poet Hadi Khorsandi.
Her family left Iran for ...
Promoters Off the Kerb also listed the following acts:[
* Jason Byrne
* ]Jason Manford
Jason John Manford (born 26 May 1981) is an English comedian, presenter, actor and singer.
Manford was a team captain on the Channel 4 panel show ''8 Out of 10 Cats'' from 2007 until 2010 and has presented numerous television shows for the BBC an ...
* Noel Fielding
Noel Fielding (; born 21 May 1973) is an English comedian, artist, and actor. He was part of The Mighty Boosh comedy troupe alongside Julian Barratt in the 2000s, and has been a co-presenter of ''The Great British Bake Off'' since 2017. He is kn ...
* N-Dubz
N-Dubz are an English hip-hop trio from Camden Town, London, England, consisting of cousins Dappy and Tulisa, and their friend Fazer. After winning a MOBO Award for Best Newcomer in 2007, N-Dubz briefly signed with Polydor Records before j ...
Video Appearances listed by the following:
* Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand (born 4 June 1975) is an English comedian, actor, podcaster and media personality. He established himself as a stand-up comedian and radio host before becoming a film actor. After beginning his career as a comedian and la ...
* Lady Gaga
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her image reinventions and versatility across the entertainment industry, she is an influ ...
DVD
As with the 2010 show, the filming of the 2011 was to have a DVD release by Universal Pictures
Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...
.[
]
See also
* 2011 in British television
This is a list of events that took place in 2011 related to British television.
Events
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Debuts
BBC
ITV
Channel 4
Five/Channe ...
* List of stand-up comedians
The following is a list of notable stand-up comedians by nationality.
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bangladesh
* Naveed Mahbub
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Colombia
* Andrés López
Cuba
Denmark
Finland
Franc ...
References
External links
Channel 4's Comedy Gala microsite
Channel 4's Comedy Gala programme guide
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Off the Kerb Productions
* {{British Comedy Guide, tv, channel4_comedy_gala
2011 in British television
Channel 4 comedy
Health-related fundraisers
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Stand-up comedy specials and films
2011 in London