David Lionel Baddiel (; born 28 May 1964) is an English comedian, presenter, screenwriter, author and singer. He became known for his early work alongside
Rob Newman in ''
The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' and later for his comedy partnership with
Frank Skinner
Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), known professionally as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...
.
He has written the children's books ''
The Parent Agency'', ''The Person Controller'', ''AniMalcolm'', ''Birthday Boy'', ''Head Kid'', and ''The Taylor TurboChaser''. He is also a lyricist on "
Three Lions", a song that has been described as the de facto "anthem" of English football since 1996.
In 2024, he filmed his trilogy of specials "Not The" at the Royal Court Theatre for Sky Arts in February. He also launched his podcast, "A Muslim and a Jew Go There" with Sayeeda Warsi and filmed a travelogue with Hugh Dennis, "Two Men on a Bike" released in 2025.
Early life
David Lionel Baddiel was born on 28 May 1964 in Troy, New York, to parents from the U.K. who were living in the U.S. He moved to England with his family when he was four months old.
His father, Colin Brian Baddiel, came from a working-class
Swansea
Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...
family,
of Eastern European Jewish background; he worked as a research chemist with
Unilever
Unilever PLC () is a British multinational consumer packaged goods company headquartered in London, England. It was founded on 2 September 1929 following the merger of Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie with British soap maker Lever B ...
before being made redundant in the 1980s, after which he sold
Dinky Toys at
Grays Antique Market. His mother, Sarah (Fabian), was born in
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
, to a Jewish family.
She was five months old when she was taken to England by her parents in 1939 after the family had fled Nazi Germany, where her wealthy father had been stripped of his assets as a victim of ''
Kristallnacht
( ) or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from the Hitler Youth and German civilia ...
''.
[ ] Soon after their arrival in the United Kingdom, her father was interned as an "
enemy alien
In customary international law, an enemy alien is any alien native, citizen, denizen or subject of any foreign nation or government with which a domestic nation or government is in conflict and who is liable to be apprehended, restrained, secur ...
" on the
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...
for a year.
Baddiel’s grandfather had mental health issues, sometimes requiring hospitalisation, for the rest of his life.
Baddiel said in 2022 that he had been parented by his elder brother Ivor, as "my dad was unemployed and angry, while my mum was distracted by her passionate affair". An episode of the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
genealogy series
''Who Do You Think You Are?'' investigated Baddiel's heritage in some detail,
but failed to prove his theory that his mother had been secretly adopted from another Jewish family who had no hope of escaping.
[
Baddiel grew up in the ]Dollis Hill
Dollis Hill is an area in northwest London, which consists of the streets surrounding the Gladstone Park, London, Gladstone Park. It is served by a London Underground station, Dollis Hill tube station, Dollis Hill, on the Jubilee line, providi ...
area of London alongside his two brothers Ivor and Dan (one older, one younger). Ivor is a writer. Baddiel attended the North West London Jewish Day School in Brent, and the public school Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School
Haberdashers' Boys' School (formerly Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School) is a 4–18 boys Independent school (United Kingdom) in Elstree, Hertfordshire, England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.
The school was ...
in Elstree. He studied English at King's College, Cambridge
King's College, formally The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, is a List of colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college lies beside the River Cam and faces ...
, where he was a member of the Cambridge Footlights
The Cambridge Footlights, commonly referred to simply as Footlights, is a student sketch comedy troupe located in Cambridge, England. Footlights was founded in 1883, and is one of Britain's oldest student sketch comedy troupes. The comedy so ...
, and graduated with a double first
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a Grading in education, grading structure used for undergraduate degrees or bachelor's degrees and Master's degree#Integrated Masters Degree, integrated master's degrees in the United Kingd ...
BA. He began studies for a PhD in English at University College London
University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
, but did not complete it.[
]
Career
''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' and ''Newman and Baddiel''
After leaving university, Baddiel became a professional stand-up comedian in London, as well as a writer for acts such as Rory Bremner
Roderick Keith Ogilvy "Rory" Bremner,"Rory Bremner". '' Who Do You Think You Are?''. Wall to Wall for BBC One. 2 February 2009. No. 1, series 6. (born 6 April 1961) is a Scottish impressionist and comedian, noted for his work in political sati ...
and series including ''Spitting Image
''Spitting Image'' is a British satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productions' for Central Independent Television ...
''. His first television appearance came in one episode of the showbiz satire '' Filthy Rich and Catflap''. In 1988 he was introduced to Rob Newman, and the two formed a writing partnership. Subsequently, paired up with Steve Punt
Steve Punt (born ) is a British comedy writer, comedian and actor. Along with Hugh Dennis, he is part of the double act Punt and Dennis and was presenter of BBC Radio 4 satirical news programme '' The Now Show''. He is also a writer and programm ...
and Hugh Dennis
Peter Hugh Dennis (born 13 February 1962) is an English comedian, presenter, actor, Impressionist (entertainment), impressionist and writer. He was a panellist in every episode of the comedy show ''Mock the Week'' (2005–2022) and is one half ...
, another comedy duo, they began writing and performing in '' The Mary Whitehouse Experience'' on BBC Radio 1, where the show ran for four series and a special. This success led the show to transfer to BBC2, where it ran for two series, after which both duos decided to end the show. During this time, Baddiel also co-hosted the Channel 4 programme '' A Stab in the Dark''.
After ''The Mary Whitehouse Experience'', Baddiel and Newman re-teamed up for ''Newman and Baddiel in Pieces
''Newman and Baddiel in Pieces'' is a sketch comedy television show written by and starring comedians Robert Newman and David Baddiel, produced by Harry Thompson, and broadcast on BBC2 from 20 September to 20 December 1993.
A spin-off from '' ...
'', which ran for seven episodes on BBC2, featuring character sketches, monologues, and observation routines. Despite a fraught working relationship, the show saw Newman and Baddiel find enormous success as live performers, held up as examples of comedy as ‘the new rock ’n’ roll’, with their tour (''Newman and Baddiel: Live and In Pieces'') culminating in the first-ever sold-out gig for a comedy act at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...
, playing to 12,500 people. Despite this success, increasing tension between the pair led to them announcing the tour would be their last together. Their final tour was the subject of a BBC2 documentary, ''Newman and Baddiel on the Road to Wembley''.
Collaboration with Frank Skinner
Baddiel subsequently met and began sharing a flat with fellow comedian Frank Skinner
Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), known professionally as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...
. Both lifelong football fans (Baddiel is a Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club is a professional football club based in Fulham, West London, England. The club was founded in 1905 and named after neighbouring area Chelsea. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of English football, pl ...
fan), the pair created, wrote and performed '' Fantasy Football League'', a popular entertainment show based on fantasy football. Running for three series on BBC2, followed by a series of live specials throughout the 1998 World Cup and then again through the 2004 European Championship, as well as a series of podcasts for ''The Times'' from Germany at the 2006 World Cup, and another series for Absolute Radio
Absolute Radio is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Absolute Radio Network. It broadcasts nationally across the UK via digital audio broadcasting.
The station focuses on alternative ...
from South Africa during the 2010 World Cup (amassing over three million downloads). During this time the duo also twice topped the UK Singles Chart with the football anthem " Three Lions", co-written and performed with The Lightning Seeds
The Lightning Seeds (also known as Lightning Seeds) are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1989 by Ian Broudie (vocals, guitar, producer), formerly of the bands Big in Japan (band), Big in Japan, Care (band), Care, and Ori ...
.
The song was originally written as the England football team's official anthem for UEFA Euro 1996 and was re-recorded with updated lyrics as the unofficial anthem for the 1998 World Cup. The song continues to be popular with England fans and returned to the charts in July 2018, celebrating the progress of the England national football team at the 2018 FIFA World Cup with the phrase "it's coming home" featuring heavily on social media and television.
Baddiel received criticism for his impression of black footballer Jason Lee in ''Fantasy Football League'', which involved him wearing a pineapple on his head and using blackface
Blackface is the practice of performers using burned cork, shoe polish, or theatrical makeup to portray a caricature of black people on stage or in entertainment. Scholarship on the origins or definition of blackface vary with some taking a glo ...
. Lee said he considered this a form of bullying. Baddiel has issued a number of apologies on social media and in an article for ''The Daily Telegraph'', saying it was "part of a very bad racist tradition". Lee said in 2020 that he had not received a direct apology from Baddiel or Skinner over the series of sketches, but in 2022, Baddiel met Lee to apologise in his Channel 4 documentary.
In his 2021 book '' Jews Don't Count'', Baddiel said that, despite apologizing for the Jason Lee impression "on various occasions", people, particularly on social media, continued to share it in order to silence him:
:They want me to shut up, particularly about anti-Semitism. As far as they are concerned, the photo of me as Jason Lee is a trump card that means I cannot speak about racism, even the racism that threatens me personally.
After ending ''Fantasy Football League'', the pair took an improvised question-and-answer show to the Edinburgh Fringe which then became a television series, '' Baddiel and Skinner Unplanned'', which ran for five series on ITV, as well as a West End run at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 2001.
The pair also appeared on a celebrity special of ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (WWTBAM) is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Televis ...
'' in 2001, becoming the first celebrity contestants to reach £250,000 for their charities, the ''Catholic Children's Society'' and the ''Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organisation. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and ...
''.
In February 2022, a clip emerged from Baddiel's 2004 guest appearance on ''The Frank Skinner Show
''The Frank Skinner Show'' is a television chat show hosted by comedian Frank Skinner, which lasted nine series on British television between 1995 and 2005.
As well as celebrity interviews, the shows includes an initial stand-up routine, vario ...
''. In the clip, Baddiel uses " pikey", a pejorative term used to refer to people who are of a Traveller community, to negatively denote his own appearance. Critics accused Baddiel of hypocrisy given his own polemic, '' Jews Don't Count''.
Solo work
Baddiel has written four novels: '' Time for Bed'' (1996), ''Whatever Love Means'' (2002), ''The Secret Purposes'' (2006), and ''The Death of Eli Gold'' (2011). In June 2015, he published his first children's novel, '' The Parent Agency'', which won the ''LOLLIE'' award (the successor to the ''Roald Dahl Funny Book Awards'') for "Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9–13-Year-Olds" and is set to be developed into a feature film (also written and produced by Baddiel) through Fox 2000 Pictures
Fox 2000 Pictures was an American film production company within The Walt Disney Studios. It was a sister studio of the larger film studios 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures, specializing in producing independent films in mid-range ...
. His subsequent children's novels include ''The Person Controller'' (2015), ''AniMalcolm'' (2016), ''Birthday Boy'' (2017) and ''Head Kid'' (2018). He wrote ''The Boy Who Could Do What He Liked'', a short story published for World Book Day
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright ...
in 2016.
In 2001, Baddiel wrote and starred in '' Baddiel's Syndrome'', a sitcom for Sky One
Sky One was a British pay television channel operated and owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). Originally launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, it was Europe's first satellite and non- terrestrial channel. From 31 July 1989, ...
which also starred Morwenna Banks, Stephen Fry
Sir Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer. He came to prominence as a member of the comic act Fry and Laurie alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring in ''A Bit of ...
and Jonathan Bailey
Jonathan Stuart Bailey (born 25 April 1988) is an English actor known for his dramatic, comedic, and musical roles on List of Jonathan Bailey performances, stage and screen. List of awards and nominations received by Jonathan Bailey, His accola ...
, which ran for fourteen episodes. He also wrote the comedy film, '' The Infidel'', starring Omid Djalili
Omid Djalili (; born 30 September 1965) is a British comedian, actor, and writer.
Early life and education
Djalili was born on 30 September 1965 in St Mary Abbots Hospital in Kensington, London, to Iranian Baháʼí parents Ahmad and Parvane ...
, Richard Schiff
Richard Schiff (born May 27, 1955) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Toby Ziegler on ''The West Wing'', a role for which he received an Emmy Award. Schiff made his television directorial debut with ''The West Wing'', directing an ...
, Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard Lucas (born 5 March 1974) is an English actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for his work with David Walliams on the BBC sketch comedy series ''Little Britain (TV series), Little Britain'' (2003–2006) ...
and Miranda Hart
Miranda Katherine Hart Dyke (born 14 December 1972) is an English actress, comedian and writer. She has won three Royal Television Society awards, four British Comedy Awards, and four BAFTA nominations for her self-driven semi-autobiographical ...
. Baddiel has since adapted the film into a musical with music by Erran Baron Cohen
Erran Boaz Baron Cohen (born May 1968) is an English composer and trumpet player known for collaborations with his younger brother, Sacha Baron Cohen.
Career
Baron Cohen is a founding member of the world music group Zohar (band), Zohar, who ar ...
. Baddiel directed the production which ran at London's Theatre Royal Stratford East
Stratford East (formerly known as Theatre Royal Stratford East) is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with di ...
in late 2014. Baddiel's other writing credits include ''The Norris McWhirter Chronicles'' for Sky 1, which starred Alistair McGowan
Alistair Charles McGowan (born 24 November 1964) is an English impressionist, BAFTAaward winning comic, actor, pianist, poet, and writer. He starred in '' The Big Impression'' (formerly '' Alistair McGowan's Big Impression''). He has also wor ...
and John Thomson and which Baddiel also directed, and two episodes of the ITV reboot of '' Thunderbirds'', '' Thunderbirds Are Go!''
In 2004, Baddiel created and hosted ''Heresy
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy.
Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...
'', a BBC Radio 4 panel show which sees celebrity guests trying to overthrow popular prejudice and received wisdom. The show is currently in its 10th series and has been hosted by Victoria Coren since 2008, with Baddiel returning regularly as a guest. In 2014 Baddiel created and hosted ''Don't Make Me Laugh'', a new panel show for Radio 4 that tasks guests with talking for as long as possible on obviously humorous subjects without getting laughs. The second series aired in 2016. In 2015, he created and fronted ''David Baddiel Tries to Understand...'', a BBC Radio 4 show which sees Baddiel try to understand famously complex subjects as suggested by his followers on Twitter, and has now run for three series.
Baddiel has appeared in shows including '' Little Britain'', '' Skins'', '' The Life of Rock with Brian Pern'' and ''Horrible Histories
''Horrible Histories'' is an educational entertainment franchise encompassing many media including books, magazines, audio books, stage shows, TV shows, and more.
In 2013, Lisa Edwards, UK publishing and commercial director of Scholastic Corpo ...
'' and is a regular guest on panel shows including ''8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown
''8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown'' is a British comedy panel show on Channel 4. The show follows the game of '' Countdown'', but presented in a comedy panel show format seen on ''8 Out of 10 Cats'', with the show being a crossover of the two. ...
'', '' QI'' and Alan Davies
Alan Roger Davies (; ; born 6 March 1966) is an English stand-up comedian, writer, actor and TV presenter. He is known for his portrayal of the title role in the BBC mystery drama series ''Jonathan Creek'' (1997–2016) and as the only permanen ...
’ '' As Yet Untitled''. In 2016, he fronted a four-part travel documentary for Discovery
Discovery may refer to:
* Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown
* Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown
* Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence
Discovery, The Discovery ...
entitled ''David Baddiel On the Silk Road'', a 4,000-mile journey to explore the most famous trade route in history, as well as presenting two episodes of BBC2's ''Artsnight'' and becoming a regular presenter of '' The Penguin Podcast'' in which he interviews authors about the objects that inspired their books, which has seen him interview guests including Johnny Marr
John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
, Zadie Smith
Zadie Smith (born Sadie; 25 October 1975) is an English novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. Her debut novel, ''White Teeth'' (2000), immediately became a best-seller and won a number of awards. She became a tenured professor in the ...
and Ruby Wax. Other documentaries he has fronted include ''Baddiel and the Missing Nazi Billions'' (BBC2), ''Who Do You Want Your Child to Be?'' (BBC2), ''World's Most Dangerous Roads'' (BBC2), and an episode of ''Who Do You Think You Are?'' (BBC1). He appeared on ''Desert Island Discs
''Desert Island Discs'' is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.
Each week a guest, called a " castaway" during the programme, is asked to choose eight audio recordin ...
'' in 2018.
Baddiel filmed a documentary about his father's dementia, ''The Trouble with Dad'', shown on Channel 4 in 2017.
In 2019 Baddiel featured in ''Taskmaster'' series 9. He won one episode and finished fifth out of five in the overall series.
In January 2021, it was announced Baddiel would appear as a contestant on the 4th series of ''The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off
''The Great British Bake Off'' (often abbreviated to ''Bake Off'' or ''GBBO'') is a British television Cooking show, baking competition, produced by Love Productions, in which a group of amateur bakers compete against each other in a series of ...
'', which aired in Spring 2021.
Stand-up
In 2013, he returned to stand-up comedy with his critically acclaimed show ''Fame (Not the Musical)'', which ran at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...
before transferring to London's Menier Chocolate Factory
The Menier Chocolate Factory is a 180-seat Off-West End theatre, which comprises a bar and theatre offices.
It is located at the rear of a former 1870s Menier Chocolate, Menier Chocolate Company factory at 53 Southwark Street, a major street i ...
and a subsequent nationwide tour. In Spring 2016 Baddiel premiered a new show, ''My Family: Not the Sitcom'', again at the Menier Chocolate Factory; the confessional show tells the true story of Baddiel's recently deceased mother and dementia-suffering father.
Following a five-week run, the show transferred to London's West End in September 2016 for another five-week run at the Vaudeville Theatre
The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. Opening in 1870, the theatre staged mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. The theatre was rebuilt twice, although each new buildin ...
. In spring 2017 it was announced that the show would return to the West End for one final ten-week run at the ''Playhouse Theatre'' in March 2017. In the same month, it was announced that the show was nominated for an Olivier Award
The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply The Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognize excellence in professional theatre in London. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre Aw ...
, in The Entertainment and Family category. Rob Newman saw one of these performances, the first time the two had been in the same room since 1993. The show was performed as part of the Montreal Comedy Festival in 2017 and will tour the UK in 2018. Most recently, Baddiel took the show to a four-city tour of Australia. His new show about social media, ''Trolls: Not The Dolls'', toured the UK in 2020.
Plays and books
In October 2019 Baddiel's play ''God's Dice'' was produced at the Soho Theatre
Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, and Soho Theatre Walthamstow in north-east London. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three pe ...
, London. The title is an allusion to Einstein's view of quantum uncertainty: "God does not play dice with the universe". The work deals with "an ageing uantum physicistseduced into supporting a radical religious sect".
Baddiel has written books for both adults and children and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by King George IV to "reward literary merit and excite literary talent". A charity that represents the voice of literature in the UK, the RSL has about 800 Fellows, elect ...
in 2019.
TV at Channel 4
In November 2022 Baddiel fronted a 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 ...
documentary ''David Baddiel: Jews Don't Count''. ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' TV section summed it up as:Baddiel focuses on the ideas that formed his 2021 book of the same title. His central thesis is that “Jews don’t count as a proper minority” when it comes to contemporary notions of prejudice and racism. He sets out to explore why so many people seem to ignore antisemitism
Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
, as well as “the dysfunction between progressives and Jews".
The ''Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...
'' review remarked:That Baddiel and Channel 4 have already received a torrent of scorn online for making the programme only serves to highlight its importance.
Political views and philanthropy
Politics
Baddiel is a Labour Party voter, but does not describe himself as a "Labour supporter". He has said, "I would never support a political party like that, regardless of what I believe personally. My job is to be funny and that might involve me being funny at the expense of whoever's stepped in shit that week."
In February 2016, Baddiel commented on the election of Jeremy Corbyn
Jeremy Bernard Corbyn (; born 26 May 1949) is a British politician who has been Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North (UK Parliament constituency), Islington North since 1983. Now an Independent ...
as Labour leader: "I think it's interesting to think that we've got a proper left-wing Labour politician. My main thing about Corbyn is I think the scaremongering about him by the right-wing press is so absurd it makes me want to support Corbyn, even though in some ways I might not. Some of the people around him I personally wouldn't trust but I think he himself is a decent man."
In April 2017, Baddiel wrote an article for ''The Guardian'' in which he was critical of Ken Livingstone
Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born 17 June 1945) is an English former politician who served as the Leader of the Greater London Council (GLC) from 1981 until the council was Local Government Act 1985, abolished in 1986, and as Mayor of Londo ...
's comments regarding Adolf Hitler and Zionism, but also made it clear that he was not a Zionist and that he disagreed with "religion being the basis for statehood" and what he called "the appalling actions of the present Israeli government".
In March 2018, Baddiel appeared on ''Daily Politics
''Daily Politics'' is a BBC Television programme which aired between 6 January 2003 and 24 July 2018, presented by Andrew Neil and Jo Coburn. ''Daily Politics'' took an in-depth review of the daily events in both Westminster and other areas a ...
'', in which he described antisemitism as "sort of invisible" to Corbyn and others on the political left because they are focused on "fighting the good fight against capitalism".
In February 2020, he told ''The Guardian'' that Holocaust denial
Historical negationism, Denial of the Holocaust is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that asserts that the genocide of Jews by the Nazi Party, Nazis is a fabrication or exaggeration. It includes making one or more of the following false claims:
...
is "a direct way of saying Jews are liars, Jews have tricked the world for their own gain, Jews are the most evil, pernicious race that exist". He further said, "It is hate speech. There's no other conclusion.”
In February 2021, Baddiel's non-fiction book '' Jews Don't Count'' was published by ''The Times Literary Supplement
''The Times Literary Supplement'' (''TLS'') is a weekly literary review published in London by News UK, a subsidiary of News Corp.
History
The ''TLS'' first appeared in 1902 as a supplement to ''The Times'' but became a separate publication ...
''. The book asserts that double standards are extensively employed (either knowingly or unknowingly) by anti-racists when dealing with antisemitism, stating that "a sacred circle is drawn around those whom the progressive modern left are prepared to go into battle for, and it seems as if the Jews aren't in it". Much of the book consists of examples which the author argues are evidence that such progressives have a blind spot when it comes to antisemitism.
In 2024, Baddiel launched his acclaimed podcast "A Muslim and a Jew Go There" with Sayeeda Warsi.
Charity
Baddiel is a patron of Humanists UK
Humanists UK, known from 1967 until May 2017 as the British Humanist Association (BHA), is a charitable organisation which promotes secular humanism and aims to represent Irreligion in the United Kingdom, non-religious people in the UK throug ...
and the Campaign Against Living Miserably
Campaign Against Living Miserably, or CALM, is a registered charity based in England.
CALM runs a free, confidential and anonymous helpline as well as a web chat service, offering help, advice and information to anyone who is struggling or in c ...
(CALM). He acted as compere for the ''Stand-Up to Stop Suicide'' event organised by Claire Anstey and the charity, and has appeared on radio advertisements publicising the issue of young male suicide.
In February 2009, Baddiel and several other entertainers wrote an open letter in ''The Times'' supporting leaders of the Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
who were then on trial in Iran. Following his experiences with his father, Baddiel has worked closely with a number of charities supporting the victims of dementia and their families. He performed a special one-off charity gala of his ''My Family: Not the Sitcom'' show at the Vaudeville Theatre, with all proceeds from the evening being split between the Alzheimer's Society, the National Brain Appeal, and the Unforgettable Foundation. There were also collections made for the charities throughout the run of the show.
In 2017, it was announced that Baddiel would take part in Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a British charity, founded in 1986 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Sir Lenny Henry in response to the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. The concept of Comic Relief was to get British comedians to make t ...
's ''Red Nose Convoy'', in which three pairs of celebrities travel in convoy from Kenya to Uganda while delivering aid. To benefit the cancer charity CLIC Sargent
Young Lives vs Cancer, the operating name for "CLIC Sargent", is a charity in the United Kingdom formed in 2005. Young Lives vs Cancer is the 12th largest cancer charity in the UK with a focus on children, young people and their families. Its c ...
, Baddiel narrated the 2018 short film ''To Trend on Twitter'' with fellow comedians Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton
Steven James Pemberton (born 1 September 1967) is a British actor, comedian, director and writer. He was a writer and actor for BBC's ''The League of Gentlemen'' with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson. Pemberton and Shearsmith also ...
, and Helen Lederer, and actor Jason Flemyng
Jason Iain Flemyng''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916–2005.''; at ancestry.com (born 25 September 1966) is an English actor. He is known for his work with British filmmakers Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn appearing in ...
. In March 2019, Baddiel hosted ''Comic Relief Does University Challenge
''University Challenge'' is a British television quiz programme which first aired in 1962. ''University Challenge'' aired for 913 episodes on ITV from 21 September 1962 to 31 December 1987, presented by quizmaster Bamber Gascoigne. The BBC ...
'' on BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
as part of Red Nose Day.
Personal life
Baddiel has been in a relationship since 1998 with fellow comedian Morwenna Banks, and they married in 2017. They currently live in North London
North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames and the City of London. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshi ...
with their two children: a daughter named Dolly (b. 2001) and a son named Ezra (b. 2004). Despite his upbringing, he has described himself as a "10 out of 10 atheist" and as a "fundamentalist" Jewish atheist. He suffers from insomnia, about which he has written guest articles.
Baddiel is an avid fan of the rock band Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Religion
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
and introduced them at their Turn It On Again: The Tour press conference in 2006. He also provided sleeve notes for the reissue of the album ''Nursery Cryme'' as part of the ''Genesis 1970–1975'' boxed set. He is a fan of the band's former lead singer Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
, and a diarist for ''The Times'' once incorrectly reported that he had been "loud and offensive" while attending one of Gabriel's concerts, misidentifying musician Ian Broudie, something Baddiel has referred to in his live act. He is also a fan of David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
and marked Bowie's 65th birthday in 2012 by expressing a desire to see him come out of retirement. He attended the tribute concert to Bowie at London's Union Chapel following Bowie's death in 2016 and addressed the audience, describing Bowie as "the greatest tunesmith we have".
Bibliography
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Baddiel, David
1964 births
Living people
20th-century American comedians
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American male writers
20th-century English comedians
20th-century English male actors
20th-century English novelists
21st-century American comedians
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American male writers
21st-century English comedians
21st-century English male actors
21st-century English novelists
Alumni of King's College, Cambridge
Alumni of University College London
American male screenwriters
American people of German-Jewish descent
American people of Welsh-Jewish descent
English male television writers
Comedians from the London Borough of Brent
English atheists
Film producers from London
English humanists
Jewish English writers
English male comedians
English male film actors
English male screenwriters
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English people of German-Jewish descent
English singers
English television presenters
Television producers from London
Epic Records artists
Jewish American comedians
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Jewish atheists
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People educated at Haberdashers' Boys' School
Actors from the London Borough of Brent
Reform Jews
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People from Willesden
Jews from New York (state)
Television producers from New York (state)
Film producers from New York (state)
Screenwriters from New York (state)
Writers from the London Borough of Brent