Al Murray
Encyclopedia
Alastair James Hay "Al" Murray (born 10 May 1968), is a British
comedian best known for his stand-up
persona
, The Pub Landlord, a stereotypical xenophobic public house
licensee. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer
as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In 2007 he was voted the 16th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups and again in the updated 2010 list as the 25th greatest stand-up comic.
, Buckinghamshire
, the son of Lieutenant Colonel
Ingram Bernard Hay Murray and Juliet Anne Thackeray Ritchie, through whom he is a great-great-great-grandson of William Makepeace Thackeray
.
His grandfather was diplomat
Sir Ralph Murray
. Murray attended Bedford School
and is a graduate of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he studied modern history. There he performed in the comedy group, the Oxford Revue
in a show directed by Stewart Lee
.
and Frank Skinner
. He won the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999, after being nominated in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He started out with an act that involved sound-effect impressions, including of guns, animals and a particularly impressive car boot; a combination that prompted an equal number of plaudits for vocal skill and complaints of tastelessness.
and the French
; he will challenge the audience to name any country in the world before producing some plausible instance of Britain
bettering it. Catchphrases include "All hail to the ale!", "...beautiful British name!", "Time-waster!", "You disgust me!", "Pint for the fella... Glass of white wine/fruit-based drink for the lady!", "The point is this..." "if we had no rules where would we be? France! And if we had too many rules where would we be? Germany!", "Is your dad proud of you, son? He's never said so, has he?" and "I was never confused", which is usually used when he is saying something related to being gay whilst sounding and/or looking as if he likes the idea and is an allusion to a supposed gay
interlude in his character's early identity. The character also has a great love for the British 1970s rock band Queen
, often getting the musician(s) on his show to perform a song of Queen's in their own style.
The character is very different from Murray's real life public-school Oxbridge
background and first appeared in 1994 when Murray was the tour support act for Harry Hill
. At that time part of a comedy band called "The Pub Band International" in which he played the drums, they were looking for a link to Hill's act. After trying out a character which they decided didn't work, on the eve of performing at the Edinburgh Festival
, Murray created the Pub Landlord.
Murray then made his first television appearances on Hill's TV show playing his big brother Alan ("If it's too hard, I can't understand it!"), and subsequently featured in a short film, Pub Fiction (1995).
Murray's theatre show with the pub landlord character My Gaff, My Rules was short-listed for a Laurence Olivier Award in 2002, and he has also appeared in character as the central focus of the television series Time Gentlemen Please
, as well as a number of other television appearances, including the An Audience with... strand. Subsequent theatre tours, ...A Glass of White Wine for the Lady (another catchphrase) and Giving it Both Barrels also ran to critical acclaim. When asked about the sitcom during live shows, in character as the Pub Landlord, Murray claims to be unhappy with the television series, a joke some have taken literally.
A quiz show, Fact Hunt
presented by Murray as the Pub Landlord and named after the fictional quiz machine of the same name from Time Gentlemen Please
was shown on late-night ITV
in 2005.
From January 2006, Murray filled in for Tim Lovejoy
on Virgin Radio
on Sunday afternoons, in character as the Pub Landlord, and broadcast his final show on 24 December 2006.
His chat show Al Murray's Happy Hour
began airing 13 January 2007 on ITV. The show has won a British Comedy Award and was nominated for a National Television Award. A new series returned on 12 September 2008, and of this Murray said:
Murray was the headliner on the 11 July 2009 episode of Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow
, which was filmed at the Brighton Dome
.
On 18 December 2009, Murray hosted the BBC One TV show, Live at the Apollo.
In May 2011, Murray began hosting a new quiz show, Compete for the Meat
on the UKTV
channel Dave. The show will be co-presented by ex-Blue Peter
presenter, Zöe Salmon
. The prizes will be a frozen Chicken
for 1st place, Sausage
s for 2nd and Shame for the losers! (3rd Place).
, they performed a duet.
He also plays the drums for the rock cover band T-34 and appeared at the Download festival in 2010, returning once again in 2011.
In 2003, Murray appeared on an episode of the BBC's Time Commanders
alongside Kate Silverton
, Raji James
and Ricky Groves
.
In 2004, Murray appeared as a contestant in the first series of Hell's Kitchen
, Gordon Ramsay
's cookery based reality show on ITV
, and in 2005 appeared as a contestant on Comic Relief does Fame Academy
on BBC One
.
Murray presented Al Murray's Road To Berlin
on the Discovery Channel
. This was a series about the last phase of World War II
, taking him from the beaches of Normandy
, through Arnhem
and up the Rhine, ending in Berlin
. In the series he drove around in a restored Willys Jeep
, and interviewed survivors from both sides of the war. In the episode about Operation Market Garden
he parachuted, together with veterans, from a plane, to commemorate the battle.
In 2007, Murray published the book The Pub Landlord's Book of British Common Sense. It consists of The Pub Landlord's opinions and views on a number of topics such as James Bond
actors, religion, politics, television, films and Churchill
quotes.
Murray starred in Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder
, a sketch show, which aired in early 2009.
In late 2010, Murray made a documentary on German culture for BBC4 Al Murray's German Adventure in which he sought to find a different side of the German nation than the one portrayed by his Pub Landlord character.
Also in 2010 Murray was a guest as a 'Star in the Reasonably Priced Car' on Top Gear
.
Murray is the Patron of The Cambodia
n Children's Charity which is a development and relief charity for children in Cambodia.
Murray attended the London protest against the Pope
's visit in 2010 and said, "The Pope's opposition to condom
s kills people. It is all very well him lecturing us on morals but he should look at his own organisation's view."UKAP
Murray became the host of the BBC Radio 5 Live
show 7 Day Sunday
in March 2011, taking over from Chris Addison
.
Murray has his own crisps named 'Steak and Al Pie' which he is entering in a crisp competition with the host being Gary Lineker
. He is up against 'Jimmy Con Carne', (Jimmy Carr
), 'Stephen Fry-Up', (Stephen Fry
) and 'Frank Roast Dinner', (Frank Skinner
).
Murray sat in for Dermot O'Leary
Saturday show on BBC Radio 2
on 3 September 2011 and 26 November 2011.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
comedian best known for his stand-up
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
persona
Persona
A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask. The Latin word probably derived from the Etruscan word "phersu", with the same meaning, and that from the Greek πρόσωπον...
, The Pub Landlord, a stereotypical xenophobic public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
licensee. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In 2007 he was voted the 16th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups and again in the updated 2010 list as the 25th greatest stand-up comic.
Early life
Murray was born in StewkleyStewkley
Stewkley is a village and a civil parish within the Aylesbury Vale district of Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 5 miles East of Winslow and 4 miles West of Leighton Buzzard....
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
, the son of Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Ingram Bernard Hay Murray and Juliet Anne Thackeray Ritchie, through whom he is a great-great-great-grandson of William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist of the 19th century. He was famous for his satirical works, particularly Vanity Fair, a panoramic portrait of English society.-Biography:...
.
His grandfather was diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
Sir Ralph Murray
Ralph Murray
Sir Francis Ralph Hay Murray KCMG, CB , was a British journalist, radio broadcaster and diplomat.-Background and education:...
. Murray attended Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
and is a graduate of St Edmund Hall, Oxford, where he studied modern history. There he performed in the comedy group, the Oxford Revue
The Oxford Revue
The Oxford Revue is a comedy group featuring students from Oxford University, England. Founded in the early 1950s, The Oxford Revue has produced many prominent comedians and satirists. The Revue writes, produces and performs several shows each term...
in a show directed by Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
.
Career
Murray has toured with other comedians including Harry HillHarry Hill
Harry Hill , is a Perrier Award–winning English comedian, author and television presenter. A former medical doctor , Hill began his career in comedy with the popular radio show Harry Hill's Fruit Corner.-Personal life:Hill was born in Woking,...
and Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
. He won the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999, after being nominated in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He started out with an act that involved sound-effect impressions, including of guns, animals and a particularly impressive car boot; a combination that prompted an equal number of plaudits for vocal skill and complaints of tastelessness.
The Pub Landlord
The Pub Landlord is a stereotypical, right-wing, British Patriot with a dislike for anything "un-British". He has a particular dislike of GermansGermans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and the French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
; he will challenge the audience to name any country in the world before producing some plausible instance of Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
bettering it. Catchphrases include "All hail to the ale!", "...beautiful British name!", "Time-waster!", "You disgust me!", "Pint for the fella... Glass of white wine/fruit-based drink for the lady!", "The point is this..." "if we had no rules where would we be? France! And if we had too many rules where would we be? Germany!", "Is your dad proud of you, son? He's never said so, has he?" and "I was never confused", which is usually used when he is saying something related to being gay whilst sounding and/or looking as if he likes the idea and is an allusion to a supposed gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
interlude in his character's early identity. The character also has a great love for the British 1970s rock band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, often getting the musician(s) on his show to perform a song of Queen's in their own style.
The character is very different from Murray's real life public-school Oxbridge
Oxbridge
Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England, and the term is now used to refer to them collectively, often with implications of perceived superior social status...
background and first appeared in 1994 when Murray was the tour support act for Harry Hill
Harry Hill
Harry Hill , is a Perrier Award–winning English comedian, author and television presenter. A former medical doctor , Hill began his career in comedy with the popular radio show Harry Hill's Fruit Corner.-Personal life:Hill was born in Woking,...
. At that time part of a comedy band called "The Pub Band International" in which he played the drums, they were looking for a link to Hill's act. After trying out a character which they decided didn't work, on the eve of performing at the Edinburgh Festival
Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
, Murray created the Pub Landlord.
Murray then made his first television appearances on Hill's TV show playing his big brother Alan ("If it's too hard, I can't understand it!"), and subsequently featured in a short film, Pub Fiction (1995).
Murray's theatre show with the pub landlord character My Gaff, My Rules was short-listed for a Laurence Olivier Award in 2002, and he has also appeared in character as the central focus of the television series Time Gentlemen Please
Time Gentlemen Please
Time Gentlemen Please is a British sitcom. Commissioned by Sky One, it was primarily written by Richard Herring and Al Murray and ran for two series between 2000 and 2002.- Premise and characters :...
, as well as a number of other television appearances, including the An Audience with... strand. Subsequent theatre tours, ...A Glass of White Wine for the Lady (another catchphrase) and Giving it Both Barrels also ran to critical acclaim. When asked about the sitcom during live shows, in character as the Pub Landlord, Murray claims to be unhappy with the television series, a joke some have taken literally.
A quiz show, Fact Hunt
Fact Hunt
Fact Hunt is a comedic TV quiz show aired late at night on various ITV regions. It was hosted by Al Murray in character as the Pub Landlord, the character he has long played in stand-up routines and in the sitcom Time Gentlemen Please....
presented by Murray as the Pub Landlord and named after the fictional quiz machine of the same name from Time Gentlemen Please
Time Gentlemen Please
Time Gentlemen Please is a British sitcom. Commissioned by Sky One, it was primarily written by Richard Herring and Al Murray and ran for two series between 2000 and 2002.- Premise and characters :...
was shown on late-night ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
in 2005.
From January 2006, Murray filled in for Tim Lovejoy
Tim Lovejoy
Timothy Paul Lovejoy is a British television presenter most famous for hosting Saturday morning football programme Soccer AM alongside Helen Chamberlain for over a decade.- Career :...
on Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
on Sunday afternoons, in character as the Pub Landlord, and broadcast his final show on 24 December 2006.
His chat show Al Murray's Happy Hour
Al Murray's Happy Hour
Al Murray's Happy Hour was a chat show presented by comedian Al Murray and produced by Avalon TV. The first series aired in early 2007. It is broadcast on the British terrestrial TV network, ITV, and the first series was broadcast on Saturday nights at 10pm. The second series aired on Fridays at 10pm...
began airing 13 January 2007 on ITV. The show has won a British Comedy Award and was nominated for a National Television Award. A new series returned on 12 September 2008, and of this Murray said:
Murray was the headliner on the 11 July 2009 episode of Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow
Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow
Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow is a British stand-up comedy television series hosted by comedian Michael McIntyre from different venues around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The first series was broadcast with six episodes in 2009. Each episode features a routine from McIntyre,...
, which was filmed at the Brighton Dome
Brighton Dome
The Brighton Dome is an arts venue in Brighton, England that contains the Concert Hall, Corn Exchange and the Pavilion Theatre. All three venues are linked to the rest of the Royal Pavilion Estate by an underground tunnel to the Royal Pavilion in Pavilion Gardens and through shared corridors to...
.
On 18 December 2009, Murray hosted the BBC One TV show, Live at the Apollo.
In May 2011, Murray began hosting a new quiz show, Compete for the Meat
Al Murray's Compete for the Meat
Al Murray's Compete for the Meat is a British comedy quiz show, where the contestants compete for a frozen chicken, while the second placed team gets sausages. It is hosted by comedian Al Murray and co-hosted by former Blue Peter presenter Zöe Salmon...
on the UKTV
UKTV
UKTV is a digital cable and satellite television network, formed through a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, a commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Scripps Networks Interactive, spun off from The E.W Scripps Company in 2008...
channel Dave. The show will be co-presented by ex-Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
presenter, Zöe Salmon
Zöe Salmon
Zöe Salmon is a television presenter who hosted the children's television show Blue Peter from 23 December 2004 to 25 June 2008. She also appeared on Dancing on Ice in early 2009.-Life and career:...
. The prizes will be a frozen Chicken
Chicken (food)
Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world, and is prepared as food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture.- History :...
for 1st place, Sausage
Sausage
A sausage is a food usually made from ground meat , mixed with salt, herbs, and other spices, although vegetarian sausages are available. The word sausage is derived from Old French saussiche, from the Latin word salsus, meaning salted.Typically, a sausage is formed in a casing traditionally made...
s for 2nd and Shame for the losers! (3rd Place).
Other work
As a teenager, Murray was a drummer in a band with his schoolmates. He played drums on the music for his Pub Landlord TV series and during an appearance by Phil CollinsPhil Collins
Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
, they performed a duet.
He also plays the drums for the rock cover band T-34 and appeared at the Download festival in 2010, returning once again in 2011.
In 2003, Murray appeared on an episode of the BBC's Time Commanders
Time Commanders
Time Commanders was a series of programmes made by Lion TV and PlayGen for BBC Two that ran for two seasons from 2003 to 2005. The programmes, originally hosted by Eddie Mair and more recently by Richard Hammond, featured a specially made game engine to reenact historical battles. A team of four...
alongside Kate Silverton
Kate Silverton
Kate Silverton is an English journalist, currently employed by the BBC.- Early life and education :Silverton was born in Essex, England, the daughter of English parents; Terry Silverton, a black-cab driver turned registered hypnotherapist and Patricia Silverton, who now heads her daughter's...
, Raji James
Raji James
Rajesh Jhanji better known by his stage name Little Raji James That Used To Be In Eastenders But Ruined It, is a British Indian actor, club night promotor and podcast co-host, best known for his role as Ash Ferreira in EastEnders, he also played Abdul Khan in the 1999 British Film East Is East...
and Ricky Groves
Ricky Groves
Richard "Ricky" Groves is an English actor best known for playing Garry Hobbs in EastEnders from 2000–09. Before his role in EastEnders he appeared in the series Burnside, a spin-off from The Bill.-Other TV work:...
.
In 2004, Murray appeared as a contestant in the first series of Hell's Kitchen
Hell's Kitchen (UK TV series)
Hell's Kitchen was a British cookery reality show aired on ITV which featured prospective chefs competing with each other for a final prize. Four series had been aired since 2004, three presented by Angus Deayton and the latest by Claudia Winkleman....
, Gordon Ramsay
Gordon Ramsay
Gordon James Ramsay, OBE is a Scottish chef, television personality and restaurateur. He has been awarded 13 Michelin stars....
's cookery based reality show on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
, and in 2005 appeared as a contestant on Comic Relief does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Murray presented Al Murray's Road To Berlin
Al Murray's Road To Berlin
Al Murray's Road To Berlin is a British documentary television series about World War II, presented by Al Murray. The ten episode series was produced for the Discovery Channel, and first broadcast in 2004...
on the Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel
Discovery Channel is an American satellite and cable specialty channel , founded by John Hendricks and distributed by Discovery Communications. It is a publicly traded company run by CEO David Zaslav...
. This was a series about the last phase of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, taking him from the beaches of Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, through Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
and up the Rhine, ending in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. In the series he drove around in a restored Willys Jeep
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
, and interviewed survivors from both sides of the war. In the episode about Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden
Operation Market Garden was an unsuccessful Allied military operation, fought in the Netherlands and Germany in the Second World War. It was the largest airborne operation up to that time....
he parachuted, together with veterans, from a plane, to commemorate the battle.
In 2007, Murray published the book The Pub Landlord's Book of British Common Sense. It consists of The Pub Landlord's opinions and views on a number of topics such as James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
actors, religion, politics, television, films and Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
quotes.
Murray starred in Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder
Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder
Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder is a British sketch show starring comedian Al Murray. The multi character aspect of the show was a departure from Murray's previous television comedy work, as the sole character The Pub Landlord. The first series ran from 27 February to 12 April 2009,...
, a sketch show, which aired in early 2009.
In late 2010, Murray made a documentary on German culture for BBC4 Al Murray's German Adventure in which he sought to find a different side of the German nation than the one portrayed by his Pub Landlord character.
Also in 2010 Murray was a guest as a 'Star in the Reasonably Priced Car' on Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
.
Murray is the Patron of The Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n Children's Charity which is a development and relief charity for children in Cambodia.
Murray attended the London protest against the Pope
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
's visit in 2010 and said, "The Pope's opposition to condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
s kills people. It is all very well him lecturing us on morals but he should look at his own organisation's view."UKAP
Murray became the host of the BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
show 7 Day Sunday
7 Day Sunday
7 Day Sunday is a British comedy radio talk show hosted by Chris Addison on BBC Radio 5 Live. Broadcast weekly on Sunday mornings, the show takes an irreverent look at the topical news stories of the past seven days. Addison is joined by regular guests Sarah Millican and Andy Zaltzman, and a fourth...
in March 2011, taking over from Chris Addison
Chris Addison
Chris Addison is an English stand-up comedian, writer and actor. He is known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two of which he later adapted for BBC Radio 4...
.
Murray has his own crisps named 'Steak and Al Pie' which he is entering in a crisp competition with the host being Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
. He is up against 'Jimmy Con Carne', (Jimmy Carr
Jimmy Carr
James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr is an English-Irish comedian and humourist. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television....
), 'Stephen Fry-Up', (Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
) and 'Frank Roast Dinner', (Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
).
Murray sat in for Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary
Dermot O'Leary is an English television and radio presenter. He established himself as a presenter of Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 before moving on to The X Factor on ITV. O'Leary has also presented on the BBC and has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2...
Saturday show on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
on 3 September 2011 and 26 November 2011.
Stand-up DVDs
| Title | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Live - My Gaff, My Rules | 24 November 2003 | Live at London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 's Playhouse Theatre Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt in 1907 and still retains its original substage machinery... |
| ...And A Glass of White Wine for the Lady! - Recorded Live At The Playhouse London | 22 November 2004 | Live at London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 's Playhouse Theatre |
| Giving It Both Barrels - Live | 29 May 2006 | Live at London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 's Bloomsbury Theatre |
| Live at the London Palladium | 19 November 2007 | Live at London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 's Palladium Theatre London Palladium The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety... |
| Beautiful British Tour - Live At The O2 | 16 November 2009 | Live at London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 's O2 Arena The O2 arena (London) The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest... |
| Barrel of Fun - Live | 22 November 2010 | Live at London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... 's HMV Hammersmith Apollo |
Books
| Title | Released |
|---|---|
| The Pub Landlord's Book of British Common Sense | 11 October 2007 |
| The Pub Landlord Says Think Yourself British | 5 October 2009 |
| The Pub Landlord's Great British Pub Quiz Book | 28 October 2010 |
External links
- The Pub Landlord (Official site)
- Chortle page (including any forthcoming dates)