Angus Deayton
Encyclopedia
Gordon Angus Deayton is an English actor, writer, musician
, comedian
and broadcaster
. He is best known for his role as Victor Meldrew
's long-suffering neighbour Patrick Trench in the comedy series One Foot in the Grave
. He is also known as the former presenter of the satirical panel game Have I Got News for You
, a job from which he was dismissed in October 2002 after a second round of tabloid
allegations about his personal life.
insurance broker/manager and a home economics
school teacher, Deayton was brought up in Banstead
, Surrey
, and attended Oakhyrst Grange School
and Caterham School
. He showed early promise as a footballer, and had a trial with Crystal Palace
. He was captain of the Caterham U16 Rugby team.
Deayton read languages at New College, Oxford
, where he was recruited into the Oxford Revue
, performing with them at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This led to the creation of the parody band The Hee Bee Gee Bees (re the Bee Gees
) in 1980, with the songs written by Richard Curtis
and Philip Pope
. 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 countless disco hits by the Bee Gees
.
between 1981 and 1987, which he both co-wrote and performed in. 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
for BBC Radio 4
on 4 October 2008. During this period, Deayton was also frequently seen appearing as a straight man
alongside Rowan Atkinson
. He starred with Atkinson in two separate roles (a pool attendant and a man on a park bench
) in the Mr. Bean
episode "The Curse of Mr. Bean" and appeared opposite Atkinson in the Black Adder
episode "Born to be King
" (1983) as one of the Jumping Jews of Jerusalem, a kind of medieval variety act. He also appeared regularly in comedy sketches on Alexei Sayle's Stuff
.
In 1990 Deayton was cast as the Meldrews' neighbour Patrick Trench in the British suburban sitcom One Foot in the Grave
and was selected as the host of Have I Got News for You
. The same year, he featured in a TV advert
for the Vauxhall Nova car. Knowing that Deayton was keen to move into more acting roles, friend and producer Andre Ptaszynski
tried to persuade him to take the lead role in Steven Moffat
's sitcom Chalk
, a role eventually taken by David Bamber
.
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. He was much in demand as a presenter of television specials including the BBC
's New Year's Eve show and the BAFTA Awards. He also featured in a series of advertisements for Barclaycard
and the films Savage Hearts and Elizabeth.
In one episode of Coupling
, he appears in a fantasy sequence alongside Mariella Frostrup
. In addition, 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.
In May 2002, the News of the World
newspaper published allegations about his private life suggesting that he had taken cocaine
and had sex with prostitutes. He was ridiculed by Paul Merton
and Ian Hislop
in the following episode of Have I Got News For You, but was allowed to continue as presenter. Deayton took the lampooning good-naturedly, beginning the episode with: "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News For You, and this week's loser is presenting it." He added later "Do not adjust your set, my face is this red". This ridiculing concealed a bitterness felt by the others on the show when it had been revealed shortly before then that Deayton was on £
50,000 a show whereas contestants received only £12,500 each a show. After a second round of allegations emerged in the papers that October, Deayton was fired as presenter two episodes into the new series of Have I Got News for You, after both Merton and Hislop repeatedly implied during the programme that Deayton should resign for the good of the show. Since then, the show has been hosted by a different guest presenter each week.
After being forced out of Have I Got News for You, he continued to work on other projects including a reunion of the Radio Active cast in a new episode broadcast in December 2002. In 2003, he guest-starred as Downing Street
's top spin doctor in an episode of the BBC comedy Absolute Power, starring Stephen Fry
and John Bird
. He starred in BBC comedy Nighty Night
which was shown from January 2004. Deayton had a cameo role as a hotel receptionist in the 2004 Fat Slags film. A few months later, he made a return to TV presenting with ITV
's cookery reality show Hell's Kitchen
and then the light-hearted 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 the Comic Relief/Sport Relief
charity and has featured in many of its TV broadcasts. He also co-presented the Sport Relief charity programme Only Fools on Horses
in July 2006.
Deayton appeared for the England team as a second-half substitute in the Soccer Aid
football match in support of UNICEF on 27 May 2006. He returned as a starting player for England in the 7 September 2008 rematch.
In 2007 he made an acting appearance in Casualty
, playing an exaggerated version of himself in a Comic Relief-related storyline.
Deayton returned to the BBC in June 2007, hosting a new TV comedy panel game, Would I Lie To You?
In November 2007, he was censured by the BBC for making a "pungently personal" joke about Sir Jimmy Savile
and his late mother on the show. Deayton left the show in 2009 and was replaced as host by Rob Brydon
.
Deayton was also selected by ITV
to be the host of the third series of Hell's Kitchen, which started broadcasting on 3 September 2007 at 9:00 pm. However, he was sacked from the programme in 2009 after a series of arguments with chef Marco Pierre White
. Claudia Winkleman
was his replacement.
In 2008 he also presented Comedy Sketchbook, a nostalgic look at classic comedy sketches, on BBC1.
He presented the 2008 British Comedy Awards
on 6 December 2008, after regular host Jonathan Ross
stepped down because of the controversy surrounding the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
.
In 2009, Deayton starred as the mysterious, "all-knowing man" in That Deadwood Feeling, a British comedy film starring Jack Davenport
, Dexter Fletcher
, and David Soul
.
Deayton was planned to appear alongside Mandy Moore
and Martin Freeman
in Swinging with the Finkels
, a 2010 film written and directed by Jonathan Newman
.
Deayton will appear alongside Tony Hawks
in the feature film Playing the Moldovans at Tennis
, which was recorded in 2010 for release in 2011.
Deayton returned to BBC Radio 4
in 2011 as host of the panel show It's Your Round.
(a co-star on Radio Active and KYTV). Whilst touring with the HeeBeeGeeBees in Australia in the 1980s, Deayton saved Atkinson-Wood's life when he rescued her after she was caught in a rip tide whilst swimming off Sydney
’s Manly Beach.
Deayton later lived with 1970s singer/songwriter Stephanie de Sykes
.
Since the early 1990s, he has been in a long-term relationship with scriptwriter Lise Mayer
; they have a son, Isaac, born in 2001. They live in Islington
, London.
Deayton is a Manchester United
supporter, and a friend of former player and current Director of Manchester United's youth academy
, Brian McClair
.
published allegations about Deayton's affair
with a woman, who later claimed she was a prostitute, and his use of cocaine
. In October there were further reports of another affair, and he was asked to step down as the quizmaster of Have I Got News For You on 29 October 2002. Deayton was dismissed despite it being believed that a majority of the programme's audience opposed the decision to fire him. One online poll on the BBC's own website showed over three-quarters of respondents wanting Deayton to stay on as the programme's host.
The BBC said his position as a satirical
commentator on the week's news had become "untenable". Paul Merton
, a personality on Have I Got News for You, proclaimed on Parkinson
that he thought Deayton a "dull man" and compared his sacking to "the Marx Brothers
-- we lost Zeppo
, it's not a big deal", although conversely Merton also stated that he believed Deayton would soon return to television on other programmes because "you can't keep talent like that down".
Merton later revealed that he "never got on" with Deayton, finding him "arrogant
and aloof". However, Merton refused to condemn Deayton's behaviour in relation to the sex scandals, saying "I wouldn't have done it myself, but disapprove? I don't want to set myself up as a moral arbiter." Merton denied all knowledge of Deayton allegedly blaming him and co-star Ian Hislop
for his dismissal from the programme, revealing that the only time Deayton discussed his predicament with him was when he thanked Merton for making the scandal "funny on television". Merton also stated that despite their differences he wished Deayton well for the future.
Stephen Fry
has supported Deayton by refusing to appear on the show again.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
. He is best known for his role as Victor Meldrew
Victor Meldrew
Victor Meldrew was a fictional character in the popular BBC One sitcom One Foot in the Grave. Created by David Renwick and played by Richard Wilson, the character was the archetypal grumpy old man...
's long-suffering neighbour Patrick Trench in the comedy series One Foot in the Grave
One Foot in the Grave
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000...
. He is also known as the former presenter of the satirical panel game Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, a job from which he was dismissed in October 2002 after a second round of tabloid
Tabloid journalism
Tabloid journalism tends to emphasize topics such as sensational crime stories, astrology, gossip columns about the personal lives of celebrities and sports stars, and junk food news...
allegations about his personal life.
Early life
The youngest of three sons to a Prudential plcPrudential plc
Prudential plc is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.Prudential's largest division is Prudential Corporation Asia, which has over 15 million customers across 13 Asian markets and is a top-three provider of life insurance in mainland China, Hong...
insurance broker/manager and a home economics
Home Economics
Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
school teacher, Deayton was brought up in Banstead
Banstead
Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in the county of Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London. It lies south of London, west of Croydon and of the county town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Banstead is on the North Downs and is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt;...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, and attended Oakhyrst Grange School
Oakhyrst Grange School
Oakhyrst Grange School is a small, independent school in Caterham, Surrey, England, for pupils aged 3–11. It is on the outskirts of Caterham, in Stanstead Road, and has been on its current site for over 50 years...
and Caterham School
Caterham School
Caterham School is an independent coeducational day and boarding school in Caterham, Surrey and a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-History:...
. He showed early promise as a footballer, and had a trial with Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...
. He was captain of the Caterham U16 Rugby team.
Deayton read languages at New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, where he was recruited into 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...
, performing with them at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This led to the creation of the parody band The Hee Bee Gee Bees (re the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
) in 1980, with the songs written by Richard Curtis
Richard Curtis
Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis, CBE is a New Zealand-born British screenwriter, music producer, actor and film director, known primarily for romantic comedy films such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bridget Jones's Diary, Notting Hill, Love Actually and The Girl in the Café, as well as the hit...
and Philip Pope
Philip Pope
Philip R. J. Pope is a British composer and actor. He was educated at Downside School and New College, Oxford.-Performer:He appeared in the Oxford Revue in Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1978 and 1979, both with Angus Deayton...
. Their best-selling single "Meaningless Songs (In Very High Voices)" (plus the B-side "Posing in the Moonlight") was a parody of the falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
style of countless disco hits by the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...
.
Radio and television career
The foundation of Deayton's career was a parody of British local radio stations, Radio Active, broadcast on BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
between 1981 and 1987, which he both co-wrote and performed in. 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 Perkins
Geoffrey Howard Perkins was a comedy producer, writer and performer, and an important figure in British comedy broadcasting. This was recognised in December 2008 when he was awarded with an Outstanding Contribution to Comedy Award...
for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
on 4 October 2008. During this period, Deayton was also frequently seen appearing as a straight man
Double act
A double act, also known as a comedy duo, is a comic pairing in which humor is derived from the uneven relationship between two partners, usually of the same gender, age, ethnic origin and profession, but drastically different personalities or behavior...
alongside Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
. He starred with Atkinson in two separate roles (a pool attendant and a man on a park bench
Bench (furniture)
A bench is a piece of furniture, on which several people may sit at the same time. Benches are typically made of wood, but may also be made of metal, stone, or synthetic materials. Many benches have arm and back rests; some have no back rest and can be sat on from either side. In public areas,...
) in the Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean
Mr. Bean is a British comedy television programme series of 14 half-hour episodes written by and starring Rowan Atkinson as the title character. Different episodes were also written by Robin Driscoll, Richard Curtis and one by Ben Elton. The pilot episode was broadcast on ITV on 1 January 1990,...
episode "The Curse of Mr. Bean" and appeared opposite Atkinson in the Black Adder
The Black Adder
The Black Adder is the first series of the BBC situation comedy Blackadder, written by Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, directed by Martin Shardlow and produced by John Lloyd...
episode "Born to be King
Born to be King
"Born to Be King" is the second episode of The Black Adder, the first series of the BBC sitcom Blackadder.- Plot :In autumn 1486, King Richard IV departs on a Crusade...
" (1983) as one of the Jumping Jews of Jerusalem, a kind of medieval variety act. He also appeared regularly in comedy sketches on Alexei Sayle's Stuff
Alexei Sayle's Stuff
Alexei Sayle's Stuff is a 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 Angus Deayton, Mark Williams, Arabella Weir, Tony Millan, Jan Ravens, Owen...
.
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
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series written by David Renwick. The show ran for six series, including seven Christmas specials, two Comic Relief specials, over an eleven year period, from early 1990 to late 2000...
and was selected as the host of Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
. The same year, he featured in a TV advert
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
for the Vauxhall Nova car. Knowing that Deayton was keen to move into more acting roles, friend and producer Andre Ptaszynski
Andre Ptaszynski
André Ptaszynski is a British theatre producer. He studied English at Jesus College, Oxford.He was Chief Executive of the Really Useful Group from 2005 to 2011 and Chief Executive of Really Useful Theatres from 2000 to 2005...
tried to persuade him to take the lead role in Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat
Steven Moffat is a Scottish television writer and producer.Moffat's first television work was the teen drama series Press Gang. His first sitcom, Joking Apart, was inspired by the breakdown of his first marriage; conversely, his later sitcom Coupling was based upon the development of his...
's sitcom Chalk
Chalk (TV series)
Chalk is a British television sitcom set in a comprehensive school named Galfast High. Two series, both written by Steven Moffat, were broadcast on BBC1 in 1997...
, a role eventually taken by David Bamber
David Bamber
David James Bamber is an English actor, known for his television and theatre work. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.-Early years:...
.
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. He was much in demand as a presenter of television specials including the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's New Year's Eve show and the BAFTA Awards. He also featured in a series of advertisements for Barclaycard
Barclaycard
Barclaycard, part of Barclays Retail and Business Banking, is a global payment business. The Barclaycard was the first credit card introduced in the UK, coming into service in 1966. It enjoyed a monopoly until the introduction of the Access card in 1972....
and the films Savage Hearts and Elizabeth.
In one episode of Coupling
Coupling (UK TV series)
Coupling is a British television sitcom written by Steven Moffat that aired on BBC2 from May 2000 to June 2004. Produced by Hartswood Films for the BBC, the show centres on the dating and sexual adventures and mishaps of six friends in their thirties, often depicting the three women and the three...
, he appears in a fantasy sequence alongside Mariella Frostrup
Mariella Frostrup
Mariella Frostrup is a Norwegian-born journalist and television presenter, well known on British TV and radio, mainly for arts programmes. Her 'gravelly' voice was once voted the sexiest female voice on TV, and research to find 'the perfect voice' has indicated that Frostrup's voice is one of the...
. In addition, 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.
In May 2002, the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
newspaper published allegations about his private life suggesting that he had taken cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
and had sex with prostitutes. He was ridiculed by Paul Merton
Paul Merton
Paul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
and Ian Hislop
Ian Hislop
Ian David Hislop is a British journalist, satirist, comedian, writer, broadcaster and editor of the satirical magazine Private Eye...
in the following episode of Have I Got News For You, but was allowed to continue as presenter. Deayton took the lampooning good-naturedly, beginning the episode with: "Good evening and welcome to Have I Got News For You, and this week's loser is presenting it." He added later "Do not adjust your set, my face is this red". This ridiculing concealed a bitterness felt by the others on the show when it had been revealed shortly before then that Deayton was on £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
50,000 a show whereas contestants received only £12,500 each a show. After a second round of allegations emerged in the papers that October, Deayton was fired as presenter two episodes into the new series of Have I Got News for You, after both Merton and Hislop repeatedly implied during the programme that Deayton should resign for the good of the show. Since then, the show has been hosted by a different guest presenter each week.
After being forced out of Have I Got News for You, he continued to work on other projects including a reunion of the Radio Active cast in a new episode broadcast in December 2002. In 2003, he guest-starred as Downing Street
Downing Street
Downing Street in London, England has for over two hundred years housed the official residences of two of the most senior British cabinet ministers: the First Lord of the Treasury, an office now synonymous with that of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and the Second Lord of the Treasury, an...
's top spin doctor in an episode of the BBC comedy Absolute Power, starring 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 John Bird
John Bird (actor)
John Bird is an English satirist, actor and comedian.-Early life:Born in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, and educated at High Pavement Grammar School, Nottingham, Bird briefly joined the Socialist Party of Great Britain, while still at school...
. He starred in BBC comedy Nighty Night
Nighty Night
Nighty Night is a British dark comedy sitcom written by and starring Julia Davis. It was first broadcast on 6 January 2004 on BBC Three before moving to BBC2....
which was shown from January 2004. Deayton had a cameo role as a hotel receptionist in the 2004 Fat Slags film. A few months later, he made a return to TV presenting with 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...
's cookery reality show 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....
and then the light-hearted quiz Bognor or Bust
Bognor or Bust
Bognor or Bust was a 2004 UK television panel game, on the subject of news and current affairs. Produced by 4DTV for ITV, the show conventionally gave contestants the opportunity to win prizes, yet was comedic in style. It combined members of the public and celebrities on the same panel.The show...
. In January 2006 he hosted an 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...
show based upon self-help
Self-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
videos called Help Your Self.
Deayton is associated with the Comic Relief/Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
charity and has featured in many of its TV broadcasts. He also co-presented the Sport Relief charity programme Only Fools on Horses
Only Fools on Horses
Only Fools on Horses was 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 equestrian events, with one celebrity being eliminated every day...
in July 2006.
Deayton appeared for the England team as a second-half substitute in the Soccer Aid
Soccer Aid
-Event schedule:*22 May 2006 – Start of the television coverage, presented by Ant and Dec. Rest of the World defeats England in a penalty shoot-out*23 May 2006 – Practice match: England 1–0 England Legends...
football match in support of UNICEF on 27 May 2006. He returned as a starting player for England in the 7 September 2008 rematch.
In 2007 he made an acting appearance in Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, playing an exaggerated version of himself in a Comic Relief-related storyline.
Deayton returned to the BBC in June 2007, hosting a new TV comedy panel game, Would I Lie To You?
Would I Lie To You? (TV series)
Would I Lie to You? is a comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for BBC One. It was first broadcast on 16 June 2007.-Format:The show was presented by Angus Deayton in 2007 and 2008, and by Rob Brydon from 2009 onwards...
In November 2007, he was censured by the BBC for making a "pungently personal" joke about Sir Jimmy Savile
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile, OBE, KCSG was an English disc jockey, television presenter and media personality, best known for his BBC television show Jim'll Fix It, and for being the first and last presenter of the long-running BBC music chart show Top of the Pops...
and his late mother on the show. Deayton left the show in 2009 and was replaced as host by Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
.
Deayton was also selected by 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...
to be the host of the third series of Hell's Kitchen, which started broadcasting on 3 September 2007 at 9:00 pm. However, he was sacked from the programme in 2009 after a series of arguments with chef Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur and television personality. He is noted for his contributions to contemporary international cuisine, and his exceptional culinary skills....
. Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Winkleman
Claudia Anne I. Winkleman is an English television presenter, film critic, radio personality and journalist.- Early life and family :...
was his replacement.
In 2008 he also presented Comedy Sketchbook, a nostalgic look at classic comedy sketches, on BBC1.
He presented the 2008 British Comedy Awards
British Comedy Awards
The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
on 6 December 2008, after regular host Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...
stepped down because of the controversy surrounding the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
The Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row concerned a series of voice messages that English entertainers Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs, which were labelled obscene by many media commentators and politicians...
.
In 2009, Deayton starred as the mysterious, "all-knowing man" in That Deadwood Feeling, a British comedy film starring Jack Davenport
Jack Davenport
Jack Davenport is an English actor, best known for his roles in the television series This Life, Coupling and as James Norrington in the Pirates of the Caribbean series. He has also appeared in many other Hollywood films such as The Talented Mr. Ripley...
, Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher
Dexter Fletcher is an English actor. He is best known for his role in Guy Ritchie film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as well as television roles in such shows as the dramedy Hotel Babylon, the critically acclaimed HBO series Band of Brothers and earlier in his career, the children's show...
, and David Soul
David Soul
David Soul is an American-British actor and singer, best known for his role as Detective Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson in the television programme Starsky and Hutch . He gained British citizenship in 2004.-Early life:...
.
Deayton was planned to appear alongside Mandy Moore
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore is an American singer-songwriter, actress and fashion designer. Moore became famous as a teenager in the late 1990s, after the release of her teen pop albums So Real, I Wanna Be with You, and Mandy Moore. In 2007, she took an adult pop-folk direction with the release of...
and Martin Freeman
Martin Freeman
Martin John C. Freeman is an English actor. He is known for his roles as John in Love Actually, Tim Canterbury in the BBC's Golden Globe-winning comedy The Office, Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Dr. John Watson in Sherlock and Mr. Madden...
in Swinging with the Finkels
Swinging with the Finkels
Swinging with the Finkels is a 2011 British comedy film directed by Jonathan Newman, starring Mandy Moore, Martin Freeman and Melissa George. A wealthy London couple decide to take up swinging in an attempt to save their struggling marriage...
, a 2010 film written and directed by Jonathan Newman
Jonathan newman
Jonathan Newman is a British filmmaker and writer.Newman owns a film company called Serendipity based at Ealing Studios.Newman made his first feature film at the age of 25. Being Considered starred James Dreyfus and David Tennant...
.
Deayton will appear alongside Tony Hawks
Tony Hawks
Antony Gordon Hawksworth, better known as Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author.-Early life:Born in Brighton in 1960, Hawks was educated at Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School and Brighton College...
in the feature film Playing the Moldovans at Tennis
Playing the Moldovans at Tennis
The film version of Tony Hawks' best selling book Playing the Moldovans at Tennis was filmed during May, June and July 2010 in Moldova, London, Belfast and Israel...
, which was recorded in 2010 for release in 2011.
Deayton returned to BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
in 2011 as host of the panel show It's Your Round.
Personal life
At Oxford, Deayton was in a relationship with the actress Helen Atkinson-WoodHelen Atkinson-Wood
Helen Atkinson-Wood is an English actress and comedian born in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Cheshire.Atkinson-Wood studied fine art at the Ruskin School, Oxford University, where she performed with Rowan Atkinson...
(a co-star on Radio Active and KYTV). Whilst touring with the HeeBeeGeeBees in Australia in the 1980s, Deayton saved Atkinson-Wood's life when he rescued her after she was caught in a rip tide whilst swimming off Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
’s Manly Beach.
Deayton later lived with 1970s singer/songwriter Stephanie de Sykes
Stephanie de Sykes
Stephanie de Sykes is a British singer, and was once a girlfriend of Angus Deayton.-Biography:She attended Brays Grove School in Harlow, Essex; she returned to the school for a final reunion in June 2008 as guest of honour. She had a hit in 1974 with the Simon May penned "Born With a Smile on My...
.
Since the early 1990s, he has been in a long-term relationship with scriptwriter Lise Mayer
Lise Mayer
Lise Mayer is a television and film writer. She was born in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States, and is best known as a creator and co-writer of the BBC comedy series The Young Ones, alongside Rik Mayall and Ben Elton...
; they have a son, Isaac, born in 2001. They live in Islington
Islington
Islington is a neighbourhood in Greater London, England and forms the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is a district of Inner London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy Upper Street...
, London.
Deayton is a Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
supporter, and a friend of former player and current Director of Manchester United's youth academy
Manchester United F.C. Reserves and Academy
Manchester United Football Club Reserves are the reserve team of Manchester United F.C. They play in the North section of the Premier Reserve League. They have been champions four times since the league's inauguration in 1999; in 2002, 2005, 2006 and 2010...
, Brian McClair
Brian McClair
Brian John McClair is a former Scottish international football player who played as a forward, notable for his near 11-year spell at Manchester United, as well as important tenures at Scottish clubs Celtic and Motherwell...
.
Tabloid allegations and reaction
In May 2002 the British tabloid newspaper News of the WorldNews of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
published allegations about Deayton's affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
with a woman, who later claimed she was a prostitute, and his use of cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. In October there were further reports of another affair, and he was asked to step down as the quizmaster of Have I Got News For You on 29 October 2002. Deayton was dismissed despite it being believed that a majority of the programme's audience opposed the decision to fire him. One online poll on the BBC's own website showed over three-quarters of respondents wanting Deayton to stay on as the programme's host.
The BBC said his position as a satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
commentator on the week's news had become "untenable". Paul Merton
Paul Merton
Paul Merton is a British comedian, writer, actor and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, his humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy...
, a personality on Have I Got News for You, proclaimed on Parkinson
Parkinson (TV series)
Parkinson is a British television talk show that was presented by Sir Michael Parkinson. It was first shown on the BBC from 1971 to 2004, and on ITV from 2004 to 2007.-Background:...
that he thought Deayton a "dull man" and compared his sacking to "the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
-- we lost Zeppo
Zeppo Marx
Herbert Manfred "Zeppo" Marx was an American film star, musician, engineer, theatrical agent and businessman. He was the youngest of the five Marx Brothers. He appeared in the first five Marx Brothers feature films, from 1929 to 1933, but then left the act to start his second career as an...
, it's not a big deal", although conversely Merton also stated that he believed Deayton would soon return to television on other programmes because "you can't keep talent like that down".
Merton later revealed that he "never got on" with Deayton, finding him "arrogant
Hubris
Hubris , also hybris, means extreme haughtiness, pride or arrogance. Hubris often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence or capabilities, especially when the person exhibiting it is in a position of power....
and aloof". However, Merton refused to condemn Deayton's behaviour in relation to the sex scandals, saying "I wouldn't have done it myself, but disapprove? I don't want to set myself up as a moral arbiter." Merton denied all knowledge of Deayton allegedly blaming him and co-star Ian Hislop
Ian Hislop
Ian David Hislop is a British journalist, satirist, comedian, writer, broadcaster and editor of the satirical magazine Private Eye...
for his dismissal from the programme, revealing that the only time Deayton discussed his predicament with him was when he thanked Merton for making the scandal "funny on television". Merton also stated that despite their differences he wished Deayton well for the future.
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...
has supported Deayton by refusing to appear on the show again.