Dave Gorman
Encyclopedia
David James Gorman is an English author
, stand-up comedian
and presenter
. He has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories. He was a stand-up comedian before he became famous for Are You Dave Gorman?
, then took a break from normal stand-up. He returned to stand-up in 2009 with a show called 'Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up' whose unique feature was that he cycled 1,563 miles from the southernmost point of Great Britain to the easternmost to the westernmost and then to the northernmost with a gig following each night.
, England, where he attended Walton High School
. Through his work he has revealed that he has a twin brother called Nick and that his father is called Derek. He also has two older brothers, Jonathan and Richard and his mother is Fay Collins. His parents are divorced. Dave married his wife Beth in October 2010.
He studied mathematics at the University of Manchester
(but never graduated
) and before his solo successes was in demand as a writer, having co-written three series of The Mrs Merton Show
, as well as writing for many other TV
series in the UK
, including The Fast Show
. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer
as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy
.
Dave also regularly appeared on the BBC Three
show, Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
, a comedy show about the making of a celebrity panel show hosted by Rob Brydon
. Dave Gorman is one of the show's team captains. In 2006 he became an occasional contributor on Comedy Central
's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He also hosts his own radio series, Genius, and his documentary feature, America Unchained, was shown on More4
in February 2008. The book of the series was published in April 2008.
Gorman is a vegetarian, a fact that he revealed in the documentary film Dave Gorman In America Unchained. He lists his hobbies as photography
, cycling
, rock balancing and playing poker
and recently, darts
. Staffordshire University
awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2006. He is a regular user of Twitter. According to America Unchained, he is an atheist. In his stand-up show Dave Gorman's Powerpoint Presentation that he launched at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Gorman states that he is an atheist. However, he is frequently assumed to be Jewish; for example, the Jewish magazine JLifestyle includes him in a list of "literary Jews".
. His other writing credits include Harry Hill
and Steve Coogan
.
Gorman's first one man "documentary style" show was entitled Reasons to be Cheerful. Billed as "a ninety minute show based on a four minute pop song", it was based on the song "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3
" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads. The show examined the song's lyrics in detail, with a view to establishing whether or not each of the items listed in the song were really reasons to be cheerful. The visual aspect of the show was provided by each "reason" being illustrated by one of a collection of second hand slides that he had accumulated for the show. The show was first performed at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and toured theatres afterwards.
His second full length show, Dave Gorman's Better World, was first performed in Edinburgh in 1999. For the show he wrote anonymous letters to thousands of local newspapers and asked the public to suggest ways in which one man could make the world a better place. He then attempted to carry out their suggestions in order to determine their efficacy.
and that there must be "loads" of others around. Danny disagreed with him, so the two travelled to Methil
(about 450 miles from London
), with a Polaroid
camera, to meet the assistant manager, whose name was indeed Dave Gorman. The bet soon evolved into a monster: on the way to meet Dave Gormans numbers 4 and 5, Danny decided Dave must meet one for every card in the deck (including the Jokers). His quest to meet this target was described, highlights including 5 people changing their name by deed poll
(two of whom were women), and a trip to New York that resulted in failure when he discovered the man he had gone to meet was not Dave Gorman, but B. David Gorman and therefore was ineligible. The trip to New York also included a meeting with an actor who had played a character called David Gorman, the validity of which is hotly contested in the book.
, was entitled Dave Gorman's Important Astrology
Experiment and was based upon the idea of a controlled scientific experiment
, although naturally not a serious one. The series had six episodes.
The premise was that it would test whether or not astrology
really worked. Over the course of forty days, he would try to follow any instructions given to people with his star sign
in a selection of horoscope
s, while his "control experiment" (his twin brother, Nick) ignored them. Each would record the events of each day, and how they fared in each of three areas of life: love
, health
and wealth
. On each episode of the show, Dave would show footage of the amusing situations he got into by trying to follow his horoscope, and then asked a panel of "experts", agony aunt Denise Robertson
(love), GMTV
's Dr. Hilary Jones
(health) and financial expert Alvin Hall
(money), in the studio to assess how he had fared in the three areas. Following an audience vote, Dave would display on a "happiness graph" the difference between how he and his twin brother had fared that week, and whether it showed that astrology had produced a positive effect, a negative effect, or no significant effect at all.
The results of the 'experiment' were dramatic indeed. The various charts showed that his overall happiness, love and wealth steadily began to recede over time (especially wealth as he was forced to travel excessively). Throughout the experiment he had numerous adventures, including travelling to New York
to meet a long lost friend and then leaving a few hours later because he was ordered to spend as much time at home as possible, sharing pizza in a park while dressed in a rubber suit, and the ethical trauma of reading an illegally acquired pornographic magazine at Sunday lunch in front of his mother.
The most notable stunt he had to perform was standing in Covent Garden
on one leg with his foot in a bucket of water, a tangerine in one hand, and some breakfast cereal in the other, in a bowl that cost £85 from Harrods
, singing the national anthem
backwards and balancing three books on his head. This was taken entirely literally from a very odd horoscope by Jonathan Cainer
, which Gorman deemed so implausible that he did in fact present the copy of the newspaper which published it in the studio, while noting his suspicion that perhaps the author of the horoscope found out about his experiment and was pulling a prank on him.
He showed that his wealth was rapidly declining, as were happiness and love, until, on the last day he invested the last of his money to travel to Dubai
to watch a golf tournament (the Dubai Desert Classic
) and bet on Ian Woosnam
, a golfer that shared his birthday (and would therefore share his luck). He emptied his account to travel there and, using his lucky number
of the day from each of the 40 days of his experiment to determine how much he should bet, went ahead with the plan. However, he then found out that not only was gambling illegal in the country, but also that his lucky number indicated he should bet 2,903 Dirhams
, which at the time was £549. Ultimately he borrowed the money from his mother and asked her to bet the sum on Ian Woosnam to win the match of the day - as he had been instructed by his horoscope.
With his happiness at an all time low, love scraping the bottom and his finances in an extremely negative position, the experts, his mother, Danny, the crowd and, of course, Dave himself could only hope the bet would pay off - which it ultimately did at odds long enough to place him not only back at level wealth, but supplying him with twice as much cash as he had started off with.
Therefore, he "proved" that astrology works and has made him happier than the control.
with a show entitled Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure, and published a book of the same name. It is another true story. At 31 Dave decided to give up his stupid ways, grow a beard and write a novel. As a result Dave believes people took him more seriously and a new novel was commissioned. While trying to write a novel for his publisher (Random House
), Dave became obsessed with Googlewhack
s when someone notified him that his site had one (Francophile Namesakes), and caused him to travel across the world finding people who had authored them (one of whom turned out to be one of the Dave Gormans he had met in his first adventure). He eventually spent his publisher's advance on the quest, without writing any of the promised novel, and had to create the Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure show to pay them back.
This show was premiered at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
and then went on to sell out for a two week run at the Sydney Opera House
(albeit in its smallest venue: Studio Theatre). It also sold out in a major venue at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
(George Square Theatre) before embarking on a major UK tour of 75 shows in the space of 3 months. It won Dave the award for Best One Person Show at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
in Aspen, Colorado
, an award he had previously won for the show Are You Dave Gorman? He ended up writing a book about his Googlewhack Adventure which went on to be the Sunday Times
Number One Best Seller. During his "Googlewhack Adventure", Gorman had a nervous breakdown which he discusses frankly in the show.
In 2004, a DVD of the popular Googlewhack Adventure was released which was filmed at Swansea Grand Theatre
.
In 2005, he toured the U.S.
and performed his Googlewhack show in several cities including Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles, he appeared on The Tonight Show
elaborating on his travels and his quest. This tour, in which he stayed at chain motels and experienced corporate America, led Dave to undertake a road-trip across the USA in which he avoided such hotels and corporate petrol stations in favour of family owned businesses. The road trip was documented as the book and film America Unchained.
show called Genius
, in which members of the public submit suggestions to make a better world. Gorman and a guest then assess the idea in order to determine whether it qualifies as "genius". One series of five episodes was broadcast between 27 October and 24 November 2005, with a CD of the first series released on 27 November 2006. The second series was broadcast between 7 September and 12 October 2006, with a CD released in 7 January 2008 and a third series between 1 October and 5 November 2007. He has made many references to disliking Darren Day
in various episodes of the show.
The series was created by Ali Crockatt and David Scott, and is produced by Simon Nicholls
.
The six part series started on Friday 20 March, 10pm on BBC2.
Episode One had celebrity guest Catherine Tate
.
Episode Two had celebrity guest Frank Skinner
.
Episode Three had celebrity guest Jonathan Pryce
.
Episode Four had celebrity guest Johnny Vegas
.
Episode Five had celebrity guest Germaine Greer
.
Episode Six had celebrity guest Stewart Lee
.
A second series for 2010 was commissioned by the BBC. The show broadcast its first episode on Monday 27 September 2010 at 10pm on BBC Two, the celebrity guests on the first show were Russell Howard
and Hazel Irvine
. The second episode broadcast on Monday 4 October 2010 on BBC Two and the celebrity guests were The Hairy Bikers
and Jane Moore
.
, in which the pair calmly and genteelly discussed former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
over tea, parodying American stereotypes of Britons.
TV series Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
, a show showing a behind-the-scenes view of a fictional comedy panel game. In the show Gorman plays a version of himself in the role of a team captain.
. Thus Dave ate, slept and filled his car in restaurants, hotels and petrol stations which were all independently owned.
America Unchained also is the name of an annual campaign spearheaded by the American Independent Business Alliance
since 2004 to promote the economic, cultural and democratic importance of independent locally-owned businesses.
A documentary film of the adventure was also made and was aired on the British TV channel More4
on 5 February 2008 and released on DVD on 11 February. In 2007, it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Austin Film Festival
.
Dave's journey started in Coronado
, California
and ended in Savannah
, Georgia
and was continually challenged to find independently owned gas stations, as well as repairing the car itself - which broke down surprisingly little, considering the age and milage (124,000 at start)
, having been on a guest on the show 3 times (and also entering a phone-in competition whilst undertaking the Important Astrology Experiment), while he also had weekly interviews on Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show
to discuss his bikeathon during his Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up Tour. He filled in for weekend presenter Frank Skinner
for 3 weeks during the summer of 2009. The station subsequently announced that he would have a full-time show; his first show aired on 11 October, with Dave joined by Danielle Ward
and Martin White.
In 2010 Dave performed a 37 date tour as an extension of his 2009 Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up Tour. About this show he says: "I won't be cycling to these. Same show, fewer blisters".
On 12 July 2010, he performed the show again - twice in one evening - at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London, which was recorded for a future DVD release. Prior to the recording, Gorman performed the act again as The Warm Up Show at four small venues in the UK in order to freshen his memory.
, including the famous episode in which host Angus Deayton
was teased about a story that appeared about him in the news that week. He also appeared in one episode of Sport Comedy Quiz They Think It's All Over
. Dave also appeared on episode nine on the A Series of QI
with Jo Brand
and Jeremy Hardy
, in which he won. He appeared again in 2011 in the I Series
, winning again. Dave was a regular alongside Geoff Lloyd
on Virgin Radio's The Geoff Show
, also appearing on the same presenter's Hometime Show
, following the station's rebranding as Absolute Radio, before Dave joined the station as a presenter himself. He has made many appearances on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff
. Dave has appeared on several episodes of Radio 4's Just a Minute
. He has listed among his ambitions a wish to become a captain on the quiz show Call My Bluff. He appeared as a guest on the Frank Skinner
show Opinionated on 23 April 2010.
In 2001, he appeared on Absolutely Fabulous
(for one episode), as Rimmer, a photographer in season 4 episode 3 ("Paris").
Dave appeared on the week-long special Grand Designs Live
, in which he showcased eccentric houses in America.
Dave also voiced a campaign for Homebase
, the UK DIY chain.
In 2009 he appeared in Robert Llewellyn's
online programme Carpool which can be viewed at Llewellyn's website, LlewTube.
He presented Bravo TV's first live PDC
darts coverage alongside James Richardson
during the 2010 European Championship Darts
.
Dave was a guest in an October 2010 episode of Soccer AM
, where he revealed he is a Liverpool FC fan.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, stand-up 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 presenter
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 has performed comedy shows on stage in which he tells stories of extreme adventures and presents the evidence to the audience in order to prove to them that they are true stories. He was a stand-up comedian before he became famous for Are You Dave Gorman?
Are You Dave Gorman?
Are You Dave Gorman? is the title of a stage show by the British documentary comedian Dave Gorman and the book of the same name, co-written by Gorman and Danny Wallace. The BBC television series The Dave Gorman Collection— Gorman's first television show—was based on the show...
, then took a break from normal stand-up. He returned to stand-up in 2009 with a show called 'Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up' whose unique feature was that he cycled 1,563 miles from the southernmost point of Great Britain to the easternmost to the westernmost and then to the northernmost with a gig following each night.
Biography
Gorman was born and brought up in StaffordStafford
Stafford is the county town of Staffordshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It lies approximately north of Wolverhampton and south of Stoke-on-Trent, adjacent to the M6 motorway Junction 13 to Junction 14...
, England, where he attended Walton High School
Walton High School (Stafford)
Walton High School is a large comprehensive school serving a community in the southern part of Stafford. It is awarded "specialist science" status...
. Through his work he has revealed that he has a twin brother called Nick and that his father is called Derek. He also has two older brothers, Jonathan and Richard and his mother is Fay Collins. His parents are divorced. Dave married his wife Beth in October 2010.
He studied mathematics at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
(but never graduated
Graduation
Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...
) and before his solo successes was in demand as a writer, having co-written three series of The Mrs Merton Show
The Mrs Merton Show
The Mrs Merton Show is a mock talk show starring Caroline Aherne as the elderly host Mrs Merton. It ran from 1994 to 1998, and was produced by Granada Television.The writers included Aherne, Craig Cash, Dave Gorman and Henry Normal....
, as well as writing for many other TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series in the UK
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...
, including The Fast Show
The Fast Show
The Fast Show, known as Brilliant in the US, was a BBC comedy sketch show programme that ran for three series from 1994 to 1997 with a special Last Fast Show Ever in 2000. The show's central performers were Paul Whitehouse, Charlie Higson, Simon Day, Mark Williams, John Thomson, Arabella Weir and...
. 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
British comedy
British comedy, in film, radio and television, is known for its consistently quirky characters, plots and settings, and has produced some of the most famous and memorable comic actors and characters in the last fifty years.-Film comedy:...
.
Dave also regularly appeared on the BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
show, Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive is a British television show, first aired on BBC Three in July 2006. Devised by Paul Duddridge, it concerns the making of a comedy panel game show called Annually Retentive, themed around historical events, and hosted by Welsh comedian Rob Brydon...
, a comedy show about the making of a celebrity panel show hosted by Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist...
. Dave Gorman is one of the show's team captains. In 2006 he became an occasional contributor on Comedy Central
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American cable television and satellite television channel that carries comedy programming, both original and syndicated....
's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He also hosts his own radio series, Genius, and his documentary feature, America Unchained, was shown on More4
More4
More4 is a digital television channel, run by British broadcaster Channel 4, that launched on 10 October 2005. It is carried on Freeview, on satellite broadcasters Freesat and Sky, UK IPTV broadcaster TalkTalk TV and on UK cable network Virgin Media and in the Republic of Ireland cable networks...
in February 2008. The book of the series was published in April 2008.
Gorman is a vegetarian, a fact that he revealed in the documentary film Dave Gorman In America Unchained. He lists his hobbies as photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, rock balancing and playing poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
and recently, darts
Darts
Darts is a form of throwing game where darts are thrown at a circular target fixed to a wall. Though various boards and games have been used in the past, the term "darts" usually now refers to a standardised game involving a specific board design and set of rules...
. Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University
Staffordshire University is a university with its main campus based in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and with other campuses in Stafford, Lichfield and Shrewsbury.- History :...
awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2006. He is a regular user of Twitter. According to America Unchained, he is an atheist. In his stand-up show Dave Gorman's Powerpoint Presentation that he launched at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Gorman states that he is an atheist. However, he is frequently assumed to be Jewish; for example, the Jewish magazine JLifestyle includes him in a list of "literary Jews".
Early work
Dave Gorman is a stand-up comedian a writer and a producer. As a producer he contributed to two series featuring Jenny Eclair, as a writer he contributed to The Mrs Merton ShowThe Mrs Merton Show
The Mrs Merton Show is a mock talk show starring Caroline Aherne as the elderly host Mrs Merton. It ran from 1994 to 1998, and was produced by Granada Television.The writers included Aherne, Craig Cash, Dave Gorman and Henry Normal....
. His other writing credits include 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,...
and Steve Coogan
Steve Coogan
Stephen John "Steve" Coogan is a British comedian, actor, writer and producer. Born in Manchester, he began his career as a standup comedian and impressionist, working as a voice artist throughout the 1980s on satirical puppet show Spitting Image. In the early nineties, Coogan began creating...
.
Gorman's first one man "documentary style" show was entitled Reasons to be Cheerful. Billed as "a ninety minute show based on a four minute pop song", it was based on the song "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3
Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3
"Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3" is a song and single by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, initially released as the single BUY 50 "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3 / Common as Muck" issued on 20 July 1979 and reached number 3 in the UK singles Chart the following month...
" by Ian Dury and the Blockheads. The show examined the song's lyrics in detail, with a view to establishing whether or not each of the items listed in the song were really reasons to be cheerful. The visual aspect of the show was provided by each "reason" being illustrated by one of a collection of second hand slides that he had accumulated for the show. The show was first performed at the 1998 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and toured theatres afterwards.
His second full length show, Dave Gorman's Better World, was first performed in Edinburgh in 1999. For the show he wrote anonymous letters to thousands of local newspapers and asked the public to suggest ways in which one man could make the world a better place. He then attempted to carry out their suggestions in order to determine their efficacy.
Are You Dave Gorman?
Dave Gorman shot to fame following a drunken bet with his flatmate Danny Wallace. The bet was thus: Dave claimed that he shared the name "Dave Gorman" with the assistant manager of East Fife F.C.East Fife F.C.
East Fife Football Club are a Scottish football club based in the Fife coastal town of Methil...
and that there must be "loads" of others around. Danny disagreed with him, so the two travelled to Methil
Methil
Methil is an eastern coastal town in Scotland. It was part of the former Burgh of Buckhaven and Methil. It lies within a continuous urban area described as Levenmouth.Methil lies geographically between Largo bay to the east and Wemyss Bay to the west....
(about 450 miles from 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...
), with a Polaroid
Instant camera
The instant camera is a type of camera that generates a developed film image. The most popular types to use self-developing film were formerly made by Polaroid Corporation....
camera, to meet the assistant manager, whose name was indeed Dave Gorman. The bet soon evolved into a monster: on the way to meet Dave Gormans numbers 4 and 5, Danny decided Dave must meet one for every card in the deck (including the Jokers). His quest to meet this target was described, highlights including 5 people changing their name by deed poll
Deed poll
A deed poll is a legal document binding only to a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an active intention...
(two of whom were women), and a trip to New York that resulted in failure when he discovered the man he had gone to meet was not Dave Gorman, but B. David Gorman and therefore was ineligible. The trip to New York also included a meeting with an actor who had played a character called David Gorman, the validity of which is hotly contested in the book.
Dave Gorman's Important Astrology Experiment
His second television series, broadcast on BBC TwoBBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, was entitled Dave Gorman's Important Astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
Experiment and was based upon the idea of a controlled scientific experiment
Experiment
An experiment is a methodical procedure carried out with the goal of verifying, falsifying, or establishing the validity of a hypothesis. Experiments vary greatly in their goal and scale, but always rely on repeatable procedure and logical analysis of the results...
, although naturally not a serious one. The series had six episodes.
The premise was that it would test whether or not astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
really worked. Over the course of forty days, he would try to follow any instructions given to people with his star sign
Astrological sign
Astrological signs represent twelve equal segments or divisions of the zodiac. According to astrology, celestial phenomena reflect or govern human activity on the principle of "as above, so below", so that the twelve signs are held to represent twelve basic personality types or characteristic modes...
in a selection of horoscope
Horoscope
In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning "a look at the hours" In...
s, while his "control experiment" (his twin brother, Nick) ignored them. Each would record the events of each day, and how they fared in each of three areas of life: love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
, health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
and wealth
Wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem...
. On each episode of the show, Dave would show footage of the amusing situations he got into by trying to follow his horoscope, and then asked a panel of "experts", agony aunt Denise Robertson
Denise Robertson
Denise Robertson MBE is a writer and television broadcaster in the United Kingdom...
(love), GMTV
GMTV
GMTV was the national Channel 3 breakfast television contractor, broadcasting in the United Kingdom from 1 January 1993 to 3 September 2010. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of ITV plc. in November 2009. Shortly after, ITV plc announced the programme would end...
's Dr. Hilary Jones
Hilary Jones (doctor)
Hilary Jones is a general practitioner and also a television and radio presenter, and a writer on medical issues.-Medical career:...
(health) and financial expert Alvin Hall
Alvin Hall
Alvin D. Hall is an American financial adviser, author and media personality.-Early life:Hall was born in Tallahassee, Florida, one of seven children to a family of farmers, day workers and fishermen. He grew up in severe poverty...
(money), in the studio to assess how he had fared in the three areas. Following an audience vote, Dave would display on a "happiness graph" the difference between how he and his twin brother had fared that week, and whether it showed that astrology had produced a positive effect, a negative effect, or no significant effect at all.
The results of the 'experiment' were dramatic indeed. The various charts showed that his overall happiness, love and wealth steadily began to recede over time (especially wealth as he was forced to travel excessively). Throughout the experiment he had numerous adventures, including travelling to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to meet a long lost friend and then leaving a few hours later because he was ordered to spend as much time at home as possible, sharing pizza in a park while dressed in a rubber suit, and the ethical trauma of reading an illegally acquired pornographic magazine at Sunday lunch in front of his mother.
The most notable stunt he had to perform was standing in Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
on one leg with his foot in a bucket of water, a tangerine in one hand, and some breakfast cereal in the other, in a bowl that cost £85 from Harrods
Harrods
Harrods is an upmarket department store located in Brompton Road in Brompton, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London. The Harrods brand also applies to other enterprises undertaken by the Harrods group of companies including Harrods Bank, Harrods Estates, Harrods Aviation and Air...
, singing the national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
backwards and balancing three books on his head. This was taken entirely literally from a very odd horoscope by Jonathan Cainer
Jonathan Cainer
Jonathan Cainer is a British sun-sign astrologer who writes a daily column on his website, which is reproduced in Daily Telegraph and Herald Sun newspapers in Australia and the Daily Mail newspaper in Britain, in addition to a variety of Internet sites in five or so different languages, including...
, which Gorman deemed so implausible that he did in fact present the copy of the newspaper which published it in the studio, while noting his suspicion that perhaps the author of the horoscope found out about his experiment and was pulling a prank on him.
He showed that his wealth was rapidly declining, as were happiness and love, until, on the last day he invested the last of his money to travel to Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
to watch a golf tournament (the Dubai Desert Classic
Dubai Desert Classic
The Dubai Desert Classic is an annual professional golf tournament which takes place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It has been part of the European Tour schedule since its inauguration in 1989, and was the first European Tour event to be staged in the Middle East...
) and bet on Ian Woosnam
Ian Woosnam
Ian Harold Woosnam OBE is a Welsh professional golfer.Nicknamed 'Woosie', 'Woosers', or the 'Wee Welshman', Woosnam was one of the "Big Five" generation of European golfers, all born within 12 months of one another, all of whom have won majors, and made Europe competitive in the Ryder Cup...
, a golfer that shared his birthday (and would therefore share his luck). He emptied his account to travel there and, using his lucky number
Lucky number
In number theory, a lucky number is a natural number in a set which is generated by a "sieve" similar to the Sieve of Eratosthenes that generates the primes.Begin with a list of integers starting with 1:...
of the day from each of the 40 days of his experiment to determine how much he should bet, went ahead with the plan. However, he then found out that not only was gambling illegal in the country, but also that his lucky number indicated he should bet 2,903 Dirhams
United Arab Emirates dirham
The dirham is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. The ISO 4217 code for the United Arab Emirates dirham is AED. Unofficial abbreviations include DH or Dhs. The dirham is subdivided into 100 ....
, which at the time was £549. Ultimately he borrowed the money from his mother and asked her to bet the sum on Ian Woosnam to win the match of the day - as he had been instructed by his horoscope.
With his happiness at an all time low, love scraping the bottom and his finances in an extremely negative position, the experts, his mother, Danny, the crowd and, of course, Dave himself could only hope the bet would pay off - which it ultimately did at odds long enough to place him not only back at level wealth, but supplying him with twice as much cash as he had started off with.
Therefore, he "proved" that astrology works and has made him happier than the control.
Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure
In 2003, he toured BritainUnited 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...
with a show entitled Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure, and published a book of the same name. It is another true story. At 31 Dave decided to give up his stupid ways, grow a beard and write a novel. As a result Dave believes people took him more seriously and a new novel was commissioned. While trying to write a novel for his publisher (Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
), Dave became obsessed with Googlewhack
Googlewhack
A Googlewhack is a type of a contest for finding a Google search query consisting of exactly two words without quotation marks, that returns exactly one hit. A Googlewhack must consist of two actual words found in a dictionary...
s when someone notified him that his site had one (Francophile Namesakes), and caused him to travel across the world finding people who had authored them (one of whom turned out to be one of the Dave Gormans he had met in his first adventure). He eventually spent his publisher's advance on the quest, without writing any of the promised novel, and had to create the Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure show to pay them back.
This show was premiered at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
and then went on to sell out for a two week run at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
(albeit in its smallest venue: Studio Theatre). It also sold out in a major venue at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was the 56th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe ran from 3–25 August 2003 and presented 1541 shows over 207 venues...
(George Square Theatre) before embarking on a major UK tour of 75 shows in the space of 3 months. It won Dave the award for Best One Person Show at the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
U.S. Comedy Arts Festival
The Comedy Festival, formerly known as the US Comedy Arts Festival, is a comedy festival held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada. From its 1985 inception to 2007, it was held annually at the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado...
in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
, an award he had previously won for the show Are You Dave Gorman? He ended up writing a book about his Googlewhack Adventure which went on to be the Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
Number One Best Seller. During his "Googlewhack Adventure", Gorman had a nervous breakdown which he discusses frankly in the show.
In 2004, a DVD of the popular Googlewhack Adventure was released which was filmed at Swansea Grand Theatre
Swansea Grand Theatre
The Grand Theatre is a performing arts venue in the centre of Swansea, Wales. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes and touring theatrical acts visiting Swansea. The Grand Theatre is the base for the UK's only Russian ballet company, the Swansea Ballet Russe....
.
In 2005, he toured the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and performed his Googlewhack show in several cities including Los Angeles. While in Los Angeles, he appeared on The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
elaborating on his travels and his quest. This tour, in which he stayed at chain motels and experienced corporate America, led Dave to undertake a road-trip across the USA in which he avoided such hotels and corporate petrol stations in favour of family owned businesses. The road trip was documented as the book and film America Unchained.
Radio series
He hosts a 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...
show called Genius
Genius (radio series)
Genius is a BBC Radio 4 comedy gameshow presented by comedian Dave Gorman. Listeners send in 'genius' ideas which are considered by Gorman and a guest before a studio audience, with a different guest for each show...
, in which members of the public submit suggestions to make a better world. Gorman and a guest then assess the idea in order to determine whether it qualifies as "genius". One series of five episodes was broadcast between 27 October and 24 November 2005, with a CD of the first series released on 27 November 2006. The second series was broadcast between 7 September and 12 October 2006, with a CD released in 7 January 2008 and a third series between 1 October and 5 November 2007. He has made many references to disliking Darren Day
Darren Day
Darren Day , is an English actor, singer and television presenter, well known for his West End theatre starring roles.-Early life:His paternal grandfather was a support and warm-up act for George Formby...
in various episodes of the show.
TV series
A pilot for a television version of Genius was recorded on 23 November 2007, and a series was commissioned in the spring of 2008.The series was created by Ali Crockatt and David Scott, and is produced by Simon Nicholls
Simon Nicholls
Simon Nicholls is a radio and TV comedy producer at the BBC.When Ed Reardon approached Nicholls about an idea for a new radio show, "he was delighted...
.
The six part series started on Friday 20 March, 10pm on BBC2.
Episode One had celebrity guest Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate
Catherine Tate is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She has won numerous awards for her work on the sketch comedy series The Catherine Tate Show as well as being nominated for an International Emmy Award and four BAFTA Awards...
.
Episode Two had celebrity guest 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...
.
Episode Three had celebrity guest Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
.
Episode Four had celebrity guest Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas
Johnny Vegas is an English actor and comedian. He is known for his angry rants, portly figure, high husky voice and support of St Helens rugby league club. More recently he has moved into dramatic acting.-Early life:He was born in St Helens, Lancashire, the youngest of four children of Laurence...
.
Episode Five had celebrity guest Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer
Germaine Greer is an Australian writer, academic, journalist and scholar of early modern English literature, widely regarded as one of the most significant feminist voices of the later 20th century....
.
Episode Six had celebrity guest 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...
.
A second series for 2010 was commissioned by the BBC. The show broadcast its first episode on Monday 27 September 2010 at 10pm on BBC Two, the celebrity guests on the first show were Russell Howard
Russell Howard
Russell Joseph Howard is an English comedian best known for his TV show Russell Howard's Good News and his appearances on the topical panel TV show Mock The Week...
and Hazel Irvine
Hazel Irvine
Hazel Irvine , is a television presenter from the United Kingdom.- Life and career :Educated at Hermitage Academy in Helensburgh, she achieved an M.A. in History of Art at the University of St. Andrews, and competed in golf, netball and athletics at university level. In her final year she was...
. The second episode broadcast on Monday 4 October 2010 on BBC Two and the celebrity guests were The Hairy Bikers
The Hairy Bikers
David Myers and Simon "Si" King , collectively known as The Hairy Bikers, are British television presenters who have fronted the series The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, The Hairy Bikers Ride Again, The Hairy Bakers, The Hairy Bikers' Food Tour of Britain and The Hairy Bikers Mums Know...
and Jane Moore
Jane Moore
Jane Moore is a British journalist, author and television presenter.-Early life:Moore was born in Oxford, England. Her father was a professor of mathematics at the University of Oxford, and her mother was a teacher...
.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
On 24 April 2006, Gorman made his first appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in which he was credited as the show's Senior News Correspondent. On 27 April, he debuted as the host of the show's satirical statistical analysis piece called "Poll Smoking with Dave Gorman". He was the first Daily Show correspondent to have been born in England, and the third Daily Show correspondent to have been born outside of the United States. His most recent appearance on the show was on 5 October 2006. He has also appeared co-hosting a segment called "ConTROVersy" with the Daily Show's other English correspondent, John OliverJohn Oliver (comedian)
John Oliver is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for which he won an Emmy in 2009. He also plays a recurring character, Professor Ian Duncan, on the television series Community...
, in which the pair calmly and genteelly discussed former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
over tea, parodying American stereotypes of Britons.
Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
Gorman starred in the BBC ThreeBBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
TV series Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive is a British television show, first aired on BBC Three in July 2006. Devised by Paul Duddridge, it concerns the making of a comedy panel game show called Annually Retentive, themed around historical events, and hosted by Welsh comedian Rob Brydon...
, a show showing a behind-the-scenes view of a fictional comedy panel game. In the show Gorman plays a version of himself in the role of a team captain.
America Unchained
Between October 22 and December 5, 2006, Dave Gorman undertook a coast to coast road trip through seventeen states from the west coast to east coast of the United States of America. A book about the trip, entitled America Unchained: A Freewheeling Roadtrip In Search of Non-Corporate USA, was released on 3 April 2008. The rationale for the trip was to discover whether it is possible to travel across the USA without ever patronising any corporate or chain-style businesses : i.e. The ManThe Man
"The Man" is a slang phrase that may refer to the government or to some other authority in a position of power. In addition to this derogatory connotation, it may also serve as a term of respect and praise....
. Thus Dave ate, slept and filled his car in restaurants, hotels and petrol stations which were all independently owned.
America Unchained also is the name of an annual campaign spearheaded by the American Independent Business Alliance
American Independent Business Alliance
The American Independent Business Alliance is a non-profit organization that represents the interests of local independent businesses, helps communities develop strong local economies through nurturing local entrepreneurs, and promotes citizen engagement in local economic development...
since 2004 to promote the economic, cultural and democratic importance of independent locally-owned businesses.
A documentary film of the adventure was also made and was aired on the British TV channel More4
More4
More4 is a digital television channel, run by British broadcaster Channel 4, that launched on 10 October 2005. It is carried on Freeview, on satellite broadcasters Freesat and Sky, UK IPTV broadcaster TalkTalk TV and on UK cable network Virgin Media and in the Republic of Ireland cable networks...
on 5 February 2008 and released on DVD on 11 February. In 2007, it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature at the Austin Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
The Austin Film Festival was started in 1994 in Austin, Texas and is claimed to be "the first organization of its kind to focus on the writer’s unique creative contribution to the film and television industries"...
.
Dave's journey started in Coronado
Coronado
Coronado may refer to:* Francisco Vásquez de Coronado, a Spanish explorer* Rodney Coronado, a US activist* Coronado, California* Coronado, Chihuahua* Coronado, Kansas* Coronado * Coronado Yachts* Coronado 15...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and ended in Savannah
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and was continually challenged to find independently owned gas stations, as well as repairing the car itself - which broke down surprisingly little, considering the age and milage (124,000 at start)
Absolute Radio
Dave was a regular guest on The Geoff ShowThe Geoff Show
The Geoff Show was a humorous radio program, broadcast on Absolute Radio from 3 January 2006 to 25 September 2008.The show ran for three hours, between 10pm and 1am, Monday to Thursday. Presented by Geoff Lloyd, it also featured his 'symposium', comprising himself, Annabel Port and his producer...
, having been on a guest on the show 3 times (and also entering a phone-in competition whilst undertaking the Important Astrology Experiment), while he also had weekly interviews on Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show
Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show
Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show is a drivetime radio program, broadcast on Absolute Radio.The show runs for three hours, between 5pm and 8pm, Monday to Thursday, and for two hours, between 5pm and 7pm, on Fridays. Presented by Geoff Lloyd, it also featured his 'symposium', comprising himself, Annabel...
to discuss his bikeathon during his Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up Tour. He filled in for weekend presenter 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...
for 3 weeks during the summer of 2009. The station subsequently announced that he would have a full-time show; his first show aired on 11 October, with Dave joined by Danielle Ward
Danielle Ward
Danielle Ward is a British stand-up comedian and writer.-Career:In 2006 Ward won the Time Outs Critic's Choice award for Best Newcomer and wrote Take A Break Tales - exaggerated adaptations of women's magazine stories - in which she appeared with Neil Edmond, Emma Fryer and Isy Suttie at the...
and Martin White.
Stand Up
Dave has performed numerous times as a stand up earlier in his career but more recently, on 30 August 2009 he began a 32 date tour called Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up. The tour saw him covering the extremes of the British mainland as he cycled from Britain's southernmost point to its northernmost tip, taking in the most easterly and westerly points along the way and performing each night of the journey.In 2010 Dave performed a 37 date tour as an extension of his 2009 Sit Down, Pedal, Pedal, Stop and Stand Up Tour. About this show he says: "I won't be cycling to these. Same show, fewer blisters".
On 12 July 2010, he performed the show again - twice in one evening - at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London, which was recorded for a future DVD release. Prior to the recording, Gorman performed the act again as The Warm Up Show at four small venues in the UK in order to freshen his memory.
Other appearances
Dave appeared on two episodes of Have I Got News For YouHave 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...
, including the famous episode in which host Angus Deayton
Angus Deayton
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...
was teased about a story that appeared about him in the news that week. He also appeared in one episode of Sport Comedy Quiz They Think It's All Over
They Think It's All Over (TV series)
They Think It's All Over was a British comedy panel game with a sporting theme produced by Talkback Thames and shown on BBC One. The show's name is taken from Kenneth Wolstenholme's famous 1966 World Cup commentary quotation, "they think it's all over...it is now!" and the show used the phrase as...
. Dave also appeared on episode nine on the A Series of QI
QI
QI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
with Jo Brand
Jo Brand
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
and Jeremy Hardy
Jeremy Hardy
Jeremy James Hardy is a British alternative comedian who is also known for his socialist politics.-Career:Hardy was born in Farnborough, Hampshire. He attended Farnham College and studied Modern History and Politics at the University of Southampton...
, in which he won. He appeared again in 2011 in the I Series
QI (I series)
This is a list of episodes of QI, the BBC comedy panel game television programme hosted by Stephen Fry. It will air on BBC Two, rather than BBC One as it has in recent years. It is the ninth series of QI.- Episodes :...
, winning again. Dave was a regular alongside Geoff Lloyd
Geoff Lloyd
Geoff Lloyd is a British radio presenter. Lloyd presents Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show, Monday-Friday, 5pm-8pm on Absolute Radio...
on Virgin Radio's The Geoff Show
The Geoff Show
The Geoff Show was a humorous radio program, broadcast on Absolute Radio from 3 January 2006 to 25 September 2008.The show ran for three hours, between 10pm and 1am, Monday to Thursday. Presented by Geoff Lloyd, it also featured his 'symposium', comprising himself, Annabel Port and his producer...
, also appearing on the same presenter's Hometime Show
Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show
Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show is a drivetime radio program, broadcast on Absolute Radio.The show runs for three hours, between 5pm and 8pm, Monday to Thursday, and for two hours, between 5pm and 7pm, on Fridays. Presented by Geoff Lloyd, it also featured his 'symposium', comprising himself, Annabel...
, following the station's rebranding as Absolute Radio, before Dave joined the station as a presenter himself. He has made many appearances on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff
The Wright Stuff
The Wright Stuff is a British television chat show, hosted by Matthew Wright, and currently airing on Channel 5 each weekday morning from 9:15 to 11:10am....
. Dave has appeared on several episodes of Radio 4's Just a Minute
Just a Minute
Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons. Its first transmission on Radio 4 was on 22 December 1967, three months after the station's launch. The Radio 4 programme won a Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 2003....
. He has listed among his ambitions a wish to become a captain on the quiz show Call My Bluff. He appeared as a guest on the 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...
show Opinionated on 23 April 2010.
In 2001, he appeared on Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
(for one episode), as Rimmer, a photographer in season 4 episode 3 ("Paris").
Dave appeared on the week-long special Grand Designs Live
Grand Designs
Grand Designs is a British television series produced by Talkback Thames and broadcast on Channel 4 which features unusual and often elaborate architectural home-building projects....
, in which he showcased eccentric houses in America.
Dave also voiced a campaign for Homebase
Homebase
Homebase is a British home improvement store and garden centre, with 350 stores across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. It is well known by its green and orange colour scheme. Together with its sister company Argos , it forms part of Home Retail Group. Homebase recorded sales figures...
, the UK DIY chain.
In 2009 he appeared in Robert Llewellyn's
Robert Llewellyn
Robert Llewellyn is an English actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known as the mechanoid Kryten in the hit sitcom Red Dwarf, and for his role as presenter of Scrapheap Challenge.-Early career:...
online programme Carpool which can be viewed at Llewellyn's website, LlewTube.
He presented Bravo TV's first live PDC
Professional Darts Corporation
The Professional Darts Corporation is a professional darts organization, established in the United Kingdom during 1992, when a group of leading professional players split from the British Darts Organisation to form what was initially called the World Darts Council...
darts coverage alongside James Richardson
James Richardson (television presenter)
James "AC Jimbo" Richardson is a television presenter and journalist. He is best known as a former presenter of Channel 4's Football Italia programme and co-presenter of Setanta Sports' The Friday Football Show and Football Matters...
during the 2010 European Championship Darts
2010 European Championship Darts
The 2010 European Championship was the third edition of the PDC tournament, the European Championship, which allows the top European players to compete against the highest ranked players from the PDC Order of Merit. The tournament took place from July 29 to August 1, featuring a field of 32 players...
.
Dave was a guest in an October 2010 episode of Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
, where he revealed he is a Liverpool FC fan.
External links
- Dave Gorman's website
- Dave Gorman's Twitter Stream
- Dave Gorman's photos on Flickr
- Dave Gorman's profile page on Chortle, including tour dates
- Interview – from the B3taB3taB3ta is a high-profile British website, described as a "puerile digital arts community" by The Guardian. It was founded in 2001 by Rob Manuel, Denise Wilton and Cal Henderson....
website. - BBC Genius page
- Dave Gorman's Blog