Neil Cole
Encyclopedia
Neil Cole is an English
television
presenter, comedian
, radio
broadcaster and actor
.
in 1972, and attended King Edward Grammar School
in Chelmsford
. He studied English & French Literature at Bristol University.
Hitchcock's Half Hour, who won the coveted Hackney Empire New Act of the Year
competition in 1998. They supported Harry Hill
and Ennio Marchetto
in West End Theatres, and appeared on BBC1's The Stand Up Show, BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends
and contributed to Channel 4's The Eleven O'Clock Show
before splitting up in 2000.
Neil returned to the stand-up circuit as a solo comic in February 2007, and supported Russell Brand
on his UK Tour over the summer 2007, as well as MCing live music events at the Royal Albert Hall. In March 2010 Neil's debut hour-long solo stand-up show - Neil By Mouth - premiered at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival
, and ran throughout the Edinburgh Festival Fringe August 2011, at Cabaret Voltaire.
Neil was a founder member of London sketch team The Pros From Dover alongside Phil Whelans & Richard Glover, and occasionally still guests with them.
. Before that, Cole presented the World Rally Championship
on Dave 2008-2010 before it moved to ESPN
in 2011. Cole has previously worked for BBC
, ITV
, Channel 4
, MTV
, AXN
, UKTV
, Extreme Sports Channel
, The Audi Channel and Sky One
.
He has reported on location from major international events including Race of Champions
, MTV Europe Music Awards
, 2006 FIFA World Cup
, World Rally Championship
, and World Cup Skateboarding
.
As a presenter, Neil has hosted (and often associate-produced) many shows, including:
Cole lives in London
, England
.
. Due for cinema release mid-2012
(including breaking new Scandinavian bands like Peter, Bjorn & John and The Concretes
in his feature Northern Xposure), Cole was the daytime DJ for NME Radio
from launch until summer 2009.
He has also guest-starred in two Sapphire & Steel
audio plays, All Fall Down and Dead Man Walking.
, Nero in Britannicus
, Wilson in The Ruffian On The Stair
, Willie in Blue Remembered Hills
, Mephistopheles in Dr Faustus, with various character roles in Mamet's Edmond
. Most recently, Cole played Steve in a production of Joe Bor's comedy drama 'Who Killed The Counsellor'.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
presenter, 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...
, radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
broadcaster and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Early life
Cole was born in BristolBristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
in 1972, and attended King Edward Grammar School
King Edward VI Grammar School (Chelmsford)
King Edward VI Grammar School, or KEGS, is a British grammar school located in the town of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It takes pupils between the ages of 11 and 18 — from Year 7 to 11 the pupils are exclusively male, although it becomes mixed in the sixth form .The present headteacher is Thomas...
in Chelmsford
Chelmsford
Chelmsford is the county town of Essex, England and the principal settlement of the borough of Chelmsford. It is located in the London commuter belt, approximately northeast of Charing Cross, London, and approximately the same distance from the once provincial Roman capital at Colchester...
. He studied English & French Literature at Bristol University.
Stand-up comedy
As a comedian, Cole was half of successful but short-lived stand-up double actDouble 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...
Hitchcock's Half Hour, who won the coveted Hackney Empire New Act of the Year
Hackney Empire New Act of the Year
The Hackney Empire New Act of the Year was a long-running annual competition that ran at the Hackney Empire theatre in London in order to encourage, discover and promote new stand-up comedy and New Variety talent...
competition in 1998. They supported 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 Ennio Marchetto
Ennio Marchetto
Ennio Marchetto is an Italian comedic live entertainer whose performances feature quick-change artistry, impersonations and his trademark bi-dimensional paper costumes...
in West End Theatres, and appeared on BBC1's The Stand Up Show, BBC Radio 4's Loose Ends
Loose Ends (radio)
Loose Ends is a British radio programme originally broadcast on Saturday mornings, and then transmitted early Saturday evenings from 1998 by BBC Radio 4. It was hosted by Ned Sherrin until he became ill in late 2006 with a reported throat infection, and later throat cancer...
and contributed to Channel 4's The Eleven O'Clock Show
The Eleven O'Clock Show
The 11 O'Clock Show was a satirical late-night British television comedy series on Channel 4, which featured topical sketches and commentary on news items.The series ran from 1998 to 2000, most notably while hosted by Iain Lee and Daisy Donovan...
before splitting up in 2000.
Neil returned to the stand-up circuit as a solo comic in February 2007, and supported Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
on his UK Tour over the summer 2007, as well as MCing live music events at the Royal Albert Hall. In March 2010 Neil's debut hour-long solo stand-up show - Neil By Mouth - premiered at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival
Glasgow International Comedy Festival
Glasgow International Comedy Festival is a comedy festival in Glasgow, Scotland.The comedy festival started in 2002 and is held annually in March....
, and ran throughout the Edinburgh Festival Fringe August 2011, at Cabaret Voltaire.
Neil was a founder member of London sketch team The Pros From Dover alongside Phil Whelans & Richard Glover, and occasionally still guests with them.
Television
Cole is a writer & presenter for new videogaming channel GINX TV. He is also a producer for World Series by RenaultWorld Series by Renault
The World Series by Renault, formerly the World Series by Nissan from 1998 to 2004, is a motor racing series. The series consists of the flagship Formula Renault 3.5 Series , the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and the Eurocup Mégane Trophy...
. Before that, Cole presented the World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
on Dave 2008-2010 before it moved to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in 2011. Cole has previously worked for 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...
, 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...
, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, AXN
AXN
AXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America...
, UKTV
UKTV
UKTV is a digital cable and satellite television network, formed through a joint venture between BBC Worldwide, a commercial subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation, and Scripps Networks Interactive, spun off from The E.W Scripps Company in 2008...
, Extreme Sports Channel
Extreme Sports Channel
The Extreme Sports Channel is a Netherlands-based extreme sports television channel available across Europe and the Middle East. Al Gosling had the idea for the channel in 1998.-History:...
, The Audi Channel and Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
.
He has reported on location from major international events including Race of Champions
Race of Champions
The Race of Champions is an international motorsport event held at the end of each year, featuring some of the world's best racing and rally drivers...
, MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
, 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, World Rally Championship
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
, and World Cup Skateboarding
World Cup Skateboarding
World Cup of Skateboarding is an international skateboarding federation, organizing the official World Championships of Skateboarding series and several other skateboard contests.-Venues:...
.
As a presenter, Neil has hosted (and often associate-produced) many shows, including:
- (for MTV) Select MTV, Euro Top 20, mtv:new, World Chart Express, MTV News and his own weekly live music and chat show, The Fridge.
- (for AXN) AXN Road Trip, Shakedown (also shown on ITV4ITV4ITV4 is a British television station which was launched on 1 November 2005. It is owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc, and is part of the ITV network. The channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action...
and Men & MotorsMen & MotorsMen & Motors was a men's lifestyle television channel in the UK. It was the last remaining station operated by the former Granada Sky Broadcasting joint venture, set up by Granada Television and satellite broadcaster British Sky Broadcasting in 1996...
, twice nominated for a Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television SocietyThe Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
Award 2006 & 2007)
- (for ITV2) Bedrock
Cole lives in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Film
Cole plays Pete in British comedy horror feature film Stag Hunt, starring alongside Mackenzie AstinMackenzie Astin
-Biography:Astin was born on May 12, 1973, in Los Angeles, California, the son of actress Patty Duke and actor John Astin. His older half-brother is actor Sean Astin. He attended Ralph Waldo Emerson Middle School and University High School in Los Angeles, California...
. Due for cinema release mid-2012
Radio
After several years hosting various shows on London 104.9 XfmXfm
Xfm is a brand of two commercial radio stations focused on alternative music, primarily indie pop, and owned by Global Radio.-History:Xfm was created in London in 1992 by Sammy Jacob, who later co-founded NME Radio in 2008. Xfm subsequently expanded to a network of four stations; there are...
(including breaking new Scandinavian bands like Peter, Bjorn & John and The Concretes
The Concretes
The Concretes are a popular Swedish indie pop band from Stockholm, currently composed of eight members.-History:The Concretes began with Victoria Bergsman, Maria Eriksson, and Lisa Milberg. Since their formation in 1995, they have gradually acquired new members, growing into an eight piece band...
in his feature Northern Xposure), Cole was the daytime DJ for NME Radio
NME Radio
NME Radio is the radio station from NME magazine, that broadcasts in a new commercially oriented alternative music format. It first began broadcasting on 24 June 2008.- History :...
from launch until summer 2009.
He has also guest-starred in two Sapphire & Steel
Sapphire & Steel
Sapphire & Steel is a British television science-fiction fantasy series starring David McCallum as Steel and Joanna Lumley as Sapphire. Produced by ATV, it ran from 1979 to 1982 on the ITV network. The series was created by Peter J. Hammond who conceived the programme under the working title The...
audio plays, All Fall Down and Dead Man Walking.
Theatre
As an actor, Cole has appeared in leading roles including: Puck in A Midsummernight's Dream, Hal in LootLoot (play)
Loot is a two-act play by the English playwright Joe Orton. The play is a dark farce that satirises the Roman Catholic Church, social attitudes to death, and the integrity of the police force....
, Nero in Britannicus
Britannicus (play)
Britannicus is a tragic play by the French dramatist Jean Racine.The play, produced in 1669, was the first time Racine had tried his hand at depicting Roman history. The tale of moral choice takes as its subject Britannicus, the son of the Roman emperor Claudius, and heir to the imperial throne...
, Wilson in The Ruffian On The Stair
The Ruffian on the Stair
The Ruffian On the Stair is a play by British playwright Joe Orton first broadcast on BBC Radio in August 1964. It is an unsympathetic yet comedic one-act portrayal of working class England, as played out by a couple and a mysterious young man who toys with their lives...
, Willie in Blue Remembered Hills
Blue Remembered Hills
Blue Remembered Hills is a television play by Dennis Potter, originally broadcast on January 30, 1979 as part of the BBC's Play for Today series....
, Mephistopheles in Dr Faustus, with various character roles in Mamet's Edmond
Edmond (play)
Edmond is a one-act play written by David Mamet. It premiered at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, on June 4, 1982. The first New York production was October 27 of the same year, at the Provincetown Playhouse. The play consists of twenty-three short scenes. In the original production, each of the...
. Most recently, Cole played Steve in a production of Joe Bor's comedy drama 'Who Killed The Counsellor'.