Rob Brydon
Encyclopedia
Rob Brydon is a BAFTA-nominated Welsh actor, comedian, radio and television presenter, singer and impressionist
. He played Uncle Bryn in the comedy drama Gavin and Stacey, is the host of panel quiz show Would I Lie to You?
, plays a parody of himself in Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive
and played Keith Barret in the BBC comedy Marion and Geoff
and its spin-off The Keith Barret Show
. He also hosts The Rob Brydon Show
, a fun chat show hit for the BBC. Brydon has worked with a number of comedians and actors, notably Steve Coogan
and Julia Davis
.
. His mother, Joy Jones (née Brydon), was a school teacher, and his father, Howard Jones, was a car dealer. He grew up near Swansea in Baglan in the town of Port Talbot
.
Brydon was educated at two independent schools: at St. John's School in Porthcawl
, which Eddie Izzard
also attended, and Dumbarton House School
in Swansea until the age of 14; this was followed by Porthcawl Comprehensive School, where he became a member of the school's youth theatre group. While at Dumbarton he once stole fellow pupil Catherine Zeta-Jones
's lunch money (which he admitted while participating in a series-four episode of Would I Lie To You?).
in Cardiff
, but left to join Radio Wales
at the age of 20 without graduating from the college.
Brydon's career began with radio. His early broadcasts included DJing on BBC Radio Wales
, when his Saturday morning shows included contributions from standup comedian Pete Park-Walker. Between 1992 and 1994 on Radio Wales (where he stayed for six years) he was the main presenter of Rave, one of BBC Radio 5
's youth magazine and music programmes, with Alan Thompson
; which led to the genesis of his Marion and Geoff
story.
In 1994 and 1995 he appeared in numerous episodes of the original Radio Wales version of the cult comedy Satellite City
with Boyd Clack
.
Though he stayed with radio as a comedy performer on BBC Radio Five Live
's The Treatment, Rob also does occasional stints as a stand-in presenter on BBC Radio 2
, where he has even stood in for Ken Bruce
, one of the people whom he impersonates. On 1 April 2011 he appeared in Ken's place on his show as an April Fools' Day
joke.
In 2010 he appeared as a guest on the Good Food HD programme, Ronnie Corbett's Supper Club
, with his good friend Steve Speirs. The show's premise is, the main guest of the programme has to choose a meal as if it were their last, and Ronnie would cook it for him/her and his other guest, whilst they chatted about the guest's past and their current/future projects.
computer games and continuity announcements for BBC 1. He is also known for voice-over work in television advertising, including those for Renault
, Tango
, The Times
, Tesco
, Abbey National
, Sainsburys, McDonald's
, Toilet Duck
, Cahoot
, Mint Card, Pot Noodle
, Domino's Pizza
, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
, The Observer
and Fairy Liquid. He also voiced the main character, Lewton, in the Discworld
computer game Discworld Noir
.
, and began to find small roles in several successful films and television series. In 2000 he made his mark in television comedy, with two series which he co-wrote and performed in for the BBC: the Julia Davis
co-written Human Remains and the commercially successful Marion and Geoff
.
Since these series Brydon has developed a career path as a character actor, in both comedic and serious roles. He portrayed controversial theatre critic Kenneth Tynan
in the BBC Four film Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore (2005), opposite Julian Sands
as Sir Laurence Olivier.
His character Bryn West in the Ruth Jones
and James Corden
-written Gavin and Stacey allowed him to return to his South Wales roots. In this role Brydon performed the 2009 Comic Relief
charity single, "Islands in the Stream
", with Ruth Jones
(both actors appearing as their characters from Gavin & Stacey) and singer Tom Jones
. It reached number one in the UK singles chart
on 15 March 2009.
In 2010 Brydon starred alongside Steve Coogan
in Michael Winterbottom
's partially improvised BBC 2 sitcom The Trip
in which both actors played exaggerated versions of their own perceived public personas (Brydon, affable and always ready to slip into an impression, Coogan, grumpy and frustrated not to be the major international star he believes he should be).
Brydon's book Small Man in a Book (the title a play on his "small-man-in-a-box" impression), was pubished in November 2011.
. His singing voice even earned the unprecedented accolade by the erstwhile host, Humphrey Lyttelton
, of being "not bad". When the team went on a tour of non-broadcast stage shows, Brydon filled in as chairman when Lyttelton was in hospital to repair an aortic aneurysm. A message was played to the audience in which Lyttelton commented on his absence. Three days later Lyttelton died in hospital after surgery.
In February 2009, it was announced that Brydon would be one of three people to replace Lyttelton as chairman of the 51st series of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (the others being Stephen Fry
and Jack Dee
). Brydon also appeared as guest panelist in the first two episodes of series 52, chaired by Jack Dee. He returned as a guest panelist in the last two episodes of series 54 in January 2011.
Additionally, he took over from Angus Deayton
as host of Would I Lie To You?
in 2009.
Brydon has also presented an episode of Have I Got News for You
, and has appeared on BBC Radio 4's panel game Just a Minute
.
Brydon also narrated a two-part programme on BBC Radio 4, The Pain of Laughter: The Last Days of Kenneth Williams. It explored the latter part of Williams
's life, featuring many of the performer's friends and contemporaries.
In other radio work Brydon sat in for Ken Bruce
on BBC Radio 2 for one day only on 25 August 2008. In addition to this, on 1 April 2011, Brydon impersonated Ken Bruce
, for the entire two hour and thirty minute show. He then had the real Ken Bruce
at the end of the show reveal the prank. He later tweeted "Well I don't know about you but I thought Ken Bruce was superb today. Much sexier than usual :)"
He has made a number of appearances on the TV comedy quiz QI
. In his first appearance (A series, episode 5), his talent for mimicry was displayed with impressions of Alec Guinness
, James Dean
and Michael J. Fox
. In the 2008 Christmas Special he also provided impressions of Richard Burton
and Tom Jones
.
In 2010, Brydon took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala
, a benefit show
in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital
, filmed live at the O2 Arena
in London on 30 March.
On 6 October 2006 Brydon married Claire Holland, a former producer on the South Bank Show, at Windsor
church. They live in Strawberry Hill
in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
, and have two sons, Tom, born in April 2008, and George, born in June 2011.
A fanatical golfer, Rob Brydon is also a Swansea City fan and is an ambassador to their 1912 foundation.
Brydon has been mistaken for comedian Ben Miller
(and vice versa), whom he appeared alongside (and kissed) on QI episode 6.9, Future.
Other appearances
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
. He played Uncle Bryn in the comedy drama Gavin and Stacey, is the host of panel quiz show 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...
, plays a parody of himself in 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...
and played Keith Barret in the BBC comedy Marion and Geoff
Marion and Geoff
Marion and Geoff is a BBC television mockumentary, produced by Baby Cow Productions and screened on BBC Two in 2000, with a second series following in 2003. The series starred Rob Brydon as Keith Barret, a naïve taxicab driver going through a messy divorce from his wife, Marion, who, though he...
and its spin-off The Keith Barret Show
The Keith Barret Show
The Keith Barret Show is a spoof BBC chat show hosted by Keith Barret who interviews celebrity couples in the hope of finding the secret to a successful marriage . It was devised by Paul Duddridge and co written with Rob Brydon...
. He also hosts The Rob Brydon Show
The Rob Brydon Show
The Rob Brydon Show is a British talk show hosted by comedian Rob Brydon. The first series started on 17 September 2010 and consists of six regular episodes, a compilation episode and a Christmas special...
, a fun chat show hit for the BBC. Brydon has worked with a number of comedians and actors, notably 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...
and Julia Davis
Julia Davis
Julia Davis is an English comedy writer and performer, best known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy Nighty Night.-Background:...
.
Early life and studies
Robert Brydon Jones was born on 3 May 1965 in SwanseaSwansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
. His mother, Joy Jones (née Brydon), was a school teacher, and his father, Howard Jones, was a car dealer. He grew up near Swansea in Baglan in the town of Port Talbot
Port Talbot
Port Talbot is a town in Neath Port Talbot, Wales. It had a population of 35,633 in 2001.-History:Port Talbot grew out of the original small port and market town of Aberafan , which belonged to the medieval Lords of Afan. The area of the parish of Margam lying on the west bank of the lower Afan...
.
Brydon was educated at two independent schools: at St. John's School in Porthcawl
Porthcawl
Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
, which Eddie Izzard
Eddie Izzard
Edward John "Eddie" Izzard is a British stand-up comedian and actor. His comedy style takes the form of rambling, whimsical monologue and self-referential pantomime...
also attended, and Dumbarton House School
Dumbarton House School
Dumbarton House School was a co-educational independent school located in Swansea, Wales in south Wales. The school opened in 1923 and closed in 1993. The buildings were demolished to make way for a new block of flats.-Notable former pupils:...
in Swansea until the age of 14; this was followed by Porthcawl Comprehensive School, where he became a member of the school's youth theatre group. While at Dumbarton he once stole fellow pupil Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...
's lunch money (which he admitted while participating in a series-four episode of Would I Lie To You?).
Career
Brydon attended the Royal Welsh College of Music & DramaRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama
The Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama is a conservatoire within the University of Glamorgan Group located in Cardiff, Wales....
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, but left to join Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave...
at the age of 20 without graduating from the college.
Brydon's career began with radio. His early broadcasts included DJing on BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is the BBC's national radio station broadcasting to Wales in the English language. Operated by BBC Wales, it began broadcasting on 12 November 1978 following the demise of the old "Radio 4 Wales" when BBC Radio 4 became a national network and moved from medium wave to long wave...
, when his Saturday morning shows included contributions from standup comedian Pete Park-Walker. Between 1992 and 1994 on Radio Wales (where he stayed for six years) he was the main presenter of Rave, one of BBC Radio 5
BBC Radio 5 (former)
BBC Radio 5 was a BBC radio network that carried sport, children's and educational programmes.It was transmitted via analogue radio on 693 and 909 kHz, and lasted for three years and eight months. The success of BBC Radio 4's coverage of the Gulf War, on a service known as Scud FM,...
's youth magazine and music programmes, with Alan Thompson
Alan Thompson (Welsh radio broadcaster)
-External links:*...
; which led to the genesis of his Marion and Geoff
Marion and Geoff
Marion and Geoff is a BBC television mockumentary, produced by Baby Cow Productions and screened on BBC Two in 2000, with a second series following in 2003. The series starred Rob Brydon as Keith Barret, a naïve taxicab driver going through a messy divorce from his wife, Marion, who, though he...
story.
In 1994 and 1995 he appeared in numerous episodes of the original Radio Wales version of the cult comedy Satellite City
Satellite City (sitcom)
Satellite City was a Welsh sitcom which started out originally as a radio show on BBC Radio Wales in 1994 and then evolved into a TV version made by BBC Wales and was first broadcast in 1996....
with Boyd Clack
Boyd Clack
Boyd Clack is a Welsh writer, actor, and musician.He was born in Vancouver, Canada but grew up in Tonyrefail in Wales. His acting credits include Twin Town, High Hopes and Satellite City. He also co-wrote both High Hopes and Satellite City...
.
Though he stayed with radio as a comedy performer on BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
's The Treatment, Rob also does occasional stints as a stand-in presenter on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, where he has even stood in for Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
, one of the people whom he impersonates. On 1 April 2011 he appeared in Ken's place on his show as an April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
joke.
In 2010 he appeared as a guest on the Good Food HD programme, Ronnie Corbett's Supper Club
Ronnie Corbett's Supper Club
Ronnie Corbett's Supper Club is a television pilot that broadcast on the UKTV channel, Good Food in August 2010. It was hosted by Scottish comedian, Ronnie Corbett, who cooked his guest's chosen meal if it were to be their last. Ronnie's guest in the Pilot, was Welsh comedian and star of Gavin and...
, with his good friend Steve Speirs. The show's premise is, the main guest of the programme has to choose a meal as if it were their last, and Ronnie would cook it for him/her and his other guest, whilst they chatted about the guest's past and their current/future projects.
Voiceover artist
Brydon was first known nationally as a voice artist. He provided several voices for the DiscworldDiscworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
computer games and continuity announcements for BBC 1. He is also known for voice-over work in television advertising, including those for Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
, Tango
Tango (drink)
Tango is a carbonated soft drink sold primarily in the United Kingdom and Ireland and from 2010 in Sweden, Norway and Hungary as well, first launched by Corona in 1950. Corona were bought by the Beecham Group in 1958, and Beecham Soft Drinks were bought by Britvic in 1987...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
, Abbey National
Abbey (bank)
Abbey National plc was a UK-based bank and former building society, which latterly traded under the Abbey brand name. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Santander of Spain in 2004, and was rebranded as Santander in January 2010, forming Santander UK along with the savings business of the...
, Sainsburys, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Toilet Duck
Toilet Duck
Toilet Duck is a brand name toilet cleaner noted for the duck-shape of its bottle, so shaped to assist in dispensing the cleaner under the rim. The design was patented in the 1980s by Walter Düring from Dällikon, Switzerland. It is now produced by S. C. Johnson & Son.Toilet Duck suppliers are...
, Cahoot
Cahoot
cahoot is the internet division of Santander UK plc, the United Kingdom subsidiary of Banco Santander of Spain. Cahoot was launched in 2000 as the internet-based banking brand of Abbey National plc, and at the end of 2004 had some 650,000 customers...
, Mint Card, Pot Noodle
Pot Noodle
Pot Noodle is a brand of ramen-style instant noodle snack foods, available in a selection of flavours and varieties. Its dehydrated mixture consists of wide noodles, textured soya pieces, assorted dried vegetables and flavouring powder. The product is prepared by adding boiling water, which softens...
, Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
Crunchy Nut is a breakfast cereal made by Kellogg's, made with flakes of corn, a small amount of honey, three types of sugar, and chopped peanuts...
, 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,...
and Fairy Liquid. He also voiced the main character, Lewton, in the Discworld
Discworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
computer game Discworld Noir
Discworld Noir
Discworld Noir is a computer game based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld comic fantasy novels, and unlike the previous Discworld games is both an example and parody of the noir genre. The game was developed by Perfect Entertainment and published by GT Interactive. It was originally released in 1999...
.
Writing breakthrough
In the early 1990s he spent a brief stint presenting for the Home Shopping NetworkHome Shopping Network
Home Shopping Network or HSN began in 1977 as a 24-hour/7 day a week home shopping television network televised via cable, satellite, and some terrestrial channels in the Philippines. HSN can also be shopped online at hsn.com...
, and began to find small roles in several successful films and television series. In 2000 he made his mark in television comedy, with two series which he co-wrote and performed in for the BBC: the Julia Davis
Julia Davis
Julia Davis is an English comedy writer and performer, best known for writing and starring in the BBC Three comedy Nighty Night.-Background:...
co-written Human Remains and the commercially successful Marion and Geoff
Marion and Geoff
Marion and Geoff is a BBC television mockumentary, produced by Baby Cow Productions and screened on BBC Two in 2000, with a second series following in 2003. The series starred Rob Brydon as Keith Barret, a naïve taxicab driver going through a messy divorce from his wife, Marion, who, though he...
.
Since these series Brydon has developed a career path as a character actor, in both comedic and serious roles. He portrayed controversial theatre critic Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Tynan
Kenneth Peacock Tynan was an influential and often controversial English theatre critic and writer.-Early life:...
in the BBC Four film Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore (2005), opposite Julian Sands
Julian Sands
Julian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
as Sir Laurence Olivier.
His character Bryn West in the Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones is a Welsh TV actress and writer. She starred in and co-wrote the multi-award winning TV comedy Gavin & Stacey and has appeared in many other successful comedies over recent years...
and James Corden
James Corden
James Kimberley Corden is an English actor, television writer, producer and presenter. He is co-creator and star of BBC comedy shows Gavin & Stacey and Horne & Corden, and acted in the 2009 film Lesbian Vampire Killers....
-written Gavin and Stacey allowed him to return to his South Wales roots. In this role Brydon performed the 2009 Comic Relief
Comic Relief
Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...
charity single, "Islands in the Stream
Islands in the Stream
"Islands in the Stream" is the title of a song written by the Bee Gees and sung by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers' album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton...
", with Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones
Ruth Jones is a Welsh TV actress and writer. She starred in and co-wrote the multi-award winning TV comedy Gavin & Stacey and has appeared in many other successful comedies over recent years...
(both actors appearing as their characters from Gavin & Stacey) and singer Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
. It reached number one in the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
on 15 March 2009.
In 2010 Brydon starred alongside 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...
in Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom is a prolific English filmmaker who has directed seventeen feature films in the past fifteen years. He began his career working in British television before moving into features...
's partially improvised BBC 2 sitcom The Trip
The Trip (2010 TV series)
The Trip is a BAFTA award-winning television sitcom series which was first broadcast on BBC Two and BBC HD in the United Kingdom. The series stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as fictionalised versions of themselves undertaking a restaurant tour of northern England.The six episode series, which is...
in which both actors played exaggerated versions of their own perceived public personas (Brydon, affable and always ready to slip into an impression, Coogan, grumpy and frustrated not to be the major international star he believes he should be).
Brydon's book Small Man in a Book (the title a play on his "small-man-in-a-box" impression), was pubished in November 2011.
Panelist/chairman
In 2006 Brydon first appeared on the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel-game I'm Sorry I Haven't a ClueI'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, sometimes abbreviated to ISIHAC or Clue, is a BBC radio comedy panel game broadcast since 11 April 1972 at the rate of one or two series each year , transmitted on BBC Radio 4, with occasional repeats on BBC Radio 4 Extra and the BBC's World Service...
. His singing voice even earned the unprecedented accolade by the erstwhile host, Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Lyttelton
Humphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
, of being "not bad". When the team went on a tour of non-broadcast stage shows, Brydon filled in as chairman when Lyttelton was in hospital to repair an aortic aneurysm. A message was played to the audience in which Lyttelton commented on his absence. Three days later Lyttelton died in hospital after surgery.
In February 2009, it was announced that Brydon would be one of three people to replace Lyttelton as chairman of the 51st series of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (the others being 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 Jack Dee
Jack Dee
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer known for his sardonic, curmudgeonly, and deadpan style.-Early life:...
). Brydon also appeared as guest panelist in the first two episodes of series 52, chaired by Jack Dee. He returned as a guest panelist in the last two episodes of series 54 in January 2011.
Additionally, he took over from 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...
as host of 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 2009.
Brydon has also presented an episode 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...
, and has appeared on BBC Radio 4's panel game 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....
.
Brydon also narrated a two-part programme on BBC Radio 4, The Pain of Laughter: The Last Days of Kenneth Williams. It explored the latter part of Williams
Kenneth Williams
Kenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
's life, featuring many of the performer's friends and contemporaries.
In other radio work Brydon sat in for Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
on BBC Radio 2 for one day only on 25 August 2008. In addition to this, on 1 April 2011, Brydon impersonated Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
, for the entire two hour and thirty minute show. He then had the real Ken Bruce
Ken Bruce
Kenneth Robertson Bruce is a British broadcaster known for his programme on BBC Radio 2, which is broadcast on weekdays from 9:30am until 12 noon.-Early life and career:...
at the end of the show reveal the prank. He later tweeted "Well I don't know about you but I thought Ken Bruce was superb today. Much sexier than usual :)"
He has made a number of appearances on the TV comedy quiz 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...
. In his first appearance (A series, episode 5), his talent for mimicry was displayed with impressions of Alec Guinness
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE was an English actor. He was featured in several of the Ealing Comedies, including Kind Hearts and Coronets in which he played eight different characters. He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Colonel Nicholson in The Bridge on the River Kwai...
, James Dean
James Dean
James Byron Dean was an American film actor. He is a cultural icon, best embodied in the title of his most celebrated film, Rebel Without a Cause , in which he starred as troubled Los Angeles teenager Jim Stark...
and Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
. In the 2008 Christmas Special he also provided impressions of Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
and Tom Jones
Tom Jones (singer)
Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
.
Stand-up comedy
In 2009/10 Brydon had his first stand-up tour as Rob Brydon (rather than as a differently named character) in the UK. The resulting DVD of the 2009/10 show, Rob Brydon: Live, was released on 23 November 2009. Brydon appeared as a host on episode two of series five of the BBC series of Live at the Apollo.In 2010, Brydon took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala
Channel 4's Comedy Gala
Channel 4's Comedy Gala is a British stand-up comedy benefit show organised Channel 4 in aid of the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. The gig is filmed live at the O2 Arena in London, and then broadcast later by Channel 4...
, a benefit show
Benefit concert
A benefit concert or charity concert is a concert, show or gala featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate humanitarian crisis. Such events raise both funds and public awareness to address the cause at...
in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children is a children's hospital located in London, United Kingdom...
, filmed live at the O2 Arena
The O2 arena (London)
The O2 Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in the centre of The O2, a large entertainment complex on the Greenwich peninsula in London, England.With a capacity of up to 20,000 depending on the event, it is second largest...
in London on 30 March.
Personal life
From his first marriage Brydon has two daughters, Katie, born September 1994 and Amy, born August 1999, and a son, Harry, born October 1996.On 6 October 2006 Brydon married Claire Holland, a former producer on the South Bank Show, at Windsor
Windsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
church. They live in Strawberry Hill
Strawberry Hill, London
Strawberry Hill is an affluent area of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames in Twickenham. It is a suburban development situated 10.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It consists of a number of residential roads centered around a small development of shops and serviced by Strawberry...
in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is a London borough in South West London, UK, which forms part of Outer London. It is unique because it is the only London borough situated both north and south of the River Thames.-Settlement:...
, and have two sons, Tom, born in April 2008, and George, born in June 2011.
A fanatical golfer, Rob Brydon is also a Swansea City fan and is an ambassador to their 1912 foundation.
Brydon has been mistaken for comedian Ben Miller
Ben Miller
Bennet Evan "Ben" Miller is an English comedian, actor and director. He is perhaps best known as one half of comedy double act Armstrong and Miller, along with Alexander Armstrong. Together the pair wrote and starred in Channel 4 sketch show Armstrong and Miller, and the more recent BBC television...
(and vice versa), whom he appeared alongside (and kissed) on QI episode 6.9, Future.
Filmography and television/radio appearances
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1992–1994 | Rave | |
| 1992 | The Healer | Sean |
| 1994 | Satellite City Satellite City (sitcom) Satellite City was a Welsh sitcom which started out originally as a radio show on BBC Radio Wales in 1994 and then evolved into a TV version made by BBC Wales and was first broadcast in 1996.... |
Radio show |
| 1995 | The Treatment | |
| Eleven Men Against Eleven | Radio commentator | |
| First Knight First Knight First Knight is a 1995 American medieval film based on Arthurian legend, directed by Jerry Zucker. It stars Richard Gere as Lancelot, Julia Ormond as Guinevere, Sean Connery as King Arthur and Ben Cross as Malagant.... |
Man in crowd | |
| 1996 | Lord of Misrule | Cornish policeman |
| Cold Lazarus Cold Lazarus Cold Lazarus is a four-part British television drama written by Dennis Potter with the knowledge that he was dying of cancer of the pancreas.... |
Karl | |
| 1998 | Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence is a 1998 British romantic comedy directed by Nick Hamm... |
Bus driver |
| Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is a 1998 British crime film directed and written by Guy Ritchie. The story is a heist film involving a self-confident young card sharp who loses £500,000 to a powerful crime lord in a rigged game of three card brag... |
Traffic warden | |
| 2000 | Human Remains | Peter Moorcross, Gordon Budge, Stephen, Tony, Barne Willers, Les |
| 2000–2003 | Marion and Geoff Marion and Geoff Marion and Geoff is a BBC television mockumentary, produced by Baby Cow Productions and screened on BBC Two in 2000, with a second series following in 2003. The series starred Rob Brydon as Keith Barret, a naïve taxicab driver going through a messy divorce from his wife, Marion, who, though he... |
Keith Barret |
| 2001 | A Small Summer Party | Keith Barret |
| A Knight's Tale | First Villager | |
| The Way We Live Now The Way We Live Now (2001 TV serial) The Way We Live Now is a 2001 four-part television adaptation of the novel by Anthony Trollope. The serial was first broadcast on the BBC and was directed by David Yates, written by Andrew Davies and produced by Nigel Stafford-Clark... |
Mr. Alf | |
| 2002 | 24 Hour Party People 24 Hour Party People 24 Hour Party People is a 2002 British film about Manchester's popular music community from 1976 to 1992, and specifically about Factory Records. It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce and directed by Michael Winterbottom... |
Ryan Letts |
| Black Books Black Books Black Books is a British sitcom television series created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan and produced by Nira Park, first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2004... |
B. Nugent | |
| Legend of the Lost Tribe | Prison guard | |
| I'm Alan Partridge I'm Alan Partridge I'm Alan Partridge is a BBC situation comedy starring Steve Coogan, of which two series of six episodes each were produced — the first in 1997 and the second in 2002... |
Baptist fan | |
| Cruise of the Gods Cruise of the Gods Cruise of the Gods was a one-off comedy/drama produced by Baby Cow Productions for the BBC. It starred Rob Brydon, Steve Coogan, David Walliams and James Corden... |
Andy van Allen | |
| 2004 | Shaun of the Dead Shaun of the Dead Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather... |
Football commentator/'Zombies from Hell!' presenter |
| 2004–2005 | The Keith Barret Show The Keith Barret Show The Keith Barret Show is a spoof BBC chat show hosted by Keith Barret who interviews celebrity couples in the hope of finding the secret to a successful marriage . It was devised by Paul Duddridge and co written with Rob Brydon... |
Keith Barret |
| 2005 | MirrorMask MirrorMask Mirrormask is a 2005 fantasy film from Jim Henson Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn Films, and Destination Films. It stars Stephanie Leonidas, Jason Barry, Rob Brydon, and Gina McKee. It is designed and directed by Dave McKean, written by Neil Gaiman from a story they developed together... |
Morris Campbell/Prime Minister |
| Supernova | Dr Paul Hamilton | |
| Little Britain Little Britain Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas... |
Roman de Vere (Series 3) | |
| Flight of the Conchords (radio series) Flight of the Conchords (radio series) Flight of the Conchords was a radio series broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 2005, starring the New Zealand musical comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. A 3-CD set containing all the episodes was released in 2006 by the BBC. Each disc consisted of 2 episodes... |
Narrator | |
| 2006 | A Cock and Bull Story A Cock and Bull Story A Cock and Bull Story is a 2006 British comedy film directed by Michael Winterbottom... |
Capt. Toby Shandy/ Rob Brydon |
| 2006–2007 | 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... |
Himself |
| 2007–2010 | Gavin and Stacey | Bryn West |
| 2009 | Horne & Corden Horne & Corden Horne & Corden was a British sketch show written by Jon Brown, Steve Dawson, Andrew Dawson, Tim Inman and the cast, script edited by Sam Ward, and starring Mathew Horne and James Corden. It aired on BBC television in 2009. The first episode was broadcast on 10 March 2009 on BBC Three... |
Narrator to olympic sketches |
| Live at the Apollo | Compere Master of Ceremonies A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving.... /stand-up |
|
| Gruffalo | TV film (Children's), Snake(voice) | |
| 2009–present | 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... |
Host of Series 3 & Series 4 |
| 2010-present | The Rob Brydon Show The Rob Brydon Show The Rob Brydon Show is a British talk show hosted by comedian Rob Brydon. The first series started on 17 September 2010 and consists of six regular episodes, a compilation episode and a Christmas special... |
Himself (Host) |
| 2010 | Ronnie Corbett's Supper Club Ronnie Corbett's Supper Club Ronnie Corbett's Supper Club is a television pilot that broadcast on the UKTV channel, Good Food in August 2010. It was hosted by Scottish comedian, Ronnie Corbett, who cooked his guest's chosen meal if it were to be their last. Ronnie's guest in the Pilot, was Welsh comedian and star of Gavin and... |
Himself (Guest) |
| The Trip The Trip (2010 TV series) The Trip is a BAFTA award-winning television sitcom series which was first broadcast on BBC Two and BBC HD in the United Kingdom. The series stars Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as fictionalised versions of themselves undertaking a restaurant tour of northern England.The six episode series, which is... |
Rob Brydon | |
| 2011 | The Trip (US Film Edit) | Rob Brydon |
| A Quiet Word With ... | Himself (Guest) |
Other appearances
- Discworld (video game) (voice actor – 1995)
- Discworld II: Missing Presumed...!? (voice actor – 1996)
- Discworld NoirDiscworld NoirDiscworld Noir is a computer game based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld comic fantasy novels, and unlike the previous Discworld games is both an example and parody of the noir genre. The game was developed by Perfect Entertainment and published by GT Interactive. It was originally released in 1999...
(voice actor – 1999) - Black BooksBlack BooksBlack Books is a British sitcom television series created by Dylan Moran and Graham Linehan and produced by Nira Park, first broadcast on Channel 4 from 2000 to 2004...
(2002) - Top GearTop Gear (current format)Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
(2003, 2008) - QIQIQI 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...
(2003, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) - Just a MinuteJust a MinuteJust 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....
(2004, 2005) - Director's CommentaryDirector's CommentaryDirectors Commentary was a comedy television series created and written by Paul Duddridge and produced by Miles Ross. It was made by Jones The Film for ITV and broadcast in 2004....
(2004) - The Big Fat Quiz of the YearThe Big Fat Quiz of the YearThe Big Fat Quiz of the Year is an annual British television programme broadcast in the last or first week of the year on Channel 4. Essentially, the show is a comedy panel game in the style of a pub quiz. Three teams, of two celebrities each, are asked questions relating to the events of the year...
(2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) - Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore (2005)
- Jack Dee Live at the Apollo (2005)
- I'm Sorry I Haven't a ClueI'm Sorry I Haven't a ClueI'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, sometimes abbreviated to ISIHAC or Clue, is a BBC radio comedy panel game broadcast since 11 April 1972 at the rate of one or two series each year , transmitted on BBC Radio 4, with occasional repeats on BBC Radio 4 Extra and the BBC's World Service...
(2006–2009) - Have I Got News for YouHave I Got News for YouHave 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...
(2006) - 100 Greatest Funny Moments (2006)
- Heroes and Villains: NapoleonNapoleon (2007 film)Napoleon is a 2007 United Kingdom television film first broadcast on BBC One on 12 November 2007. It tells the story of Napoleon's part in the Siege of Toulon in 1793....
(November 2007) - Rob Brydon's Identity Crisis (March 2008)
- 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...
(July 2008) - The One ShowThe One ShowThe One Show is a topical magazine-style daily television programme broadcast live on BBC One and BBC One HD, hosted by Alex Jones and Matt Baker. Chris Evans joins Jones to present the programme on Friday...
(December 2009) - Desert Island DiscsDesert Island DiscsDesert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
(May 2010)
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
IRE Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
EU | |||
| 2009 | "Islands in the Stream Islands in the Stream "Islands in the Stream" is the title of a song written by the Bee Gees and sung by American country music artists Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. It was released in August 1983 as the first single from Rogers' album Eyes That See in the Dark and the second pop number-one for both Rogers and Parton... " |
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