Samuel Preston
Encyclopedia
Samuel Dylan Murray Preston (born 16 January 1982, more commonly known as Preston) is a British
singer, who was the lead singer of pop band The Ordinary Boys
. He appeared in the reality television show Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, in which he finished fourth. After The Ordinary Boys split up, he embarked on a successful song writing career.
, West Sussex
. He was educated at Sompting
Abbotts public School and Bishop Luffa School
. He is son to Anthony and Miranda Preston, and brother to Alex and Lucy Preston. His grandfather is the Princeton University English professor Samuel Hynes. His brother, Alex Preston
, is a novelist.
. Their most famous song, Boys Will Be Boys, featured in the fifth Harry Potter
movie
, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
.
After The Ordinary Boys split, Preston started working on material for a solo album, and released the song "Dressed to Kill", on 5 July 2009 as part of T4
. The song samples
the introduction from the song "Happy House
" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The single was released on 7 September 2009 but failed to chart after Preston had to delay the launch and pull out of promotional performances after breaking both arms in a bicycle accident.
He is now a DJ and songwriter.
In 2011, Preston co-wrote the Number One Olly Murs song "Heart Skips a Beat
" .
Preston announced the reforming of the Ordinary Boys in 2011, and a new 12-date tour .
's Celebrity Big Brother programme. He became close to later winner Chantelle Houghton
, despite being in a relationship. Preston was evicted during the final episode on 27 January 2006, finishing in fourth place. On 24 August 2010 he returned to the show for Ultimate Big Brother along with ex-wife Chantelle; he finished sixth.
In 2007, Preston filmed a documentary on voodoo for Channel 4
. He has also presented Top of the Pops
and CD:UK
.
In January 2007, Preston appeared as a guest panelist on comedy gameshow Never Mind the Buzzcocks
. He walked out of the studio during the programme's recording, offended by jokes made at Houghton's expense by the show's host Simon Amstell
. In an August 2009 interview he admitted that he regretted walking off the show and said that he would return to the programme if asked, saying "I'm struggling to think why I would have acted so weird."
girlfriend, Camille Aznar. He kept in contact with Houghton, and broke up with Aznar a month later to allow Houghton to move into his Brighton
flat. He and Houghton got engaged on 11 April 2006, and in an exclusive £300,000 deal each with OK! magazine, they were married on 25 August 2006 at the Dartmouth House
in Mayfair, London
.
After their honeymoon, the couple moved to Preston's flat in Brighton, East Sussex
. In a later 2008 interview with Piers Morgan
, Houghton admitted that Preston had told her one month after the wedding that he had not wanted to marry her.
On 27 June 2007, Preston and Houghton announced their separation, and received the decree nisi
for their divorce
on 21 November 2007.
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...
singer, who was the lead singer of pop band The Ordinary Boys
The Ordinary Boys
The Ordinary Boys are an English indie rock band from Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Originally named Next in Line, they were influenced by mod revival and Britpop music, as well as the bands Madness, The Specials, The Kinks and The Smiths...
. He appeared in the reality television show Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, in which he finished fourth. After The Ordinary Boys split up, he embarked on a successful song writing career.
Early life
Samuel Preston was born in WorthingWorthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
, West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
. He was educated at Sompting
Sompting
Sompting is a village and civil parish in the Adur District of West Sussex, England, located between Lancing and Worthing, at the foot of the southern slope of the South Downs. Twentieth century development has linked it to Lancing. The civil parish covers an area of 10.35 square kilometres and has...
Abbotts public School and Bishop Luffa School
Bishop Luffa School
Bishop Luffa, named after a former Bishop of Chichester, Ralph de Luffa, is a coeducational Church of England secondary school in the City of Chichester, West Sussex, England. The number of enrolled students was around 1,400 in 2010, in eight 'Year' house-forms and the sixth form...
. He is son to Anthony and Miranda Preston, and brother to Alex and Lucy Preston. His grandfather is the Princeton University English professor Samuel Hynes. His brother, Alex Preston
Alex Preston
Alex Preston is a British author and journalist. His first novel, This Bleeding City was published by Faber and Faber in March 2010. The novel won the Spear's Best First Novel Prize, the Edinburgh Festival Readers' First Book Award, and was chosen as one of Waterstone's New Voices 2010...
, is a novelist.
Music career
Preston became the lead singer of Worthing-based pop group, The Ordinary Boys. They had a string of top-ten hits in the UK Singles ChartUK 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 ...
. Their most famous song, Boys Will Be Boys, featured in the fifth Harry Potter
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
movie
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a 2007 fantasy film directed by David Yates and based on the novel of the same name by J. K. Rowling. It is the fifth instalment in the Harry Potter film series, written by Michael Goldenberg and produced by David Heyman and David Barron...
.
After The Ordinary Boys split, Preston started working on material for a solo album, and released the song "Dressed to Kill", on 5 July 2009 as part of T4
T4 (Channel 4)
T4 is a scheduling slot on Channel 4 from about 09:00 until 14:00 on Saturdays and 17:00 on Sundays. It also airs on weekdays in the school holidays. The slot has a separate station identification on screen graphic from Channel 4 and E4. The logo of T4 is noticeably the top right segment of the...
. The song samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
the introduction from the song "Happy House
Happy House
"Happy House" is a song recorded by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The song was written by Banshees members Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin and it was released as the first single from the band's third album Kaleidoscope....
" by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The single was released on 7 September 2009 but failed to chart after Preston had to delay the launch and pull out of promotional performances after breaking both arms in a bicycle accident.
He is now a DJ and songwriter.
In 2011, Preston co-wrote the Number One Olly Murs song "Heart Skips a Beat
Heart Skips a Beat
-Charts:-Release history:...
" .
Preston announced the reforming of the Ordinary Boys in 2011, and a new 12-date tour .
TV appearances
In January 2006, Preston appeared on Channel 4Channel 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...
's Celebrity Big Brother programme. He became close to later winner Chantelle Houghton
Chantelle Houghton
Chantelle Vivien Houghton is an English glamour model and television personality. She was the first 'non-celebrity' to feature in the Channel 4 reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother in 2006....
, despite being in a relationship. Preston was evicted during the final episode on 27 January 2006, finishing in fourth place. On 24 August 2010 he returned to the show for Ultimate Big Brother along with ex-wife Chantelle; he finished sixth.
In 2007, Preston filmed a documentary on voodoo for 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...
. He has also presented Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops
Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, is a British music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly from 1 January 1964 to 30 July 2006. After 25 December 2006 it became a radio program, now hosted by Tony Blackburn...
and CD:UK
CD:UK
CD:UK was a British music television programme. Originally run in conjunction with SMTV Live, the programme was first aired on ITV on 29 August 1998 to rival the BBC's Live & Kicking and was the replacement for The Chart Show, which had been airing on the network for nine and a half years.In...
.
In January 2007, Preston appeared as a guest panelist on comedy gameshow Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks
Never Mind the Buzzcocks is a comedy panel game television show with a pop music theme, currently without a permanent presenter. It stars Phill Jupitus and Noel Fielding as team captains. The show is produced by Talkback Thames for the BBC, and is usually aired on BBC Two...
. He walked out of the studio during the programme's recording, offended by jokes made at Houghton's expense by the show's host Simon Amstell
Simon Amstell
Simon Marc Amstell is a BAFTA nominated, award-winning English comedian, television presenter, screenwriter and actor, best known for his roles as former co-host of Popworld, former host of Never Mind the Buzzcocks and co-writer and star of the sitcom Grandma's House.-Early life:Amstell was born...
. In an August 2009 interview he admitted that he regretted walking off the show and said that he would return to the programme if asked, saying "I'm struggling to think why I would have acted so weird."
Personal life
A week after the end of Celebrity Big Brother, Preston became engaged to his longtime FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
girlfriend, Camille Aznar. He kept in contact with Houghton, and broke up with Aznar a month later to allow Houghton to move into his Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
flat. He and Houghton got engaged on 11 April 2006, and in an exclusive £300,000 deal each with OK! magazine, they were married on 25 August 2006 at the Dartmouth House
Dartmouth House
Dartmouth House is a large and luxurious Georgian house in Mayfair, central London, England. It now acts at the headquarters for the English-Speaking Union , an educational charity...
in Mayfair, London
Mayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
.
After their honeymoon, the couple moved to Preston's flat in Brighton, East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
. In a later 2008 interview with Piers Morgan
Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan , known professionally as Piers Morgan, is a British journalist and television presenter. He is editorial director of First News, a national newspaper for children....
, Houghton admitted that Preston had told her one month after the wedding that he had not wanted to marry her.
On 27 June 2007, Preston and Houghton announced their separation, and received the decree nisi
Decree nisi
A decree nisi is a court order that does not have any force until such time that a particular condition is met, such as a subsequent petition to the court or the passage of a specified period of time....
for their divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
on 21 November 2007.
Albums
| Year | Title | Chart Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Whatever Forever
|
N/A |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 ... |
|||
| 2009 | "Dressed to Kill" | N/A | Whatever Forever |