Tom Binns
Encyclopedia
Tom Binns is a British
writer, actor, stand-up comic
, television presenter and radio presenter.
for the Edinburgh Comedy Award 2007 - as the hospital radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury.
As well as writing comedy sketches, his role as a radio presenter is often referred to, due to his behaviour on the radio programme
, The Tom Binns Breakfast Show on London-based Xfm
, which led to three complaints being filed with Ofcom
and a £50,000 fine given to Xfm. At the time, this was the largest fine levied by the authority. In his show, Binns was very critical of the new Blair government
and shortly before the complaints were lodged, Capital Radio
were approached by representatives of the Blair government requesting that he be removed from the schedule. The fine was based on the use of coarse sexual innuendo when discussing a bestial pornography video with a listener. The comments only led to complaints when the show was edited and rebroadcast by Xfm in a weekend compilation show. Capital Radio decided not to sack Binns but in a meeting shortly after the fine was issued the Radio Authority made it clear to Capital Radio that this would have a negative impact on the decision to renew the XFM licence.
Aside from working at Xfm London, Binns has also worked at several other radio stations with similar positions on Radio 1
, Virgin
, BRMB
and GLR
, either as himself or his Hospital Radio Character, Ivan Brackenbury, as well as on Virgin Radio
and has hosted talk shows on Talksport UK
, Hallam FM
, Sheffield
and Key 103
, Manchester
.
Besides writing comedy for television and radio Binns has appeared on other television shows, such as RI:SE
, Bull Run
, Oblivion and as a writer on Trigger Happy TV
, which he gained recognition for as he earned "The best comedy moment" and "TV moment of 2001" awards. His first television appearances were Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge
(BBC2), Friday Night Armistice (BBC2) and Lee and Herring
's Fist of Fun
, and has gone on to further appear in the Channel 4
-based late night sports talk show Under the Moon
, with Danny Kelly
and stage appearances at the Bloomsbury Theatre and Garrick Theatre
.
Tom has written a deeply ironic book How to Get Famous - A Cynical Guide. Although he has recorded many pilots for TV shows, including his own chat show on Channel 5 and the UK version of Hollywood Squares
, Binns has failed to break through into mainstream British media.
He appears in the BBC MI5 drama "Spooks" (Episode 6 Series 6), Series 3 of the IT Crowd on Channel 4, and, in character as Ivan Brackenbury, on BBC Radio 2
as part of The Jason Byrne Show and his own one off special.
Tom presented one of the "E4 Laughs at Edinburgh" podcasts, showcasing the best comedy talent from the Edinburgh Festival 2008.
In December 2009, Binns was fired from BRMB
by its owners Orion Media
after he cut short the Queen's Christmas Message
. The Message was played into his show in error instead of the expected two minute news bulletin. Binns joked, "Two words bore-ring". He then went on to joke that British Monarchy can't be as good for tourism as some people claim because "the French executed theirs and people still visit France". He then played a George Michael record with the link "from one Queen to another"
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...
writer, actor, stand-up comic
Stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
, television presenter and radio presenter.
Career
Binns was nominated at the Edinburgh FestivalEdinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is a collective term for many arts and cultural festivals that take place in Edinburgh, Scotland each summer, mostly in August...
for the Edinburgh Comedy Award 2007 - as the hospital radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury.
As well as writing comedy sketches, his role as a radio presenter is often referred to, due to his behaviour on the radio programme
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
, The Tom Binns Breakfast Show on London-based Xfm
Xfm
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...
, which led to three complaints being filed with Ofcom
Ofcom
Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...
and a £50,000 fine given to Xfm. At the time, this was the largest fine levied by the authority. In his show, Binns was very critical of the new Blair government
Premiership of Tony Blair
The Premiership of Tony Blair began on 2 May 1997 and ended on 27 June 2007. While serving as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Blair concurrently served as the First Lord of the Treasury, the Minister for the Civil Service, the Leader of the Labour Party , and a Member of Parliament for the...
and shortly before the complaints were lodged, Capital Radio
Capital Radio
Capital London is a London based radio station which launched on 16 October 1973 and is owned by Global Radio. On 3 January 2011 it formed part of the nine station Capital radio network.- Pre-launch :...
were approached by representatives of the Blair government requesting that he be removed from the schedule. The fine was based on the use of coarse sexual innuendo when discussing a bestial pornography video with a listener. The comments only led to complaints when the show was edited and rebroadcast by Xfm in a weekend compilation show. Capital Radio decided not to sack Binns but in a meeting shortly after the fine was issued the Radio Authority made it clear to Capital Radio that this would have a negative impact on the decision to renew the XFM licence.
Aside from working at Xfm London, Binns has also worked at several other radio stations with similar positions on Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, Virgin
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
, BRMB
Brmb
brmb is a local radio station based in Birmingham, UK, owned and operated by Orion Media. The station broadcasts on 96.4 FM, DAB Digital Radio in the West Midlands and online...
and GLR
BBC London 94.9
BBC London 94.9 is London's BBC Local Radio station, and part of BBC London. Broadcasting across Greater London and beyond on 94.9 FM, DAB, Virgin Media Channel 930, Sky Channel 0152 and also online...
, either as himself or his Hospital Radio Character, Ivan Brackenbury, as well as on Virgin Radio
Virgin Radio
Absolute Radio is one of the UK's three Independent National Radio stations. The station rebranded to its current name at 7.45am on 29 September 2008.The station is based in London and plays popular rock music...
and has hosted talk shows on Talksport UK
TalkSPORT
Talksport , owned by UTV radio, is one of the United Kingdom's three terrestrial analogue Independent National Radio broadcasters, offering a sports and talk radio service broadcast from London to the United Kingdom....
, Hallam FM
Hallam FM
Hallam FM is an independent local radio station serving South Yorkshire and the North Midlands from studios in Sheffield. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of Bauer's Place Network of stations.-History:...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
and Key 103
Key 103
Key 103 is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the city of Manchester and the north west of England. Its output is principally contemporary pop and dance music. Formerly owned by Trans World Communications, EMAP and now by Bauer Radio, Key 103 is part of Bauer's Place Network of...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
.
Besides writing comedy for television and radio Binns has appeared on other television shows, such as RI:SE
RI:SE
RI:SE was a breakfast television show made by Princess Productions in collaboration with BSkyB for Channel 4 in the UK. It was scheduled to replace The Big Breakfast after declining ratings. It launched on 29 April 2002...
, Bull Run
Bull Run
-Battles:* First Battle of Bull Run , the first major battle of the American Civil War* Second Battle of Bull Run , a later battle that took place at Bull Run-Place names:In the United States:...
, Oblivion and as a writer on Trigger Happy TV
Trigger Happy TV
Trigger Happy TV was a hidden camera/practical joke reality television program. The original British edition of the show, produced by Absolutely Productions, starred Dom Joly and ran for two series on the British television channel Channel 4 from 2000 until 2002...
, which he gained recognition for as he earned "The best comedy moment" and "TV moment of 2001" awards. His first television appearances were Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge
Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge (TV series)
Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge is a BBC Television series of six episodes , and a Christmas special in 1995...
(BBC2), Friday Night Armistice (BBC2) and Lee and Herring
Lee and Herring
Lee and Herring were a British standup comedy double act consisting of the comedians Stewart Lee and Richard Herring. They were probably most famous for their work on television, most notably Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy but had been working together on stage and on radio...
's Fist of Fun
Fist of Fun
Fist of Fun was a popular British comedy television and radio programme, written by and starring Lee and Herring . A lot of the show's comic material was adapted from Lee and Herring's radio programme Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World.Each episode of Fist of Fun featured several disparate sketches...
, and has gone on to further appear in the 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...
-based late night sports talk show Under the Moon
Under the Moon
Under the Moon was an offbeat, late-night 1990s sports show on the UK's Channel 4. The show was originally hosted by Danny Kelly and comedian Tim Clark...
, with Danny Kelly
Danny Kelly (journalist)
Danny Kelly is a music journalist, sports presenter and internet publisher. He is the former editor of the music weekly New Musical Express....
and stage appearances at the Bloomsbury Theatre and Garrick Theatre
Garrick Theatre
The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster. It opened on 24 April 1889 with The Profligate, a play by Arthur Wing Pinero. In its early years, it appears to have specialised in the performance of melodrama, and today the theatre is a...
.
Tom has written a deeply ironic book How to Get Famous - A Cynical Guide. Although he has recorded many pilots for TV shows, including his own chat show on Channel 5 and the UK version of Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares
Hollywood Squares is an American panel game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The "board" for the game is a 3 × 3 vertical stack of open-faced cubes, each occupied by a celebrity seated at a desk and facing the contestants...
, Binns has failed to break through into mainstream British media.
He appears in the BBC MI5 drama "Spooks" (Episode 6 Series 6), Series 3 of the IT Crowd on Channel 4, and, in character as Ivan Brackenbury, 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...
as part of The Jason Byrne Show and his own one off special.
Tom presented one of the "E4 Laughs at Edinburgh" podcasts, showcasing the best comedy talent from the Edinburgh Festival 2008.
In December 2009, Binns was fired from BRMB
Brmb
brmb is a local radio station based in Birmingham, UK, owned and operated by Orion Media. The station broadcasts on 96.4 FM, DAB Digital Radio in the West Midlands and online...
by its owners Orion Media
Orion Media
Orion Media is a UK commercial radio group run by radio veteran Phil Riley and backed by Lloyds TSB Development Capital. It was created from the enforced sale of several radio stations in the English Midlands owned and operated by Global Radio.-History:...
after he cut short the Queen's Christmas Message
Royal Christmas Message
The Queen's Christmas Message is a broadcast made by the sovereign of the Commonwealth realms to the Commonwealth of Nations each Christmas. The tradition began in 1932 with a radio broadcast by George V on the British Broadcasting Corporation Empire Service...
. The Message was played into his show in error instead of the expected two minute news bulletin. Binns joked, "Two words bore-ring". He then went on to joke that British Monarchy can't be as good for tourism as some people claim because "the French executed theirs and people still visit France". He then played a George Michael record with the link "from one Queen to another"
Live Credits
- 2010: Ian D Montfort: Touching the Dead
- 2007-2010: Ivan Brackenbury's Hospital Radio Roadshow
TV Credits
- Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan PartridgeKnowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge (TV series)Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge is a BBC Television series of six episodes , and a Christmas special in 1995...
BBC2 - Friday Night Armistice BBC2
- Lee and HerringLee and HerringLee and Herring were a British standup comedy double act consisting of the comedians Stewart Lee and Richard Herring. They were probably most famous for their work on television, most notably Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy but had been working together on stage and on radio...
's Fist of FunFist of FunFist of Fun was a popular British comedy television and radio programme, written by and starring Lee and Herring . A lot of the show's comic material was adapted from Lee and Herring's radio programme Lionel Nimrod's Inexplicable World.Each episode of Fist of Fun featured several disparate sketches...
BBC2 - IT Crowd Channel 4
- SpooksSpooksSpooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
BBC1 - Spicks and Specks ABC1
- Crossroads ITV1
- Under the MoonUnder the MoonUnder the Moon was an offbeat, late-night 1990s sports show on the UK's Channel 4. The show was originally hosted by Danny Kelly and comedian Tim Clark...
Channel 4 - Ri:seRI:SERI:SE was a breakfast television show made by Princess Productions in collaboration with BSkyB for Channel 4 in the UK. It was scheduled to replace The Big Breakfast after declining ratings. It launched on 29 April 2002...
Channel 4 - Whitbread Race Coverage BBC2
- Friday Night Armistice BBC2
- Election Night Armistice BBC2
- Saturday Night Armistice BBC2
Radio Credits
- The Ivan Brackenbury Show on BBC Radio 2
- The Jason Byrne Show on BBC Radio 2
- 99p Challenge on BBC Radio 4
Awards & Accolades
Binns has received several accolades:- Melody MakerMelody MakerMelody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
readers voted his show one of the best of the year in 1999. - More magazineMore (magazine)More, launched in September 1998, is a women's lifestyle magazine published once a month by the Meredith Corporation with a rate base of 1.3 million and a circulation of 1.5 million...
readers voted him as the 25th sexiest man in the world 2002 - Nominee for the if.comedy award at the Edinburgh Festival 2007
- Nominee for Best Established Comedian at the Adelaide Fringe 2010