Christopher Biggins

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Christopher Biggins
Christopher Biggins Allan Warren.jpg
Biggins in 2009 at the Carlton Club
Born Christopher Kenneth Biggins[1]
(1948-12-16) 16 December 1948 (age 75)
Oldham, Lancashire, England, UK
Nationality British
Other names Biggins
Occupation Actor, television presenter
Years active 1970–present
Spouse(s) Beatrice Norbury (m. 1971–74) (divorced)
Neil Sinclair (m. 2006)

Christopher Kenneth Biggins, often referred to as simply Biggins, (born 16 December 1948) is an English actor and television presenter.

Early life

Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, and brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where he took elocution lessons and participated in local drama groups. His first big stage role was at the age of 17 in their Stage '65 production of Molière's Le Médecin malgré lui, where he played the lead as the hapless mistaken Doctor. This led to a job at the local repertory theatre.[2]

Career

Television

Biggins appeared as the regular character Lukewarm in the situation comedy Porridge (1974–77) starring Ronnie Barker. Other comedy shows he appeared in include Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973) and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973, 1978). In 1976 he played Nero in the BBC dramatisation of I, Claudius by Robert Graves, having been selected for the role partly on the strength of a television commercial in which he had played a Roman emperor presiding over the games. He also appeared in the BBC's Poldark in 1977 as the Reverend Osborne Whitworth, and the TV miniseries Masada in 1981. Despite these serious roles, his co-hosting of Surprise Surprise and hosting children's gameshow On Safari (1982–1985) for TVS led to him being typecast as a "bubbly personality"; when asked in 2005 if he resented this, he replied <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

"No, not a bit of it. I'm perfectly happy being me, thank you, and I happen to know that I am afforded enormous respect from everybody I know. And anyway, I'm having something of a second wind now. I've reached the age [57] where all kinds of roles are opening up to me."[2]

On children's television, he had a regular role as department store owner Adam Painting in the children's television programme Rentaghost (1978–1983) and also played Reverend Whiting in Southern Television's Brendon Chase, produced in 1980. In the early 1980s he hosted children's gameshow On Safari, a game show with a jungle-themed studio set.

Biggins was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1999 when he was surprised by Michael Aspel at the Theatre Royal, Brighton.

Biggins appeared in the Big Finish Productions audio drama The One Doctor, based on the television series Doctor Who.

Biggins took part in the seventh series of I'm a Celebrity...Me Out of Here! in 2007. He was eventually voted the winner of the show on 30 November 2007.

Biggins took part in an episode of Celebrity Come Dine With Me, first shown on Channel 4 on 15 February 2009. He won £1,000 for his chosen charity.

In 2009, he played himself as a pantomime director in the BBC Two sitcom, Psychoville.

In 2010, he was a celebrity guest team captain on an episode of What Do Kids Know? along with Rufus Hound, Joe Swash and Sara Cox on Watch.

In 2010, Biggins played God in the BBC adult puppet comedy show Mongrels.

In May 2011, Biggins starred in the second series of Channel 4's Celebrity Five Go To... in which the celebrities visited South Africa.[3]

In 2014, Biggins took part in the celebrity cookery programme Celebrity MasterChef on BBC One.

In 2014, Biggins took part in a celebrity edition of Catchphrase.

Theatre

His theatre roles have included The Baker in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar, and 18 months at the London Palladium in the stage adaptation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (where he was teamed in a double act with Louise Gold).

Biggins is well known for his performances in pantomime. His most famous role is that of Widow Twankey in Aladdin. He has also played Buttons in Cinderella.

After not performing in pantomime in 2007, Biggins returned to the stage in 2008 at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton where he played the role of Buttons in Cinderella.

At the end of 2009 he was in pantomime in Plymouth playing Widow Twanky.

In 2010, Biggins appeared as a guest star narrator in The Rocky Horror Show at the Belfast Grand Opera House (March and April), at the Sunderland Empire Theatre (June)[needs update], Southend Cliffs Pavilion (September), Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin and also at the Liverpool Empire Theatre (October).

In 2010, Biggins starred in Wolverhampton's Aladdin Pantomime at the Grand Theatre.

In 2011, Biggins played the part of Mrs Crusoe in Cardiff's Robinson Crusoe Pantomime, in the New Theatre.

In December 2012, he returned to the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in Dick Whittington.

In December 2013, he filled the role of Dame Trot alongside Bob Carolgees in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk at New Theatre, Hull.[4]

In 2014, he fills the role of Mrs Smee in his Southend pantomime debut over Christmas, alongside David Hasselhoff as Captain Hook.[5]

Film

His film roles include The Sex Thief (1973), Eskimo Nell (1975), It Could Happen to You (1975), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Adventures of a Plumber's Mate (1978), Derek Jarman's The Tempest (1979), and "The Baker" in the 1999 film Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

In 2012, he was cast in the film version of Ray Cooney's farce Run for Your Wife.

Radio

In 2008, he briefly co-presented a Sunday morning radio show on BBC London with Lesley Joseph.[6]

In 2014 & 2015, Christopher sat in for Liza Tarbuck on BBC Radio 2 while she was off.

Other work

Biggins hosts an annual show West End Live in London's Leicester Square.

At the Southport Flower Show in August 2009, Biggins launched a new hybrid tea rose called Olivia. Sales of the rose will benefit the Claire House charity.

Personal life

Biggins was married to Australian actress Beatrice Norbury from 1971 to 1974.[7] He is now openly gay and formed a civil partnership with his partner, Neil Sinclair, on 30 December 2006 at Hackney Register Office.[8]

Politically, Biggins has expressed his admiration for former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He admits in his autobiography that he cried on the day she resigned, saying: "I'm not the most political of people. But I believe in self-reliance and getting on with the job in hand. Margaret had seemed to personify all that. And she had star quality, which of course I loved."[9] In 2014, he said: "I loved John Major, he was charismatic and charming. I’ve always been a Conservative, though I would have voted for John Smith. I hope we have a new Conservative leader making his way to the top now. We need a new man."[10]

During an interview on ITV's Loose Women, Biggins said that he felt same-sex Marriage should not be legalised, stating that marriage "is for heterosexual couples",[11] despite this, on 29 March 2014, Biggins attended the "I Do To Equal Marriage" event which celebrated the introduction of same-sex marriage in England and Wales.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Researcha[dead link]
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Server 500 Error
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Christopher Biggins says no to redefining marriage - YouTube
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Preceded by I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here!
Winner
2007		 Succeeded by
Joe Swash
(2008)
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