Hugh Dennis

Infobox Comedian
name = Hugh Dennis

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caption = Hugh Dennis (left) with Steve Punt on "The Now Show"
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birth_name = Peter Hugh Dennis
birth_date = 1962
birth_place = Kettering, Northamptonshire, England
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medium = Stand up, television, radio
nationality = English
active = 1980s – present
genre = Topical comedy, improvisation
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spouse = Kate Abbot-Anderson
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notable_work = The Mary Whitehouse Experience


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Peter Hugh Dennis (born 1962) is an English comedian, writer, actor and voice-over artist, best known for his work with comedy partner Steve Punt.

Early life

Dennis, whose father was the Bishop of Saint Edmundsbury and Ipswich, grew up in Mill Hill in North London. He was educated at University College School, an independent school for boys in Hampstead, and at St John's College, University of Cambridge, where he read geography. He was a member of the Cambridge Footlights, but after university worked for Unilever for six years. However, with Punt, whom he met at university, he continued performing comedy at venues including London's Comedy Store. As mentioned on an episode of "Have I Got News For You", he attended University College school with Will Self where they played Rugby together.

Radio and TV career

A skilled impressionist, Dennis did voices for "Spitting Image" and appeared with Punt as resident support comics on two TV series hosted on the BBC by Jasper Carrott.

The pair then formed half of "The Mary Whitehouse Experience" on BBC Radio 1, later graduating to a television series. His radio work with Punt includes over a decade of performing "Punt and Dennis", "It's Been a Bad Week" and "The Now Show" and a current run of writing "The Party Line" (a topical political satire that is written and performed the day prior to transmission). On "The Now Show" he is in a line up including Punt, Mitch Benn, Laura Shavin, Jon Holmes and Marcus Brigstocke.

Dennis has performed on various TV and radio shows, including "Mock the Week", "The Imaginatively Titled Punt and Dennis Show" and sitcom "Me, You and Him". He has guest hosted "Have I Got News For You" and played obnoxious GP Piers Crispin in BBC sitcom "My Hero". He is friends with Chris Morris and has had cameos on "Brass Eye".

In response to a news story in November 2003 about Rupert Murdoch giving jobs to his children, Hugh's son, Freddie, then aged six, made a cameo appearance on "The Now Show".

Dennis cycled a mountain stage of the 2007 Tour de France, which he discussed in the fifth series of "Mock the Week".

In August 2007 Dennis starred in the BBC comedy "Outnumbered", a semi-improvised sitcom based around family life.

"Mock The Week"

Hugh is a regular panelist on "Mock The Week" and has appeared in every episode. He has several running jokes on the series and he also does voiceovers on political or royal videos from the week.

Personal life

Dennis lives in Chichester with his wife, Catherine (Kate) Abbot-Anderson and two children, a son (born April 1997) and daughter (born July 1999). They were married in 1996.

He supports Northampton Town FC

On 10 July 2008, Dennis received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Northampton. [ [http://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/release/?id=UON8251 Hugh Dennis welcomed to The University of Northampton] Northampton.ac.uk]

External links

*
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20060104113342/www.footlights.org/past/1983 Cambridge Footlights 1983]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/thepartyline The Party Line]
* [http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article2838646.ece "Independent" 5 minute interview August 2007]
* [http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2006/sep/11/mondaymediasection2 "Guardian" September 2006 article]

References

Persondata
NAME = Dennis, Hugh
ALTERNATIVE NAMES = Dennis, Peter
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Comedian
DATE OF BIRTH = 1962
PLACE OF BIRTH =
DATE OF DEATH =
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