Jon Culshaw

Infobox Comedian


name = Jon Culshaw
imagesize = 300px
caption = Jon Culshaw (left) in "Dead Ringers"
birth_date = birth date and age|1968|6|2|df=yes
birth_place = Lancashire, England
death_date =
death_place =
medium =
nationality = English
active = 1980s-present
genre = Impressions, sketch comedy
influences =
influenced =
spouse =
notable_work = "Dead Ringers" (2002-Present)
"2DTV" (2001-2004)
"The Impressionable Jon Culshaw" (2004)

Jonathan Peter Culshaw (born 2 June 1968 in Ormskirk, Lancashire) is a British impressionist and comedian. He was educated at St Bede's RC Comprehensive, Ormskirk, and St John Rigby College, Orrell.

He is famous for his work on BBC Radio 4 and BBC2's "Dead Ringers" , ITV's "2DTV" and his contributions to BBC Radio 1, particularly on "The Chris Moyles Show". He also appeared in ITV's "Heartbeat" on 26 November.

Broadcasting career

His radio career began in hospital radio in Ormskirk. His first job was at Red Rose Radio (now Rock FM) in Preston in 1987, where even then he used to occasionally read the weather in the voice of Frank Bruno. He did voice-over work then was catapulted to prominence with "Spitting Image", where he voiced around forty characters, including John Major, the then Prime Minister.

For around four years in the late 1980s, he was a DJ on the commercial radio station Viking FM, [ [http://www.tellytunes.com/photocards_vikingfm.asp tellytunes : dj photocards : viking fm dj photographs ] ] based in Hull, and also had a breakfast show on Pennine Radio (now The Pulse of West Yorkshire) and Radio Wave in Blackpool. It was a receptionist at Viking FM who persuaded Culshaw he should go onstage with his impressions and make it his living. He later appeared on BBC Radio 2's "It's Been a Bad Week", appeared as a guest on the BBC2 "Star Trek Night" Quiz in August 1996, and was also a regular guest on the Chris Moyles afternoon show on BBC Radio 1 in 2001-2, where he would phone up commercial organisations such as a Kwik-Fit garage in the voice of Patrick Moore or Obi-Wan Kenobi, politely requesting whether they could service his X-wing fighter, and how much time it would take.

The Radio 4 years

He rose to fame in 1998 by impersonating William Hague while working for Capital Radio, and succeeding in contacting Number 10 Downing Street. He was put through to Tony Blair, and had a lengthy conversation with him.

Between 2001 and 2002 he had a programme on ITV called "Alter Ego" where he interviewed male celebrities in their own style of speaking, a form of simultaneous translation. On ITV he also appeared on 2DTV, a cartoon version of what "Dead Ringers" would do when transposed to TV. Using the same production team, in early 2004, he had his own programme, "The Impressionable Jon Culshaw" which was commissioned for ITV1. His most famous cult impressions are ex-British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Obi-Wan Kenobi (in the Alec Guinness persona), Russell Crowe, President George W. Bush, Ozzy Osbourne, Dale Winton, Radio 4's very own Godfather, the newsreader Brian Perkins, Sir Patrick Moore and Tom Baker (who played the fourth incarnation of The Doctor in "Doctor Who").

He also appeared in the "Doctor Who" webcast "Death Comes to Time" and audio drama "The Kingmaker". In the latter, he got to perform his Tom Baker impression, although his actual part was that of Earl Rivers.

In 2005, Culshaw was a celebrity contestant on "Comic Relief does Fame Academy.

In January 2006, he began presenting the BBC show "Jon Culshaw's Commercial Breakdown" shown on Friday Nights. In 2006, he received an honorary fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.

In August 2007, he appeared on a celebrity edition of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" with John Thomson.

In January 2008, he appeared on "", as part of a pub-quiz team, with Chris Moyles. In May 2008 he appeared in the BBC documentary series "Comedy Map of Britain".

He is also voicing Piston Pete in the upcoming film Agent Crush.

References

External links

*
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/guide/articles/a/alterego_66600130.shtml Alter Ego.]
* [http://www.thestage.co.uk/features/feature.php/9953 Article in "The Stage"]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/deadringers/ BBC Dead Ringers.]
* [http://www.uclan.ac.uk/news/2006/webgradindex2006.htm Honorary fellowship]
* [http://www.tellytunes.com/photocards_vikingfm.asp Viking FM photo]

Audio clips

* [http://www.ourmedia.org/node/15094 Prank call.]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/clips/funny.shtml The Time Lord contacts terrestrial organisations by telephone.]
* [http://www.avrproductions.co.uk/videoslices/m3ufolder/jculshaw.m3u Voice over work.]
* [http://chris.polymathic.net/soundvault/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=743 Viking FM jingle]
* [http://ftp.bbc.co.uk/radio4/comedy/rams/jonculshaw.ram Talking about his work on "Dead Ringers".]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/lancashire/sport/fishing/2006/07/12/culshaw.ram Interviewed on Radio Lancashire in July 2006]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/audio/culshaw.ram Helping out with Budget 2005 on Radio Five Live]
* [http://chrismoyles.co.uk/soundvault/pafiledb.php?action=file&id=963 "Would You" featuring celebrity vocals]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/realmedia/radio/jon_culshaw.ram Talking on Danny Baker's programme.]
* [http://digitaltoast.co.uk/mad/aud/dead_ringers/Dead%20Ringers%20-%20Brian%20Perkins.mp3 This is the Radio Four News with Brian Perkins.]
* [http://digitaltoast.co.uk/mad/aud/dead_ringers Are you sitting comfortably? It's time for Dead Ringers to begin.]

Video clips

* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUmjvt1EMlI Receiving his honorary degree in Preston (YouTube)]