- Dave Thompson
Dave Thompson is an English stand-up comedian and
actor fromBrighton , who hit the headlines in July 1997 after being sacked from the role of Tinky-Winky in hit children'stelevision series, the "Teletubbies ". TheBBC said in a letter to Thompson that his "interpretation of the role was not acceptable". This refers to the events in which Thompson claimed that the character he played, "Tinky Winky", was a homosexual. [Thorpe, Vanessa, " [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19970727/ai_n14129852 Tantrums in Teletubbyland as Tinky Winky gets the elbow] ", "The Independent" (London), p. 3 (July 27 1997 )}] [ [http://www.earthlydelights.co.uk/netnews/tinky2.html "interview with a teletubby"] , earthlydelights.co.uk]Thompson recounted bursting into tears upon learning the news of his termination. In interviews, he supposed that the fact his voice was dubbed, unlike the other actors, was an indication of dissatisfaction over his performance. [Kitterick, Bernadette, "I burst into tears, says axed Teletubby". "Bristol Evening Post", p. 5 (
July 30 1997 )}] Bestselling British tabloid "The Sun" started a reinstatement campaign on his behalf. The resulting fervor over his dismissal quadrupled viewership from 500,000 to 2 million.] .Dave and his wife Eva recently welcomed a baby girl named Betty Anne into the world.
Books
*"Sit-Down Comedy" (contributor to anthology, ed
Malcolm Hardee & John Fleming) Ebury Press/Random House, 2003. ISBN-10: 0091889243; ISBN-13: 978-0091889241External links
* [http://www.davethompson.org.uk/ Homepage]
References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
