- Geraint Benney
Geraint Benney (born "Geraint Rhys Benney" in the town of
Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taff , nearAberdare , South Wales on 8 November, 1972) is a Welsh television actor and entertainer.Background
His father is Terry Benney, a former
Plaid Cymru Councillor.He attended
Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Aberdar primary school, andYsgol Gyfun Rhydfelen secondary school near Pontypridd, both Welsh language schools. He left school at 16 with no qualifications.He has had no formal training as an actor, and started his career with non-speaking parts as an 'extra', principally with the long-running BBC soap opera,
Pobol y Cwm . [http://www.ukscreen.com/cast/Geraint UK Screen listing>] He would later gain his Equity card as an actor.He has worked in many different roles including factory worker and nightclub doorman.
Career as Actor and Entertainer
He has made acting contributions to the long-running Welsh language soap opera
Pobol y Cwm since 1992.He claims to have pioneered a diet based on eating brussels sprouts. He made numerous appearances in the media around 2000 based on his discovery, dubbing himself "Sproutman". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1015867.stm BBC News | WALES | Sprout fan's slimming success ] ]
He appeared on Chanel 4's Big Breakfast show as Sproutman in 2001.
He currently devotes much of his time performing as Elvis Preseli, "the only bald, Welsh speaking, burger cooking Elvis in the world". He performs as Elvis Preseli & the Undertakers. As part of the act he appears on stage carried in a gold coffin, he is brought back to life... and then he cooks some burgers on stage whilst singing non-Elvis songs!
In May 2007, he appeared on the
Roy Noble BBC Radio Wales show. [ [http://elvistheburgerking.blogspot.com/2007/05/rocking-with-roy.html The only bald, welsh speaking Elvis in the world!: Rocking with Roy ] ]His status as an international entertainer continues to grow. In Dec 2006 he had a tour of the Czech Rp ending the year at The Famous Fleda Club in
Brno In October 2007, he also performed at the Runway Festival in Croatia.Political career
In the 1990s, he stood unsuccessfully for
Plaid Cymru as Councillor forPenywaun , inRhondda Cynon Taff . He was then living in the village.He stood as Plaid Cymru candidate for the
Cynon Valley (UK Parliament constituency) in the UK General Election on 5 May 2005, coming second place with 14.3% of the votes.He described himself as "The Only Candidate in the Valley" drawing attention to the fact that he was the only candidate living in Cynon Valley. His website has been archived for posterity by the National Library of Wales. [ [http://www.webarchive.org.uk/pan/11992/20050527/www.geraintbenney.co.uk/index.html Geraint Benney - The Only Candidate in the Valley ] ]
References
External links
* [http://www.theburgerking.co.uk The Burger King, Official Elvis Preseli website]
* [http://elvistheburgerking.blogspot.com/ Elvis Preseli blog]
* [http://www.aberdareblog.co.uk/2006/11/22/king-of-comedy/ King of Comedy wallpaper, as photographed at Porthcawl by Morganne Bajai]
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