- Simon Amstell
Infobox Celebrity
name = Simon Marc Amstell
caption = Simon Amstell at One Big Laugh, Bloomsbury Theatre (2006)
birth_date = Birth date and age |1979|11|29|df=yes
birth_place =Gants Hill ,London ,England
occupation =Stand-up comedian ,television presenter ,script writer
website = [http://www.simonamstell.com/ Simon Amstell Homepage]
footnotes =Simon Marc Amstell (born 29 November 1979) is a
BAFTA nominatedcite web |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/mar/18/television3?gusrc=rss&feed=media |title=Baftas - 2008 nominations |work=The Guardian |date=2008-03-18 |accessdate=2008-03-18] , award-winning Englishcomedian andtelevision presenter . In 2007, Amstell was nominated for "The Times BreakthroughSouth Bank Show Award".Career
Youth
Amstell started performing on the comedy circuit when he was just 14 and later caught the eye of television executives by becoming the youngest finalist of the
BBC New Comedy Awards in 1998.Nickelodeon
His first professional
television appearance was in 1998, as a presenter on the UK children's channel Nickelodeon. He claims he was sacked for being "sarcastic and mean to children."cite web |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1835165,00.html |title=I always want the funny line (interview) |work=The Guardian |date=2006-08-02 |accessdate=2007-06-04]"Popworld"
From 2000 to 2006 he presented
Popworld onChannel 4 withMiquita Oliver . He voiced the characters "Timothy the Popworld melon" and "Richard the Popworld horse". On Popworld he developed a highly ironic, surreal and leftfield style which gained the show a cult following, but angered many of its guests. One such example was a mock interview with singerLemar called "Lemar From Afar," in which Amstell shouted questions into a megaphone from one end of a car park while Lemar stood at the other end. Another was a "Si-chiatrist" interview with Luke Pritchard and Hugh Harris ofThe Kooks , in which Amstell played the role of psychiatrist and Pritchard and Harris his patients. During his time at Popworld, Amstell was at the centre of several controversies, including asking singerDarren Hayes when he was going to "come out " [ [http://www.darrenhayesfans.com/articles/attitudeukJulAug07.html "Coming Out Of The Dark"] , Attitude Magazine interview, July-August 2007 issue ] and makingBritney Spears cry after asking her if she thought she'd "gone a bit nuts" [ [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Never_Mind_the_Buzzcocks#18x02 List of Buzzcocks quotes] , Series 18, Episode 2, Quote 2]"Never Mind the Buzzcocks"
Amstell's first guest star appearances on the show were on 27 October 2003 and on 20 March 2005. Amstell now hosts "
Never Mind The Buzzcocks " full time, with his first episode as host airing at the end of October 2006. He had said that he hoped to beat "the universal, exceptionless rule that when a new host takes over an old show it is a horrible, embarrassing disaster". [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/08_august/23/buzzcocks.shtml BBC Press release - Simon Amstell is new host of "Never Mind The Buzzcocks"] ] In March 2007, Amstell won aRoyal Television Society Award for "Best Entertainment Performance" for his work on "Never Mind The Buzzcocks". In June 2007, Simon wrote with Dan Swimer "Imagine... A Mildly Amusing Panel Show", a spoof version ofAlan Yentob 's arts programme Imagine. Alan Yentob and Simon Amstell play themselves in a mock interview in between clips of Simon's episodes of "Never Mind The Buzzcocks". In December 2007, Amstell won 2 "British Comedy Awards "' for "Best Comedy Entertainment Personality" and "Best Comedy Entertainment Series" for his work on "Never Mind The Buzzcocks". On 23 January 2008, "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" won the Best Entertainment Programme [http://www2.broadcastnow.co.uk/awards/frames.asp Broadcast magazine] Broadcast Awards 2008] award at the Broadcast Awards 2008. In February 2008, Amstell wrote with Dan Swimer, "Never Mind the Buzzcocks - A Moving Tribute", which included the hoax that Amstell had died or retired from the show.tand up
Amstell also performs as a
stand up comedian . He has performed at theEdinburgh Fringe Festival every August 2005 - 2007. He has also appeared at theCarling Festivals in the Cabaret and Comedy tent for the last two years. In 2008, Amstell completed his first UK tour.Personal life
Amstell was born in
Gants Hill into a Jewish family.cite web |url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/17079/comic-amstell-creating-sitcom-of-his-early|title=Comic Amstell creating sitcom of his early years |work=The Stage |date=2007-06-05 |accessdate=2008-03-04] His religion and sexuality figure occasionally in his work;cite web |url=http://www.theedinburghblog.co.uk/edinburgh-festivals/simon-amstell-no-self-edinburgh-festival-fringe-review/08-02-2007/|title=Simon Amstell 'No Self', Edinburgh Festival Fringe review |work=The Edinburgh Blog |date=2007-08-02 |accessdate=2008-06-15] cite web |url=http://www.afterelton.com/taxonomy/term/2617 |title=Simon Amstell: The gay UK comedian courts laughter and controversy |work=AfterElton.com |date=2008-02-19 |accessdate=2008-03-10] Amstell came out asgay two months into his work on "Popworld", claiming that no one believed him initially, "so I had to keep going on about it."cite web |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1835165,00.html |title=I always want the funny line (interview) |work=The Guardian |date=2006-08-02 |accessdate=2008-03-09] His orientation has been referred to both on "Popworld" and "Never Mind The Buzzcocks", withJohn Barrowman challenging him to a "gay-off" on "NMTB".cite web |url=http://www.afterelton.com/taxonomy/term/152 |title=AfterElton Briefs |work=AfterElton.com |date=2008-02-18 |accessdate=2008-03-09] He recently appeared as guest host on Russell Brand's radio show.References
External links
* [http://www.simonamstell.com SimonAmstell.com] Simon Amstell's Official site
*imdb name|0025435
* [http://www.kbjmgt.co.uk/clients/simon_amstell/ Simon Amstell] Official agent's website
* [http://www.chortle.co.uk/comics/s/20/simon_amstell Simon Amstell on Chortle]
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