Alan Graham Carr(born 14 June 1976)[1]is an English comedian, broadcaster, and writer. His breakthrough was in 2001, winning theCity LifeBest Newcomer of the Year and theBBC New Comedy Awards.In the ensuing years, Carr's career burgeoned on theManchestercomedy circuit before he became known for co-hosting the comedy variety showThe Friday Night Project(2006–2009) withJustin Lee Collins.This led to the release of a short-lived entertainment showAlan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong(2008), and he went on to star in the comedy chat showAlan Carr: Chatty Man(2009–2016). Since 2017, Carr often stands in as a team captain on the comedy panel show8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.In 2019, he became a judge on the reality competition seriesRuPaul's Drag Race UK.
| Alan Carr | |
|---|---|
 Carr at the 2007British Comedy Awards | |
| Birth name | Alan Graham Carr |
| Born | 14 June 1976 Weymouth,Dorset,England |
| Medium |
|
| Education | Middlesex University |
| Genres | Observational comedy |
| Subject(s) |
|
| Spouse |
Paul Drayton
(m.2018;sep.2022) |
| Parent(s) | Graham Carr(father) |
| Website | Official website |
Carr hosted the radio showGoing Out with Alan CarronBBC Radio 2(2009–2012), as well as releasing hisautobiographybookLook Who It Is!(2008), and going on three arena stand-up comedy tours:Tooth Fairy Live(2007),Spexy Beast Live(2011) andYap, Yap, Yap!(2015). Carr has won threeBritish Comedy Awards(2007, 2008, 2013), twoNational Television Awards(2012, 2015) and aBAFTA TV Award(2013).
Early life
editAlan Graham Carr was born on 14 June 1976 inWeymouth, Dorset,elder son of Christine andGraham Carr,and spent the majority of his childhood inNorthampton.[1][2]His father, whose family comes from theNorth East of England,[3]is a formerNorthampton Townmanager andNewcastle Unitedchief scout.[4][5]Carr has a younger brother, Gary.[6]
Carr went toWeston Favell Upper Schoolin Northampton and graduated fromMiddlesex Universitywith a2:1BA (Hons) degree in Drama and Theatre Studies.[7][8]
After completing his degree in his early 20s, Carr moved toManchester,aspiring to be a comedian. He lived inChorlton-cum-Hardyafter which he moved toStretford,which he cites as an inspiration for his comedic work.[9]Carr worked in a call centre for five years and performed on the comedy circuit in his spare time, before moving into comedy as a full-time career.[10][11]
Career
editTelevision and film
editCarr's early TV career included guest appearances on8 Out of 10 Catsin 2005 andThe Law of the Playgroundin 2006.[12][13]He andJustin Lee Collinsco-hostedThe Friday Night Projectfrom series two in 2006 until it was cancelled after the end of series eight in February 2009.[14]Carr went on to host two series of Channel 4's game showAlan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dongfrom 2007 to 2009, and the chat showAlan Carr: Chatty Man,which ran for 16 series from 2009-2016, with Christmas Specials in 2016 and 2017.[15]
Radio
editCarr made his radio presenting debut on Christmas Day 2007 forBBC Radio 2as part of their Festive Highlights with the showAlan Carr's Christmas Box.[16]He filled in onBBC Radio 6 Musicon 16 February and 14 June 2008 forAdam and Joeand co-presentedThe Russell Brand Showon 4 October 2008. He also presentedAlan Carr's Comedy Outingsfor BBC Radio 2 in 2008.
On 25 April 2009, Carr began hostingGoing Out with Alan Carr,a new show for BBC Radio 2, in conjunction withEmma Forbes(later replaced byMelanie Sykes). The show was broadcast every Saturday evening from 6pm to 8pm.[17]On 6 March 2012 it was reported that he had made the decision to leave to focus on hisChatty Manshow.[18]His last show was on 31 March 2012. Carr was replaced byLiza Tarbuck.He returned on Boxing Day 2015 for a one-off show on the station.
For four weeks in January/February 2017, Carr again returned to BBC Radio 2 to sit in forPaul O'Gradyon his Sunday show. Carr reunited with Sykes to present a 10-week show calledSummer Escapessitting in forGraham Nortonon Saturdays from July to September on BBC Radio 2 yearly from 2017 until its final run in 2020 following Norton's departure from the station. It included features based around summer including theBritish Seaside Survey.
Stand-up
editCarr performs stand-up regularly, on tour and on television. He became a regular performer on the Manchester comedy circuit in his 20s, where he met fellow comediansJason Manford,Justin MoorhouseandJohn Bishop,and had his own monthly comedy and cabaret showAlan Carr's Ice Cream Sundayat the Manchester Comedy Store.[19][20][21]
In 2001, Carr won theCity LifeBest Newcomer of the Year and theBBC New Comedy Awards.[22][23]
Carr has been featured in threeEdinburghshows and in 2007 he toured throughout the UK, which was followed by a DVD entitledTooth Fairy Live.He has performed at theApollo Theatrein London, which was televised for theBBC OneseriesLive at the Apollo,and has been featured in theRoyal Variety Performance.
He has appeared and performed at many festivals, including theReading and Leeds Festivals,Latitude FestivalinSuffolkandKilkenny Comedy Festivalin Ireland. He has performed stand-up internationally, including an appearance at theJust for Laughsfestival inMontreal.[24]
In March 2010, Carr took part inChannel 4's Comedy Gala,abenefit showheld atthe O2 Arenain aid ofGreat Ormond Street Children's Hospitalin London.
Autobiography
editLook Who It Is!is Carr'sautobiographypublished in 2008.[25]It details his life from growing up in Weymouth to presentingThe Friday Night Project.In the book, Carr recounts how he grew up in the shadow of his father Graham, and was therefore expected to grow up to be a greatfootballplayer, despite his childhood "puppy fat". The book laments on his schooldays - he was picked last for the football team when the other students found out his lack of talent and his father forcing him to refuse to communicate with a friend because he was apparently "gaying him up". Carr also tells the story of how puberty left him with "big teeth" and acampvoice.
Personal life
editCarr isgay,but does not consider his sexuality to be a focal part of his act; in 2008, he said: "I just think gay people need to get over themselves. Just because you're gay and on the telly doesn't mean you're a role model. I'm just a comedian. That's all I am. What am I meant to do? Do I go down theJulian Claryroute and talk aboutfistingandpoppers?I don't talk about being gay and I think what better equality for gays than that? "[6]According to Carr, he has been comfortable with his sexuality from a very young age. WhenEddie Izzardwas a guest onChatty Manand asked Carr when he came out of the closet, he replied that he was "never really in" and other children were already making fun of his camp behaviour when he was eight or nine years old.[26]
In January 2018, Carr married his partner of ten years, Paul Drayton, inLos Angeles.[27]The wedding was officiated by his best friendAdele.[28]The couple announced theirseparationin January 2022 following Drayton's conviction fordrink-driving.[29]Carr lives in West Sussex, three miles fromHorsham.[30]
Controversy
editWhen accepting his award for Best Entertainment Personality at theBritish Comedy Awardsin December 2008, Carr dedicated it to Karen Matthews, who had earlier that month been found guilty ofkidnapping Shannon Matthews,her own daughter. Carr was quoted byBBC Newsas stating: "I should dedicate this award to her [Karen]. She would be my dream guest. I think she's a gay icon. People like a bit of rough, don't they?"[31]
Shahid Malik,MPfor Matthews' constituency ofDewsbury,described Carr's comments about Matthews as "sick and insensitive". Carr subsequently apologised for his comments, saying "I realise what I said was insensitive and I am very sorry for any offence caused."[32]On his own website he added: "For those of you who have enjoyed my comedy and seen my act over the last seven years you all would have got used to my tongue-in-cheek style and near-the-knuckle observations. Last night at the Comedy Awards [...] I was being ironic, these aren't my real sentiments obviously."[33]
Stand-up shows
edit| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Tooth Fairy | |
| 2011 | Spexy Beast | |
| 2015 | Yap, Yap, Yap | |
| 2020–21 | Not Again, Alan! | |
| 2021–23 | Regional Trinket |
DVD releases
edit| Title | Released | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tooth Fairy Live | 12 November 2007 | Live atLondon'sHammersmith Apollo |
| Spexy Beast Live | 14 November 2011 | Live atManchester'sArena |
| Yap, Yap, Yap! Live | 16 November 2015 | Live at London's Hammersmith Apollo |
Filmography
editTelevision
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–2006 | 8 Out of 10 Cats | Himself | 7 episodes |
| 2006 | The Law of the Playground | Himself | Documentary comedy: 7 episodes (series 1)[13] |
| 2006–2009 | Friday/Sunday Night Project | Presenter | |
| 2007–2008 | Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong | Two series; 12 episodes | |
| 2007, 2018 | Live at the Apollo | 3 episodes | |
| 2008 | The Comedy Map of Britain | Himself | |
| 2009–2017 | Alan Carr: Chatty Man | Presenter | 181 episodes(series 1–16; two Christmas specials) |
| 2009–2020 | The One Show | Guest Presenter | 10 episodes |
| 2010 | The New Paul O'Grady Show | Guest Presenter | 2 episodes |
| 2010–2016 | Channel 4's Comedy Gala | Presenter | |
| 2011 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Himself | Episode: "Alan Carr" |
| My Favourite Joke | One series | ||
| 2011–2017 | Alan Carr's Specstacular | Presenter | |
| 2012 | Playing It Straight UK | Narrator | |
| Comedy World Cup | Contestant | Team Captain, 2 episodes | |
| 2012–present | Stand Up to Cancer | Co-Presenter | |
| 2014 | Stars at Your Service | ||
| The Singer Takes It All | Presenter | ||
| Celebrity Deal or No Deal | Contestant | Won £41,000 forStand Up to Cancer | |
| 2016 | Alan Carr's 12 Stars of Christmas | Presenter | Channel 4 game show |
| Alan Carr's Happy Hour | 3 episodes (series 1) | ||
| National Treasure | Himself | 1 episode | |
| 2016, 2018 | Peter Kay's Comedy Shuffle | 2 episodes | |
| 2017 | The Price is Right | ||
| 2017–present | 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Team Captain | 12 episodes |
| 2018 | The Remote Controller | Presenter | Non-broadcast pilot forChannel 4 |
| I Don't Like Mondays | Channel 4 game show | ||
| The Great Celebrity Bake Off | Himself | TV special; 1 episode | |
| Hollyoaks | 1 episode | ||
| Alan Carr's Christmas Cracker | Presenter | TV special | |
| 2019 | Alan Carr's Celebrity Re-Play 2019 | TV special | |
| 2019–present | There's Something About Movies | Sky Onepanel show | |
| RuPaul's Drag Race UK | Judge | ||
| 2020 | Meet the Richardsons | Himself | 1 episode |
| Secrets of the Driving Test | Narrator | 6 episodes | |
| Michael McIntyre's The Wheel | Contestant | Christmas Special[34] | |
| 2020–2022 | Alan Carr's Epic Gameshow | Presenter | ITVgame show |
| 2021 | DNA Journey | Himself | TV documentary |
| The Masked Singer UK | Guest Panellist | Episode 6; Quarter Final
(Series 2) | |
| Royal Variety Performance | Host | [35] | |
| 2021–present | Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr | Presenter | |
| 2022 | Alan Carr's Adventures WithAgatha Christie | Presenter | 3 episodes[36][37] |
| 2022–present | RuPaul's Drag Race: UK vs. the World | Judge | [38] |
| 2023 | Changing Ends | Himself | 6 episodes;[39]also writer and executive producer |
| Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream | Judge | Talent show | |
| 2023–present | Amanda And Alan's Italian Job | Co-presenter | AlongsideAmanda Holden.16 episodes |
| Picture Slam | Host | Second series commissioned[40] | |
| TBA | Amanda & Alan's Spanish Job | Co-presenter | AlongsideAmanda Holden[41] |
Film
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Nativity! | Critic | |
| 2015 | The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water | Seagull (voice) | UK version |
Awards
edit| Year | Award & Category | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | City LifeBest Newcomer of the Year | [22] |
| BBC New Comedy Award | [23] | |
| 2007 | British Comedy Awards:Best Live Stand-up | [42] |
| 2008 | British Comedy Awards: Best Comedy Entertainment Personality | [43] |
| 2012 | National Television Award:Best Chat Show Host | [44] |
| 2013 | BAFTAAward: best entertainment performance | [45] |
| British Comedy Awards: Best Comedy Entertainment Personality | [46] | |
| 2015 | National Television Award: Best Chat Show Host | [47] |
Bibliography
edit- Carr, Alan (2008).Look Who It Is!.HarperCollins Publishers.ISBN978-0007278220.
- Carr, Alan (2016).Alanatomy: The Inside Story.Penguin Books.ISBN978-0718180751.
References
edit- ^ab"Alan Carr - Who Do You Think You Are? A mysterious change of name..."The Genealogist.Who Do You Think You Are?.26 September 2011.Retrieved2 October2018.
- ^Corbin, Tianna (10 July 2020)."What Alan Carr has had to say about life in Northampton".northantslive.Retrieved2 May2022.
- ^Swan, Kim (7 May 2011)."Comedian Alan Carr back to his North East roots".
- ^"'Graham Carr: Ex-Newcastle chief scout takes director role at Northampton Town'".bbc.co.uk/sport.22 August 2017.
- ^Barkham, Patrick (20 November 2007)."'I couldn't be cool if I tried'".The Guardian.London.Retrieved6 March2009.
- ^abDay, Elizabeth (15 April 2008)."Elizabeth Day meets award-winning comedian Alan Carr".The Observer.London.Retrieved4 April2009.
- ^"Prestigious Alumni".Archived fromthe originalon 11 August 2011.Retrieved18 January2009.
- ^"Interview: Alan Carr".This is Nottingham. 8 October 2008.Retrieved18 January2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Life's no joke for camp Carr".Manchester Evening News.1 September 2005.Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Alan Carr: Give kids call centre jobs - DecisionMarketing".Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Alan Carr - Interview @ Designer Magazine".designermagazine.tripod.com.Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^8 Out of 10 Cats (TV Series 2005– ) - IMDb,retrieved6 September2022
- ^abThe Law of the Playground(Documentary, Comedy), Zeppotron, 21 July 2006,retrieved15 May2022
- ^The Friday Night Project(Comedy), Princess Productions, Channel 4 Television Corporation, 4 February 2005,retrieved6 September2022
- ^Alan Carr: Chatty Man(Talk-Show), Open Mike Productions, 14 June 2009,retrieved6 September2022
- ^"Alan Carr's Christmas Box".BBC Radio 2.Archivedfrom the original on 28 December 2007.Retrieved1 February2008.
- ^"Going Out With Alan Carr - Next on - BBC Radio 2".BBC.
- ^Noah, Sherna (6 March 2012)."Alan Carr gives up radio show to reclaim his weekends".Independent.ie.Retrieved17 April2022.
- ^"Alan Carr looks back on his early days on the Manchester comedy scene".Manchester Evening News.5 August 2011.Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^"Alan Carr".Archived fromthe originalon 22 January 2008.Retrieved31 January2008.
- ^"Sundae bloody sundae".Manchester Evening News.17 February 2007.Retrieved3 May2022.
- ^ab"BBC Radio 2 - Alan Carr - Profile".www.bbc.co.uk.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^ab"BBC Three - BBC New Comedy Awards - About the New Comedy Awards".BBC.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"The Official Alan Carr Website – Biography".alancarr.net.Archivedfrom the original on 9 April 2010.Retrieved11 March2010.
- ^Carr, Alan (29 September 2008).Look Who It Is!.Harper Collins.ISBN9780007278237.
- ^"Eddie Izzard - Full Interview on Alan Carr: Chatty Man".YouTube.10 February 2017.
- ^"Alan Carr gets married to long-term boyfriend in LA".BBC News.20 January 2018.Retrieved20 January2018.
- ^"Adele 'got ordained to marry Alan Carr'".BBC News.3 April 2018.Retrieved26 January2022.
- ^Fuller, Christian (26 January 2022)."Alan Carr's husband Paul Drayton jailed for drunkenly hitting police car".The Argus.Brighton.Retrieved26 January2022.
- ^Nicola Methven,TV Alan in split from husband after 13yrs,Daily Mirror, London, 22 January 2022, page 9.
- ^Carr sorry over comedy award dedicationDigital Spy.8 December 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2008
- ^"Comedian sorry for Matthews joke".BBC News.7 December 2008.Archivedfrom the original on 10 December 2008.Retrieved8 December2008.
- ^Apologies All RoundArchived1 February 2009 at theWayback Machine.8 December 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
- ^"Michael McIntyre's The Wheel, Series 1, Christmas Special".bbc.co.uk.Retrieved19 December2020.
- ^"Alan Carr to Host this Year's Royal Variety Performance 2021".itv.com/presscentre.Retrieved2 November2021.
- ^"Alan Carr's Adventures With Agatha Christie - Channel 4 commissions new three-part series from Boom for More 4".channel4.com/press.6 May 2022.
- ^"Alan Carr's Adventures with Agatha Christie - All 4".www.channel4.com.Retrieved6 September2022.
- ^"Drag Race announces UK All Stars edition – with a gag-worthy twist".21 December 2021.
- ^"Filming commences on ITVX comedy Changing Ends".itv.com/presscentre.29 January 2023.
- ^"Alan Carr's Picture Slam is back and bigger than ever!".bbc.co.uk/mediacentre.14 February 2024.
- ^"Amanda Holden and Alan Carr head off to sunny Spain for their biggest renovation project yet in Amanda & Alan's Spanish Job".bbc.co.uk/mediacentre.20 April 2024.
- ^"The British Comedy Awards - The British Comedy Awards - Winners 2007".www.britishcomedyawards.com.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"The British Comedy Awards - The British Comedy Awards - past winners".www.britishcomedyawards.com.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"Alan Carr wins National Television Award".BBC News.25 January 2012.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"Alan Carr wins entertainment performance BAFTA".ITV News.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^"The British Comedy Awards - The British Comedy Awards - Winners 2013".www.britishcomedyawards.com.Retrieved4 May2022.
- ^Awards, National Television."Winners | National Television Awards".www.nationaltvawards.com.Retrieved4 May2022.