Andy Hamilton

For other people named Andy Hamilton, seeAndy Hamilton (disambiguation).

Andrew Neil Hamilton(born 28 May 1954) is a British comedian,game showpanellist,television director,comedyscreenwriter,radio dramatist,novelistand actor.

Andy Hamilton
Hamilton, 2007
Birth name	Andrew Neil Hamilton
Born	(1954-05-28)28 May 1954 Fulham,London,England
Medium	Radio,television
Education	Downing College, Cambridge(BA)
Years active	1972–present
Genres	Political satire
Subject(s)	Politics
Spouse	Libby Asher ​ ​ (m.1988)​
Children	3
Notable works and roles	Old Harry's Game Outnumbered

Early life and education

Hamilton was born inFulham,West London. He was educated atWestminster City Schoolwhich was then avoluntary aidedgrammar schooland later readEnglishatDowning College, Cambridge,where he was a member of theCambridge University Light Entertainment Society(CULES).

Career

Hamilton first came to notice while performing at theEdinburgh Festival Fringein the 1970s. In the mid-1970s he sustained himself by taking jobs atHarrodsand thePost Officebefore joining the BBC in 1976.

His early radio work, mostly on BBC Radio 4 includedWeek Ending,The News HuddlinesandThe Million Pound Radio Show(withNick Revell). He has since appeared regularly inChelmsford 123,Have I Got News for You,The News Quiz,QI,andIf I Ruled the World.Hamilton is frequently invited as a panellist onThe News Quizand as a guest panellist onI'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.

On television, he has been a regular contributor to a range of comedy programs, and co-createdThe Kit Curran Radio Show,Drop the Dead Donkey,andOutnumberedwithGuy Jenkin.

He is the voice of Dr Elephant, the dentist in the children's showPeppa Pig.He was also the original voice of Bob Fish, who is also a dentist, in the cartoonBob and Margaret.Hamilton is also the voice of Captain Squid, the pirate in the children's showBen & Holly's Little Kingdom.

On 16 March 2007, he co-presentedBBC Radio 4'sWoman's Hourprogramme alongside usual presenterMartha Kearneyas part of that day'sComic Relieffundraising activities, after defeatingRichard HammondandKelvin MacKenziein a poll.

Since 1995, Hamilton has written and played the lead role ofSatanin theRadio 4sitcomOld Harry's Game.He toured with his UK stand-up showHat of Doomin 2008.

In 2009, Hamilton presented theBBC FourseriesIt's Only a TheorywithReginald D. Hunter.

BBC Radio 4 broadcast two, four-part series,Andy Hamilton Sort of Remembers,in 2017 and 2018. Series 1 comprised the topics of childhood, politics, the human body, and animals, based on his own personal experiences of them.

Personal life

He has no thumb on his right hand. He joked that it was amputated when he was five "by a surgeon who felt that symmetry was over-rated" to the audience ofAndy Hamilton Sort of Rememberson Radio 4 in October 2017.

He married Libby Asher in 1988, and they have three children.

He is a supporter ofChelsea Football Club.

Writing

Hamilton has written for:

Television

• Not the Nine O'Clock News(1979)
• The Dawson Watch(1979-1980)
• Shelley(1979)
• Scotch and Wry(1980)
• Who Dares Wins(1983)
• Alas Smith & Jones(1984)
• The Kit Curran Radio Show(1984)
• Kit Curran(1986; withGuy Jenkin)
• Scotch & Wry(1986)
• Drop the Dead Donkey(1990; co-creator withGuy Jenkin)
• Eleven Men Against Eleven(1995)
• Never Mind the Horrocks(1996)
• Underworld(1997)
• Bob and Margaret(1998-2000)
• Bedtime(2001–2003)
• The Exam(2002; for the National Theatre Connections Anthology)
• Trevor's World of Sport(2003)
• The Armstrong and Miller Show(2007)
• Outnumbered(2007–2014; co-written withGuy Jenkin)
• The Two Ronnies
• It's Only a Theory(2009)
• Just Around The Corner(2012; Pilot only; co-written withGuy Jenkin)
• Ballot Monkeys(2015)
• Power Monkeys(2016)
• Kate & Koji(2020–2022; co-written withGuy Jenkin)

Radio

• The Million Pound Radio Show(withNick Revell)
• The News Huddlines
• Old Harry's Game(creator, in which he also stars asSatan)
• Trevor's World of Sport(radio version broadcast years: 2004, 2005 and 2007)
• Revolting People(co-creator withJay Tarses,in which he also stars as Sergeant McGurk)
• Week Ending
• Andy Hamilton Sort of Remembers(2017)

Film

• What We Did on Our Holiday(2014)

Books

• The Thatcher Papers(New English Library,1980) (withAlistair Beaton)
• Andy Hamilton (1994),Drop the Dead Donkey 2000,London: Little, Brown,ISBN0316912360,OL22627103M,0316912360
• "The Star Witness" ([Unbound Publishers],ISBN1-78352-298-4,2016), "Like its author, this book is funny, poignant and too short" - Jack Dee

External links

• Andy Hamiltonat theBritish Film Institute
• Andy HamiltonatIMDb
• Andy HamiltonatBritish Comedy Guide
• Andy Hamilton Biography at bbc.co.uk
• [1]appears to be a totally different Andy Hamilton