Wikipedia

Stephen K. Amos

Stephen Kehinde Amos(born 3 December 1967)[2][1]is a British comedian and television personality. A regular on the international comedy circuit, he is known for including his audience members during his shows. He began his career as acompereat the Big Fish comedy clubs in South London, and has been nominated forChortle's Best Compere Award three times in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

Stephen K. Amos
Amos at theEdinburgh Fringe Festivalin 2005
Birth nameStephen Kehinde Amos
Born(1967-12-03)3 December 1967(age 57)[1]
London, England
MediumStand up, television
GenresObservational comedy,political satire
Subject(s)Australian culture, British culture, Nigerian culture, current events, human interaction, popular culture, racism, sex

Performances and tours

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Amos has performed stand up at theEdinburgh Festival Fringeevery year since2003,after making his debut in2001.During the2006 Fringe,he performed the revealing solo showAll of Me,in which he publicly acknowledged his own homosexuality to his audience for the first time.

He hosted a chat show on weekends (in addition to his own show), performed as a guest at various extra festival shows, such asSpank!,and performed daily inStewart Lee's production ofEric Bogosian's playTalk Radio.Away from the fringe, Amos is a regular performer atThe Comedy Store, London,featuring on the bill several evenings each month, as well as various other venues around central London.

Amos appeared in the winning team at theMelbourne International Comedy Festival's Great Debate in 2006, 2007, and 2008 for the negative team, and in 2009 for the affirmative team. In May 2007, he appeared at the New Zealand International Comedy festival where he won the award for Best International Comedian. He performed at the 2007Class Clowns State FinalinSouth Australia.

During the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, he embarked on a United Kingdom tour of his showFind the Funny.In the winter of 2009 and 2010, he sold out his second national tourThe Feelgood Factor.In 2012 and 2013, he performed hisLaughter Is My Agendatour.[3]

As an actor, he performed in both the Edinburgh Fringe and London run of a version ofOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.His debut DVD was released in November 2009 entitledFind The Funny – Live.[4]His second DVD was released in November 2010 entitledThe Feelgood Factor.

Amos hosted, and performed a short set on the main stage at London's Gay Pride parade on 3 June 2010. Amos performed on the alternative stage atReading Festivalon 27 August 2010, and the Leeds Festival on 28 August 2010. He received a standing ovation for both performances. In March 2017, Amos featured on the 339th episode of the podcast based in Melbourne,The Little Dum Dum Club,which was recorded live at the European Bier Cafe in Melbourne's CBD.

In 2022, Amos appeared in the West End cast of My Fair Lady at the London Coliseum, playing Alfred P Doolittle.

Television appearances

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In the United Kingdom, Amos has appeared as a guest on panel shows such asHave I Got News for You,Mock the Week,QI,The Wright StuffandAnd Then You Die.In March 2007, his documentary onhomophobiain the black British community and Jamaica,Batty Man,was broadcast byChannel 4.It won a Royal Television Society Award and was nominated for a BAFTA.

He appeared inThe Bill('Compliments of the Service') in 1993. He made a guest appearance asJimi Hendrixon the third episode of the BBC Three show,Snuff Box.He has also appeared inRich Hall'sCattle Drive,EastEnders,Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicleand as a featured performer onBBC One'sLive at the ApolloafterDara Ó Briainand beforeFrankie Boyle.In December 2010, Amos appeared onLive at the Apolloas host and compere.

Amos has the distinction of being one of the few stand-up comics chosen to appear at the 2007Royal Variety Performance.Amos made an appearance on the gala/comedy gigWe Are Most Amused,anITV1televised production on 15 November 2008, in celebration ofThe Prince of Wales' 60th Birthday. The event took place in theNew Wimbledon Theatre.

In December 2007, he hosted a documentary,Penis Envy,[5][6]for the free United Kingdom digital television channelVirgin1,[7]in which he explored men's ongoing insecurities with penis size with the help of actors fromPuppetry of the Penis,naked rugby players and the men willing to experiment with apparentpenis enlarging"treatments". On a related note, he gently mocks political correctness, in one of his favourite recurring jokes referring to his own penis size: "some stereotypes I can live with!"

While in Australia for theMelbourne International Comedy Festival,Amos often appears on Australian television shows such as the improvisationalThank God You're Here;the music-based panel game showSpicks and Specks;and satirical news based comedy quiz showGood News Week.

In 2009, Stephen appeared onSoccer AM,and is a fan ofWest Ham United.In 2009, Stephen also appeared on an edition ofChildren in NeedofMastermind,answering questions on the bandFive Star.[8]In March 2010, Amos appeared with theEngland rugby squadplayingNelson Mandela,in a comedy sketch for the BBC'sSport Relief.

In January 2010, he was a celebrity guest team captain onWhat Do Kids Know?along withRufus Hound,Joe SwashandSara CoxonWatch.Stephen guest appeared in Series 2, Episode 7 of theBBC Threecomedy,Coming of Ageand as a guest contributor on several episodes ofThis Week.[9]

In 2010, Amos's own show was launched, a combination of stand up, sketches, and guest performers (who for the most part had not fully broken into television comedy), simply entitledThe Stephen K Amos Show.The show was released on DVD in November 2010. In 2010, for the showTinga Tinga TalesAmos voiced the charactersHyenaandMillipede/Pediless. Amos also starred in an episode ofMad Mad WorldonITV1in Spring 2012.

In January 2013, he took part in a special series ofThe Great British Bake Off.

In 2019, Amos starred in BBC'sPilgrimage,[10]walkingVia Francigena,an ancientpilgrimageroute to Rome. Amos toldPope Francis"As a gay man, I don't feel accepted". The Pope responded, "Giving more importance to the adjective rather than the noun, this is not good. We are all human beings and have dignity. It does not matter who you are or how you live your life, you do not lose your dignity. There are people that prefer to select or discard people because of the adjective – these people don't have a human heart."[11]

In March 2024, Amos was announced as a contestant on thetenth seasonof theAustralian version ofI'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here![12]On 17 April 2024, Amos was eliminated from the series coming in 7th place.[13]

Radio appearances

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On 2 November 2008, Amos appeared onThe Jon Richardson ShowonBBC 6 Music,and again on 16 August 2009 and 23 November 2009. Amos also appeared onNihal's Saturday Afternoon Show onBBC Radio Oneon 30 May 2009. Amos is currently featured in theBBC Radio 4showThe Odd Half Hour,which began broadcasting on 16 November 2010.

In 2012, Amos chaired a BBC Radio 4 programme, calledLife: An Idiot's Guide,starting March 2012, where he and his pick of the circuit's best stand ups build an idiot's guide to life.[14]

People who have appeared on the show includeLucy MontgomeryandLucy Porter.In February 2013, Amos presented another series of this programme, where guests on the programme includedFred MacAulay,Angela BarnesandGreg Proops.Since December 2013, Amos has also appeared in a purportedly autobiographical radio comedy seriesWhat Does the K Stand For?on BBC Radio 4, as a son living in a Nigerian family in 1980s Britain.

The series is co written byJonathan Harvey,and the third series commenced in January 2017.[15]

Bibliography

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  • I Used To Say My Mother Was Shirley Bassey(Constable, London, 2012)

Personal life

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Amos, one of seven children, lives inSouth London.His parents came to London from Nigeria in the 1960s.[16]OnFern Britton'sThe 5 O'Clock Show(Channel 4, 19 July 2010), he stated that his middle name isKehinde,which is aYorubaname for "second of twins". Amos had an older twin sister, who died in 2018.[17]He studiedcriminal justiceat thePolytechnic of Central London.[18]He is gay and anatheist.[19]

Amos is a celebrity supporter of theBritish Red Cross,where he is interested in their work with refugees.[20]Amos is a member ofThe Arts Emergency Service.[21][22]

References

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  1. ^ab"Stephen K Amos"– via Facebook.
  2. ^Iqbal, Nosheen (2 December 2009)."Stephen K Amos: Murder, he wrote".The Guardian.
  3. ^"Review of Stephen K Amos: Work in Progress, Fringe 2012".Edinburgh Reviews.10 August 2012.Retrieved20 December2019.
  4. ^"Stephen K Amos: Find The Funny".Play.com (UK).Retrieved2 December2009.
  5. ^Whitelaw, Paul (7 December 2007)."Overexposure of a sensitive area".The Scotsman.Retrieved2 December2009.
  6. ^"Penis Envy".Virgin Media.Retrieved2 December2009.
  7. ^"Virgin 1's brand new cock-umentary gets to grips with The Great British Penis"(Press release). Virgin Media Television. 30 September 2007.Retrieved2 December2009.
  8. ^Mastermind SpecialBBC Children in Need 2009
  9. ^BBC This Week: Amos, O'Rourke, Kat Von D and Moore.BBC News (28 April 2011). Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  10. ^"Pilgrimage".BBC.Retrieved24 December2019.
  11. ^"Stephen K Amos: 'I refused to meet the Pope unless I could ask him about LGBT rights'".i (newspaper).19 April 2019.Retrieved24 December2019.
  12. ^Cartwright, Lexie (24 March 2024)."I'm A Celebrity 2024: Full line-up of stars revealed in premiere episode".news.com.au.News Corp Australia.Retrieved31 March2024.
  13. ^Haigh, Joshua (17 April 2024)."I'm A Celeb: Stephen K Amos kicked out of jungle in record-breaking vote".News.com.au.Retrieved17 April2024.
  14. ^"BBC Radio 4 – Life: An Idiot's Guide, Series 1".BBC. 4 April 2012.Retrieved16 June2013.
  15. ^Writers:Jonathan Harvey,Stephen K. Amos; Producer: Paul Sheehan (25 January 2017)."Working for a Living".What Does the K Stand For?.BBC.BBC Radio Four.Retrieved1 February2017.
  16. ^Bunbury, Stephanie (22 September 2008)."Black, gay and game for a laugh".The Age.Retrieved2 December2009.[Amos] recalled the moment when he realised he was attracted to men.
  17. ^"Stephen K Amos Interview. The comedian in conversation in 2018".On: Yorkshire Magazine | Yorkshire's Online Publication.4 November 2018.Retrieved18 April2019.
  18. ^Randall, Lee (24 September 2012)."Interview: Stephen K Amos, comedian and author".The Scotsman.
  19. ^Merritt, Stephanie (31 October 2010)."Stephen K Amos: 'I don't want to be labelled" the black gay comic "'".The Guardian.London.Retrieved21 January2014.
  20. ^"Stephen K Amos".British Red Cross. Archived fromthe originalon 17 February 2009.Retrieved2 December2009.
  21. ^All 4Archived10 November 2013 at theWayback Machine.4thought.tv (12 February 2016). Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  22. ^"Media Diversity UK".E-activist.com. Archived fromthe originalon 23 December 2020.Retrieved25 October2013.
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