Alan Carr

For other people named Alan Carr, see Alan Carr (disambiguation).

Alan Carr

Carr at the 2007 British Comedy Awards
Born (1976-06-14) 14 June 1976
Weymouth, Dorset, England
Medium Radio, stand-up comedy, television
Nationality British
Alma mater Middlesex University
Years active 2001–present
Genres Observational comedy
Subject(s) Everyday life, innuendo
Website Official website

Alan Graham Carr (born 14 June 1976) is an English comedian and television personality.

Carr was born in Weymouth, Dorset, and spent most of his childhood in Northampton before moving in his early 20s to Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, where he began his comedy career. Carr's breakthrough was in 2001, winning the City Life Best Newcomer of the Year and the BBC New Comedy Award.

In the ensuing years, his career burgeoned on the Manchester comedy circuit before he became well-known for hosting The Friday Night Project with Justin Lee Collins. This led to the release of a short-lived entertainment show Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong in 2008 and, eventually, his popular comedy chat show Alan Carr: Chatty Man, which has been airing on Channel 4 since 2009.

Carr also hosted a radio show, Going Out with Alan Carr, on BBC Radio 2 for three years as well as releasing his autobiography Look Who It Is! (2008) and going on three arena tours: Tooth Fairy Live (2007), Spexy Beast Live (2011) and Yap, Yap, Yap! (2015).

Carr is represented by the agency Off the Kerb.[1] He has won two British Comedy Awards, two National Television Awards and a BAFTA TV Award.

Personal life

His father, whose family come from North East England,[2] is a former Northampton Town and Nuneaton Borough F.C. manager, and current Newcastle United chief scout Graham Carr.[3] Carr has a younger brother, Gary.[4]

Carr went to Weston Favell School, Northampton and graduated from Middlesex University with a 2:1 BA (Hons) degree in Drama and Theatre Studies.[5][6]

After completing his degree in his early 20s, Carr moved to Manchester, seeking a better life and aspiring to be a comedian. He moved into a house full of activity in Chorlton-cum-Hardy after which he moved to Stretford; which he cites as an inspiration for his comedic work.[7] Carr soon became a regular on the Manchester comedy circuit, including Alan Carr's Ice Cream Sunday at the Manchester Comedy Store. Carr also made friends with fellow comedians based on the Manchester circuit, including Jason Manford, Justin Moorhouse and John Bishop.[8]

Despite being openly gay, he does not consider his sexuality to be a focal part of his act, once saying, "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 the Julian Clary route and talk about fisting and poppers? I don't talk about being gay and I think what better equality for gays than that?"[4]

On 21 September 2006, Carr and entertainer Lionel Blair helped save a man who was about to fall from a pier in Blackpool. The man was holding on by his fingertips, but the two men managed to pull him to safety.[9]

Radio

Carr made his radio presenting debut on Christmas Day 2007 for BBC Radio 2 as part of their Festive Highlights, with the show Alan Carr's Christmas Box.[10] He filled in on BBC 6Music on 16 February and 14 June 2008 for Adam and Joe and co-presented The Russell Brand Show on 4 October 2008. He also presented Alan Carr's Comedy Outings for BBC Radio 2 in 2008. On 25 April 2009, Carr began hosting Going Out with Alan Carr, a new show for Radio 2, in conjunction with Emma Forbes (later replaced by Melanie Sykes). The show was broadcast every Saturday evening from 6pm to 8pm.[11] On 7 March 2012 he announced that he made the decision to hang up his headphones to focus on his Chatty Man show. Carr said: "I've loved every minute of it but it's time to reclaim my weekends. I wish Radio 2 every success but I'll listen from my home in the future instead."[12] His last show was on 31 March 2012. He returned on Boxing Day 2015 for a one off show on the station.

Performance

Carr performs stand-up regularly, on tour and on television. He has been featured in three Edinburgh shows and in 2007 he toured throughout the UK, which was followed by a DVD entitled "Tooth Fairy Live". Carr had his own monthly show in a Manchester comedy club and he has toured nationwide, supporting other acts.[13] He has performed at the Apollo Theatre in London, which was televised for the BBC One series Live at the Apollo, and has been featured in the Royal Variety Performance.

Carr has appeared and performed at many festivals, including the Reading and Leeds Festivals, Latitude Festival, the Kilkenny Comedy Festival and Live Earth, where he welcomed musical acts David Gray and Damien Rice on stage. He has performed stand-up internationally, including an appearance at the Montreal "Just For Laughs" festival.[14]

In 2010, Carr took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

Controversy

In December 2008, when accepting his award for Best Entertainment Personality at the British Comedy Awards, Carr dedicated it to Karen Matthews, who had earlier that month been found guilty of kidnapping Shannon Matthews, her own daughter. Carr was quoted by BBC News as 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?"[15]

Shahid Malik, MP for Matthews' constituency of Dewsbury, described Carr's comments about Shannon 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."[16] 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."[17]

Filmography

Year Show Role
2006–2009 Friday/Sunday Night Project Host
2007–2008 Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong Host
2009 Nativity! Critic
2009- Alan Carr: Chatty Man Host
2011 Who Do You Think You Are? Himself, one episode
2011- Alan Carr's Specstacular Host
2012 Playing It Straight UK Narrator
2012, 14 Stand Up to Cancer Co-Host
2014 The Singer Takes It All Host
Stars at Your Service Co-host
2015 The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water Seagull (UK Version)

Stand-up DVDs

Title Released Notes
Tooth Fairy LIVE 12 November 2007 Live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo
Spexy Beast Live 14 November 2011 Live at Manchester's Evening News Arena
Yap, Yap, Yap! Live 16 November 2015 Live at London's Hammersmith Apollo

Awards

Book

References

  1. ↑ "Artist Pages: Alan Carr". Off the Kerb. Retrieved 23 August 2013.
  2. ↑ Evening Chronicle
  3. ↑ Barkham, Patrick (20 November 2007). "'I couldn't be cool if I tried'". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 6 March 2009.
  4. 1 2 Day, Elizabeth (15 April 2008). "Elizabeth Day meets award-winning comedian Alan Carr". The Observer (London). Retrieved 4 April 2009.
  5. ↑ "Prestigious Alumni". Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  6. ↑ "Interview: Alan Carr". This is Nottingham. 8 October 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  7. ↑ "Life's no joke for camp Carr". City Life. 23 June 2005. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  8. ↑ "Alan Carr looks back on his early days on the Manchester comedy scene". Manchester Evening News. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 25 November 2011.
  9. ↑ "Entertainers in pier rescue drama". BBC News. 21 September 2006. Archived from the original on 13 May 2007. Retrieved 29 April 2007.
  10. ↑ "Alan Carr's Christmas Box". BBC Radio 2. Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
  11. ↑ Going Out With Alan Carr
  12. ↑ "'I've loved every minute!' Alan Carr quits Radio 2 show to concentrate on Chatty Man". Daily Mail (London). 6 March 2012.
  13. ↑ "Alan Carr". Archived from the original on 22 January 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2008.
  14. ↑ "The Official Alan Carr Website - Biography". alancarr.net. Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  15. ↑ Carr sorry over comedy award dedication Digital Spy. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2008
  16. ↑ "Comedian sorry for Matthews joke". BBC News. 7 December 2008. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008.
  17. ↑ Apologies All Round. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008.

External links

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