JIM Davidson OBE
is firmly established as one of Britain’s most popular entertainers
and one of the country’s finest comedians.
He recently received three coveted Showbusiness Personality
of The Year Awards – from the Variety Club of Great Britain; Comic
Heritage and from The Grand Order of Water Rats. In the New Years Honours
List 2001 he received an OBE for his services to charity.
In the years since emerging from television’s New Faces
he has topped theatre bills in London’s West End and at prime
venues all over the country; starred in and hosted many major prime
time TV shows including BBC TV’s Big Break and The
Generation Game headlined record-breaking summer seasons and pantomimes
and a highly successful series of concert tours with his adult shows.
As a theatre producer his credits include hit West
End shows Buddy and Great Balls of Fire and major
family pantomimes throughout the UK.
Jim Davidson was born in Blackheath, London in 1953 and attended St
Austen’s School in Charlton. He had his first taste of entertaining
at the age of twelve when he was chosen to appear in the famous Ralph
Reader’s “Gang Show” at the Golders Green Hippodrome..
A few years later found his way back into showbusiness when he went
along to a pub in Woolwich where the regular stand up comedian hadn’t
turned up. Encouraged by his friends, he ended up on stage telling gags….and
the audience laughed. From then on he used to appear as often as possible
in pubs and clubs across London and soon turned professional.
On television New Faces in 1976 proved to be the turning point
for Jim. It was followed by extensive appearances on television, including
What’s On Next and several series of his own show The
Jim Davidson Show which ran for five complete series and won for
it’s star the TV Times award as Funniest Man On Television.
He starred in high rating TV sitcoms Up The Elephant And Around
The Castle and Home James. His one man show for ITV, Stand
Up Jim Davidson was recorded on stage at London’s Royalty
Theatre and he recently hosted a BBC One series, Jim Davidson Presents
from the Cambridge Theatre, London. He has also starred in a number
of his own TV specials for ITV and BBC TV.
He presented a British Forces Foundation and BBC One TV special from
HMS Invincible, Homeward Bound for Christmas and in 2002 he
filmed Jim Davidson Falklands Bound which was screened during
the 20th anniversary of the end of the hostilities. In July 2003 Jim
Davidson Basra Bound was screened on BBC One and further BBC TV
Specials of his live stand-up show followed.
Highlights of an outstanding career have included five visits to the
Falkland Islands, and engagements throughout the world entertaining
British service personnel. In 1999 he launched The British Forces Foundation
to promote the well-being and esprit de corps of service personnel.
Jim’s success also embraces top-selling videos; DVDs; CDs and
books and he was featured in the movie A Zed And Two Noughts.
His album Watching Over You was produced by Greg Lake. His
best-selling autobiography “Close To The Edge” (Ebury Press)
was released in 2001.
At the start of 2004 Jim hosted the popular BBC One series Commercial
Breakdown looking at the world’s funniest and wackiest tv
adverts and his new prime-time stand-up show for BBC One Jim Davidson
On The Road screened in the summer, achieved record-breaking viewing
figures. Jim also took his adult pantomime Sinderella Comes Again
on the road for a sell-out tour and undertook a major tour of his adult
show.
He has just finished working on Colour Me Kubrick a film with
John Malkovich and he is writing a new book about the exploits of being
on tour.
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BFF Chairman
Jim Davidson OBE
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