Andrew Neil Hamilton (born 28 May 1954) is a British comedian,

game show A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...

panellist,

television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the prod ...

, comedy screenwriter, radio dramatist,

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others asp ...

and actor.

Early life and education

Hamilton was born in Fulham, southwest London. He was educated at

Westminster City School Westminster City School is a state-funded secondary academy for boys, with a mixed sixth form, in Westminster, London. The school educates over 800 students, with links to more than 100 different cultures, in a central London location. The sch ...

which was then a

voluntary aided A voluntary aided school (VA school) is a state-funded school in England and Wales in which a foundation or trust (usually a religious organisation), contributes to building costs and has a substantial influence in the running of the school. In m ...

grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

and later read

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

at Downing College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the Cambridge University Light Entertainment Society (CULES).

Career

Hamilton first came to notice while performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the 1970s. In the mid-1970s he sustained himself by taking jobs at Harrods and the

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional ser ...

before joining the BBC in 1976. His early radio work, mostly on BBC Radio 4 included ''

Week Ending ''Week Ending'' was a satirical radio current affairs sketch show broadcast on BBC Radio 4 between 1970 and 1998. It was devised by writer-producers Simon Brett and David Hatch and was originally hosted by '' Nationwide'' presenter Michael B ...

'', ''

The News Huddlines ''The News Huddlines'' was a BBC Radio 2 topical comedy sketch show starring Roy Hudd that ran for fifty one series from 1975 until 2001. Each episode lasted for half an hour and consisted of topical sketches, songs and one-liners. Performers T ...

'' and ''

The Million Pound Radio Show ''The Million Pound Radio Show'' was a long-running radio programme written by and featuring Nick Revell and Andy Hamilton that aired on Britain's BBC Radio 4. A series of sketches, interspersed with dialogue between the two, the show ran for a ...

'' (with

Nick Revell Nick Revell is a British comedian and writer for radio and television. Born John Revell, he studied at Lincoln College, Oxford. Revell started performing stand-up in 1980 at Comedy Store, where he later became a regular MC, between 1982 and ...

). He has since appeared regularly in ''

Chelmsford 123 ''Chelmsford 123'' is a British television situation comedy produced for Channel 4 by Hat Trick Productions. Chelmsford ran for two series, of six and seven episodes respectively, in 1988 and 1990. The series was set in the British town of Che ...

'', '' Have I Got News for You'', ''

The News Quiz ''The News Quiz'' is a British topical panel game broadcast on BBC Radio 4. History ''The News Quiz'' was first broadcast in 1977 with Barry Norman as chairman. Subsequently, it was chaired by Barry Took from 1979 to 1981, Simon Hoggart f ...

'', '' QI'', and ''

If I Ruled the World "If I Ruled the World" is a popular song, composed by Leslie Bricusse and Cyril Ornadel, which was originally from the 1963 West End musical '' Pickwick'' (based on Charles Dickens's ''The Pickwick Papers''). Background In the context of t ...

''. Hamilton is frequently invited as a panellist on ''

'' and as a guest panellist on ''

I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'' is a BBC radio comedy panel game. Billed as "the antidote to panel games", it consists of two teams of two comedians being given "silly things to do" by a chairman. The show was launched in April 1972 as a parod ...

''. He is the voice of Dr Elephant, the dentist in the children's show ''

Peppa Pig ''Peppa Pig'' is a British preschool animated television series by Astley Baker Davies. The show follows Peppa, an anthropomorphic female piglet, and her family, as well as her peers portrayed as other animals. The show first aired on 31 Ma ...

''. He was also the original voice of Bob Fish, who is also a dentist, in the cartoon ''

Bob and Margaret ''Bob and Margaret'' is an adult animated television series created by David Fine and Alison Snowden and produced by Nelvana. The series was based on the Academy Award-winning short film '' Bob's Birthday'', featuring the same main characters, w ...

''. Hamilton is also the voice of Captain Squid, the pirate in the children's show ''

Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom ''Ben & Holly's Little Kingdom'' is a British preschool animated television series. The show was created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker, and produced by Astley Baker Davies and Entertainment One (the companies responsible for ''Peppa Pig' ...

''. On 16 March 2007, he co-presented

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

's ''

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by ...

'' programme alongside usual presenter

Martha Kearney Martha Catherine Kearney (born 8 October 1957) is a British-Irish journalist and broadcaster. She was the main presenter of BBC Radio 4's lunchtime news programme ''The World at One'' for 11 years, and in April 2018 became a presenter of the ear ...

as part of that day's

Comic Relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...

fundraising activities, after defeating Richard Hammond and

Kelvin MacKenzie Kelvin Calder MacKenzie (born 22 October 1946) is an English media executive and a former newspaper editor. He became editor of '' The Sun'' in 1981, by which time the publication was established as Britain's largest circulation newspaper. Aft ...

in a poll. Since 1995, Hamilton has written and played the lead role of Satan in the Radio 4 sitcom '' Old Harry's Game''. He toured with his UK stand-up show ''Hat of Doom'' in 2008. In 2009, Hamilton presented the BBC Four series ''

It's Only a Theory ''It's Only a Theory'' is a British television panel game show, first aired on BBC Four in 2009. It was conceived by and starred Andy Hamilton and featured Reginald D. Hunter as a regular panelist. Announced by the BBC in April 2009, the eight-epi ...

'' with Reginald 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

Hamilton is tall. 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 of ''Andy Hamilton Sort of Remembers'' on Radio 4 in October 2017.''

Drop the Dead Donkey ''Drop the Dead Donkey'' is a British television sitcom that was first shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 1990 and 1998. It is set in the offices of "GlobeLink News", a fictional TV news company. Recorded close to transmission, it ...

'' Series 1 DVD He married Libby Asher in 1988, and they have three children together; as of 2005, they were living in

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

, south London. He is a supporter of

Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club is an English professional football club based in Fulham, West London. Founded in 1905, they play their home games at Stamford Bridge. The club competes in the Premier League, the top division of English football. ...

Writing

Hamilton has written for:

Television

*''

Not the Nine O'Clock News ''Not the Nine O'Clock News'' is a British television sketch comedy show which was broadcast on BBC2 from 1979 to 1982. Originally shown as a comedy alternative to the '' Nine O'Clock News'' on BBC1, it features satirical sketches on then-cur ...

'' (1979) *'' Shelley'' (1979) *''

Scotch and Wry ''Scotch and Wry'' is a Scottish television comedy sketch show produced by BBC Scotland and starring Rikki Fulton and a revolving ensemble cast which over the years included Gregor Fisher, Tony Roper, Claire Nielson, Juliet Cadzow and John B ...

'' (1980) *''

Who Dares Wins ''Who Dares Wins'' (Latin: ''Qui audet adipiscitur''; el, Ο Τολμών Νικά, ''O tolmón niká''; french: Qui ose gagne; it, Chi osa vince; Portuguese: ''Quem ousa vence''; German: ''Wer wagt, gewinnt'') is a motto made popular in the ...

'' (1983) *''

Alas Smith & Jones ''Alas Smith and Jones'' is a British comedy sketch television series starring comedy duo and namesake Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones that originally ran for four series and two Christmas specials on BBC2 from 1984 to 1988, and later as ''Smi ...

'' (1984) *''

The Kit Curran Radio Show ''The Kit Curran Radio Show'' is a British sitcom created and initially written by Andy Hamilton, and screened on ITV in 1984. A second series in 1986 was co-written with Guy Jenkin, the title reduced to simply ''Kit Curran''. Set in the ficti ...

'' (1984) *'' Kit Curran'' (1986; with Guy Jenkin) *'' Scotch & Wry'' (1986) *''

'' (1990; co-creator with Guy Jenkin) *''Eleven Men Against Eleven'' (1995) *''

Never Mind the Horrocks ''Never Mind the Horrocks'' was a one-off television show built around the talents of British television comedian Jane Horrocks. It was broadcast on Channel 4 on Thursday 19 September 1996 at 10:00pm and also starred Martin Clunes, Mel Giedroy ...

'' (1996) *''Underworld'' (1997) *''

'' (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 ''The Armstrong & Miller Show'' is a British sketch comedy television show produced by Hat Trick Productions for BBC One. It features the double act Armstrong and Miller and a number of notable scriptwriters including Andy Hamilton, co-creator ...

'' (2007) *'' Outnumbered'' (2007–2014; co-written with Guy Jenkin) *''

The Two Ronnies ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from April 1971 to December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo sections, seria ...

'' *''

'' (2009) *''Just Around The Corner'' (2012; Pilot only; co-written with Guy Jenkin) *''

Ballot Monkeys ''Ballot Monkeys'' is a 2015 British comedy series which appeared on Channel 4 in the run up to the 2015 general election. The five-part series was set on campaign buses belonging to the Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats and ...

'' (2015) *''

Power Monkeys ''Power Monkeys'' is a 2016 British political comedy series which appeared on Channel 4 in the run-up to and immediate aftermath of the 2016 UK EU membership referendum, and also lampooned the ongoing 2016 United States Presidential election camp ...

'' (2016) *'' Kate & Koji'' (2020–present)

Radio

*''

'' (with

) *''

'' *'' Old Harry's Game'' (creator, in which he also stars as Satan) *'' Trevor's World of Sport'' (radio version broadcast years: 2004, 2005 and 2007) *'' Revolting People'' (co-creator with

Jay Tarses Michael Jay Tarses (born July 3, 1939) is an American screenwriter, producer, actor. He created and produced ''The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd'' and ''The Slap Maxwell Story'', co-created ''Buffalo Bill'' (with Tom Patchett), and was an exec ...

, in which he also stars as Sergeant McGurk) *''

'' *''Andy Hamilton Sort of Remembers'' (2017)

Film

*'' What We Did on Our Holiday'' (2014)

Books

*''The Thatcher Papers'' (

New English Library The New English Library was a United Kingdom book publishing company, which became an imprint of Hodder Headline. History New English Library (NEL) was created in 1961 by the Times Mirror Company of Los Angeles, with the takeover of two small ...

, 1980) (with

Alistair Beaton Alistair Beaton (born 1947) is a playwright and satirist, journalist, radio presenter, novelist and television writer. At one point in his career he was also a speechwriter for Gordon Brown. Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Beaton was educated at the ...

) *

References

External links

Andy Hamilton
at the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

* *
Andy Hamilton Biography at bbc.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamilton, Andy 1954 births Living people Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge Comedians from London English male comedians English male voice actors English radio personalities English radio writers English stand-up comedians English television directors English television personalities English television writers Male actors from London People educated at Westminster City School People from Fulham British male television writers