Gyles Daubeney Brandreth (born 8 March 1948) is an English broadcaster, writer and former politician. He has worked as a television presenter, theatre producer, journalist, author and publisher.
He was a presenter for
TV-am
TV-am was a TV company that broadcast the ITV franchise for breakfast television in the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 until 31 December 1992. The station was the UK's first national operator of a commercial breakfast television franchise ...
's ''
Good Morning Britain'' in the 1980s, and has been regularly featured on Channel 4's game show ''
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' and the BBC's ''
The One Show
''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...
''. On radio, he makes frequent appearances on the BBC Radio 4 programme ''
Just a Minute''.
In
1992
File:1992 Events Collage V1.png, From left, clockwise: 1992 Los Angeles riots, Riots break out across Los Angeles, California after the Police brutality, police beating of Rodney King; El Al Flight 1862 crashes into a residential apartment buildi ...
, Brandreth was elected to the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
as the
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Member of Parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for the
City of Chester constituency. He served until he was defeated in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, and resumed his career in the media. He has written both fiction and non-fiction books, and makes appearances as a public speaker.
Early life
Brandreth was born on 8 March 1948 in
Wuppertal
Wuppertal (; "''Wupper Dale''") is, with a population of approximately 355,000, the seventh-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the 17th-largest city of Germany. It was founded in 1929 by the merger of the cities and to ...
,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
, where his father, Charles Brandreth, was serving as a legal officer with the
Allied Control Commission
Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allies were in control of the defeated Axis countries. Anticipating the defeat of Germany and Japan, they had already set up the European Advisory Commission and a proposed Far Eastern ...
.
He moved to London with his parents at the age of three and was educated at the
Lycée Français
The Agency for French Education Abroad, or Agency for French Teaching Abroad, (french: Agence pour l'enseignement français à l'étranger; abbreviation: AEFE), is a national public agency under the administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ...
in
South Kensington
South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
, and
Bedales School
Bedales School is a co-educational, boarding and day independent school in the village of Steep, near the market town of Petersfield in Hampshire, England. It was founded in 1893 by John Haden Badley in reaction to the limitations of conventio ...
in
Petersfield
Petersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth a ...
, Hampshire, where he met his friend
Simon Cadell
Simon John Cadell (19 July 1950 – 6 March 1996) was an English actor, best known for his portrayal of Jeffrey Fairbrother in the first five series of the BBC situation comedy ''Hi-de-Hi!''.
Early life
Born in London, he was the son of theatr ...
.
Brandreth studied Modern History and Modern Languages at
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham in conjunction with Winchester College as its feeder school, New College is one of the oldest colleges at th ...
,
where he met
Rick Stein
Rick may refer to:
People
*Rick (given name), a list of people with the given name
*Alan Rick (born 1976), Brazilian politician, journalist, pastor and television personality
*Johannes Rick (1869–1946), Austrian-born Brazilian priest and mycol ...
.
While at Oxford, he directed the
Oxford University Dramatic Society
The Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS) is the principal funding body and provider of theatrical services to the many independent student productions put on by students in Oxford, England. Not all student productions at Oxford University a ...
and was President of the
Oxford Union
The Oxford Union Society, commonly referred to simply as the Oxford Union, is a debating society in the city of Oxford England, whose membership is drawn primarily from the University of Oxford. Founded in 1823, it is one of Britain's oldest ...
in
Michaelmas term
Michaelmas term is the first academic term of the academic year in a number of English-speaking universities and schools in the northern hemisphere, especially in the United Kingdom. Michaelmas term derives its name from the Feast of St Micha ...
, 1969, and was a regular contributor to the university magazine ''
Isis
Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...
''. He was described in a contemporaneous publication as "Oxford's Lord High Everything Else".
Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Eric Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011) was a British-American author and journalist who wrote or edited over 30 books (including five essay collections) on culture, politics, and literature. Born and educated in England, ...
suggested that Brandreth "set out to make himself into a
Ken Tynan. Wore a cloak."
Television
Brandreth has appeared in the Dictionary Corner on the game show ''
Countdown
A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...
'' more than 300 times, including
Carol Vorderman
Carol Jean Vorderman, HonFIET (born 24 December 1960) is a Welsh media personality, best known for appearing on the game show ''Countdown'' for 26 years from 1982 until 2008, as a newspaper columnist and nominal author of educational and diet ...
's final edition in 2008, making more appearances than any other guest. He appeared on
TV-am
TV-am was a TV company that broadcast the ITV franchise for breakfast television in the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 until 31 December 1992. The station was the UK's first national operator of a commercial breakfast television franchise ...
's ''
Good Morning Britain''. He was known for his collection of jumpers, of which some were sold in a charity auction in 1993.
Brandreth hosted the short-lived game show ''
Public Opinion
Public opinion is the collective opinion on a specific topic or voting intention relevant to a society. It is the people's views on matters affecting them.
Etymology
The term "public opinion" was derived from the French ', which was first use ...
'' in 2004. In 2006 he appeared on the television series ''
That Mitchell and Webb Look
''That Mitchell and Webb Look'' is a British sketch comedy television show starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb that ran from 2006 to 2010. Many of its characters and sketches were first featured in the duo's radio show ''That Mitchell and W ...
'', on the fictional game show "
Numberwang
''That Mitchell and Webb Look'' is a British sketch comedy television show starring David Mitchell and Robert Webb that ran from 2006 to 2010. Many of its characters and sketches were first featured in the duo's radio show ''That Mitchell and ...
", satirising his appearances in ''Countdown''s Dictionary Corner. In 2007 he guest-starred in the ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the u ...
'' audio play ''
I.D.''. From July to August 2009 he hosted the game show ''
Knowitalls
''Knowitalls'' was a British quiz show hosted by Gyles Brandreth. It was shown on BBC Two in 2009.
Filming took place between 15 and 21 June 2009. It was first broadcast on 27 July 2009. The show's strapline is that it's "the quiz without que ...
'' on
BBC Two
BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
. In April 2010 he appeared on
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 ''Vote Now Show''. He made a cameo appearance as himself in Channel 4 sitcom ''
The IT Crowd
''The IT Crowd'' is a British sitcom originally broadcast by Channel 4, written and directed by Graham Linehan, produced by Ash Atalla and starring Chris O'Dowd, Richard Ayoade, Katherine Parkinson, and Matt Berry. Set in the offices of the fict ...
'', in the episode "The Final Countdown".
A frequent guest on BBC television panel shows, he has appeared on six episodes of ''
QI'' and six episodes of ''
Have I Got News for You''. He has appeared in episodes of Channel 5's ''
The Gadget Show
''The Gadget Show'' (currently known as ''The Gadget Show: Better Tech, Better Life'') is a British television series which focuses on consumer technology. The show, which is broadcast on Channel 5, is currently presented by Ortis Deley, Geor ...
'', and is a contributor to the BBC's early evening programme ''
The One Show
''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...
''.
He appeared on ''
Room 101
The Ministry of Truth, the Ministry of Peace, the Ministry of Love, and the Ministry of Plenty are the four ministries of the government of Oceania in the 1949 dystopian novel ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', by George Orwell.
The use of contradictory ...
'' in 2005, while
Paul Merton
Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), known under the stage name Paul Merton, is an English writer, actor, comedian and radio and television presenter.
Known for his improvisation skill, Merton's humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and someti ...
was host, successfully banishing the
Royal Variety Performance
The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...
and the
British honours system
In the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories, personal bravery, achievement, or service are rewarded with honours. The honours system consists of three types of award:
*Honours are used to recognise merit in terms of achievement a ...
into Room 101, saying that he would never accept an honour himself. In 2013 he clarified that position, stating that he had "no fundamental objection to the honours system", and that he selected the honours system for Room 101 because he could "tell funny stories about it".
In 2019, Brandreth appeared on series 1 of ''
Celebrity Gogglebox
''Gogglebox'' is a British reality television series created by Stephen Lambert, Tania Alexander and Tim Harcourt, and broadcast on Channel 4. The series documents families and groups of friends around the United Kingdom who are filmed for thei ...
'' alongside
Sheila Hancock
Dame Sheila Cameron Hancock (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress, singer, and author. Hancock trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before starting her career in repertory theatre. Hancock went on to perform in plays and musica ...
. In 2020, Brandreth returned for Series 2, alongside
Maureen Lipman
Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakesp ...
. In 2022, he appeared in the series with
Joanna Lumley
Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...
and
Carol Vorderman
Carol Jean Vorderman, HonFIET (born 24 December 1960) is a Welsh media personality, best known for appearing on the game show ''Countdown'' for 26 years from 1982 until 2008, as a newspaper columnist and nominal author of educational and diet ...
.
In 2020, Gyles Brandreth and actor Sheila Hancock replaced
Timothy West
Timothy Lancaster West, CBE (born 20 October 1934) is an English actor and presenter. He has appeared frequently on both stage and television, including stints in both ''Coronation Street'' (as Eric Babbage) and ''EastEnders'' (as Stan Carter) ...
and
Prunella Scales
Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales (''née'' Illingworth; born 22 June 1932) is an English former actress, best known for playing Sybil Fawlty, wife of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), in the BBC comedy '' Fawlty Towers'', her nomination for a ...
in a two-episode series of ''
Great Canal Journeys
''Great Canal Journeys'' is a Channel 4 television series in which a pair of presenters took canal barge and narrowboat trips in the United Kingdom, Europe, India and Egypt. The series was originally aired on More4 before transferring to Channe ...
'', travelling down the
River Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
. In the first episode Timothy West gave the two novice canal boaters a crash course in barging. They went down the Staffordshire Waterways in 2021 for another two-episode series.
On 16 October 2021, Brandreth appeared as a celebrity contestant on ''
Beat the Chasers
''The Chase'' is a British television quiz show broadcast on ITV1 and hosted by Bradley Walsh. Contestants play against a professional quizzer, known as the "chaser", who attempts to prevent them from winning a cash prize.
The six chasers ar ...
'' in aid of
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital (informally GOSH or Great Ormond Street, formerly the Hospital for Sick Children) is a children's hospital located in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, and a part of Great Ormond Street Hospital ...
.
On 24 October 2022, Brandreth appeared on ''Bargain Hunt: BBC 100th Birthday Special'' to commemorate the BBC's 100th Anniversary. His team mate was
Tony Blackburn
Anthony Kenneth Blackburn (born 29 January 1943) is an English disc jockey, singer and TV presenter. He first achieved fame broadcasting on the pirate stations Radio Caroline and Radio London in the 1960s, before joining the BBC, on the BBC L ...
.
Radio
Brandreth has presented programmes on London's
LBC
LBC (originally the London Broadcasting Company) is a British phone-in and talk radio station owned and operated by Global and based in its headquarters in London. It was the UK's first licensed commercial radio station, and began to broadcast ...
radio at various times since 1973, such as ''Star Quality''. He frequently appears on
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 comedy panel game ''
Just a Minute''.
He has appeared on several episodes of Radio 4's political programme ''
The Westminster Hour
''The Westminster Hour'' is a British political news review produced by BBC News, broadcast on BBC Radio 4 each Sunday evening between 22:00 and 23:00 (starting with a national and international news bulletin). The programme began to be broadcas ...
'', explaining his thoughts on how to make the most of being a government minister. From 2003 to 2005 Brandreth hosted the Radio 4 comedy panel game ''
Whispers''.
In 2006, Brandreth appeared in the Radio 4 comedy programme ''
Living with the Enemy'' which he co-wrote with comedian
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 1 ...
, in which they appear as a former Conservative government minister and a former comedian. In 2010 he broadcast a Radio 4 documentary about his great-great-great-grandfather,
Benjamin Brandreth
Benjamin Brandreth (June 23, 1809 – February 18, 1880) was a pioneer in the early use of mass advertising to build consumer awareness of his product, a purgative that allegedly cured many ills by purging toxins out of the blood. He became a suc ...
, the inventor of a medicine called "Brandreth's Pills". He is the host of the Radio 4 comedy
panel show
A panel show or panel game is a radio or television game show in which a panel of celebrities participates. Celebrity panelists may compete with each other, such as on ''The News Quiz''; facilitate play by non-celebrity contestants, such as on ' ...
''
Wordaholics'', first aired on 20 February 2012. He appeared on the Radio 4 programme ''
The Museum of Curiosity
''The Museum of Curiosity'' is a comedy talk show on BBC Radio 4 that was first broadcast on 20 February 2008. It is hosted by John Lloyd (Professor of Ignorance at the University of Buckingham, and later at Solent University). He acts as the ...
'' in August 2017, to which he donated a button that was once owned by a famous actor.
In April 2019, Brandreth began co-hosting a podcast titled ''Something Rhymes With Purple'' alongside friend and colleague
Susie Dent
Susie Dent (born 1964) is an English lexicographer, etymologist, and media personality. She has appeared in "Dictionary Corner" on the Channel 4 game show ''Countdown'' since 1992. She also appears on ''8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown'', a post ...
. The podcast discusses aspects of the English language such as historic or unusual words and their origins, as well as the origins of popular phrases and sayings.
Writing
Since the 1970s, Brandreth has written books for adults and children about
Scrabble
''Scrabble'' is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, read left t ...
, words, puzzles and jokes, and co-founded the ''
Games & Puzzles
''Games & Puzzles'' was a magazine about games and puzzles. The magazine was first published in May 1972 by Edu-Games (UK) Ltd. The first editor was Graeme Levin who recruited a variety of games and puzzles experts as writers and consultant edi ...
'' magazine. He wrote an authorised biography of actor
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, (; 14 April 1904 – 21 May 2000) was an English actor and theatre director whose career spanned eight decades. With Ralph Richardson and Laurence Olivier, he was one of the trinity of actors who dominated the Briti ...
, and
lipogram
A lipogram (from grc, λειπογράμματος, ''leipográmmatos'', "leaving out a letter") is a kind of constrained writing or word game consisting of writing paragraphs or longer works in which a particular letter or group of letters is a ...
mic reworks of Shakespeare. In the 1980s, Brandreth wrote scripts for ''
Dear Ladies
''Dear Ladies'' is a British comedy television series which aired on the BBC in 21 episodes between 1983 and 1984. It featured the comic characters Hinge and Bracket, played by George Logan and Patrick Fyffe.
The comedy is set in and around t ...
'', a television programme featuring
Hinge and Bracket
Dr Evadne Hinge and Dame Hilda Bracket were characters devised by George Logan and Patrick Fyffe for their comedy and musical act. Hinge and Bracket were elderly, intellectual female musicians; in these personae the male Logan and Fyffe playe ...
.
Brandreth created the stage show ''Zipp!'', which enjoyed success at the
Edinburgh Festival
__NOTOC__
This is a list of arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland.
The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Fe ...
and had a short run in the West End.
In 1999, he published diaries chronicling his days as a politician between 1990 and 1997, called ''Breaking the Code.''
In September 2004, Brandreth's book on the
marriage of the Queen
In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to:
* Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death
The Queen may also refer to:
* Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
and the
Duke of Edinburgh
Duke of Edinburgh, named after the city of Edinburgh in Scotland, was a substantive title that has been created three times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not produc ...
, ''Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage'' was published.
In July 2005, he published a second book on the Royal Family, entitled ''Charles and Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair'', which concerns the three-decade love affair between
Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
and
Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the acc ...
.
In 2021, following the
death of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
, Brandreth wrote, "The duke showed me great friendliness over 40 years but royalty offer you friendliness, not friendship, and you have to remember the difference.”
Brandreth has written a series of seven works of historical fiction called ''The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries'', in which
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
works with both
Robert Sherard
Robert Harborough Sherard (3 December 1861 – 30 January 1943) was an English writer and journalist. He was a friend, and the first biographer, of Oscar Wilde, as well as being Wilde's most prolific biographer in the first half of the twentie ...
and
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (22 May 1859 – 7 July 1930) was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for ''A Study in Scarlet'', the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Ho ...
.
Brandreth has written and toured in a number of comedic one-man shows, including ''The One-to-One Show'' in 2010–2011, ''Looking for Happiness'' in 2013–2014 and ''Word Power'' in 2015–2016.
Brandreth has written a book entitled ''Have You Eaten Grandma?'', about the English language and correct grammar.
Politics
Brandreth was a
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
MP, representing the
City of Chester, from 1992 to 1997. He proposed a
private member's bill
A private member's bill is a bill (proposed law) introduced into a legislature by a legislator who is not acting on behalf of the executive branch. The designation "private member's bill" is used in most Westminster system jurisdictions, in whi ...
which became law as the
Marriage Act 1994
The Marriage Act 1994 (c. 34) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Introduced as a private member's bill by Gyles Brandreth, it amended the Marriage Act 1949 to allow civil marriages to be solemnized in certain "approved premises" ...
. In 1995, he was appointed to a
junior minister
A minister is a politician who heads a ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is designated the ‘prime minister’, ...
ial position as a
Lord of the Treasury
In the United Kingdom there are at least six Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, serving as a commission for the ancient office of Treasurer of the Exchequer. The board consists of the First Lord of the Treasury, the Second Lord of the ...
, with his role being essentially that of a
whip
A whip is a tool or weapon designed to strike humans or other animals to exert control through pain compliance or fear of pain. They can also be used without inflicting pain, for audiovisual cues, such as in equestrianism. They are generally e ...
.
He broadcast reminiscences of his parliamentary career on
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
radio as ''Brandreth on Office'' and ''The Brandreth Rules'' in 2001, 2003 and 2005.
In August 2014, Brandreth was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' opposing
Scottish independence
Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about.
S ...
in the run-up to September's
referendum on that issue. In May 2016, Brandreth told ''
The Spectator
''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world.
It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...
'' that he was likely to vote for the UK to stay in the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
in the following month's
referendum on the issue. In 2019, Brandreth confirmed that he had voted to remain, but accepted the result of the referendum and believed that the government had to "get
Brexit
Brexit (; a portmanteau of "British exit") was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January 2020 (00:00 1 February 2020 CET).The UK also left the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or ...
done".
Other activities
![Shaheel Graduation felicitation](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Shaheel_Graduation_felicitation.jpg)
Brandreth is a former European
Monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
champion,
and president of the
Association of British Scrabble Players
The Association of British Scrabble Players oversees competitive Scrabble in the UK. It was formed in 1987 by agreement with J W Spear & Sons, the game's trademark owner, who were subsequently bought out by Mattel in 1993. It currently has around ...
, having organised the first
British National Scrabble Championship
The UK National Scrabble Championship (NSC) is a British national Scrabble tournament that has been held annually (except 1995, 2020 and 2021) since its inception in 1971. It was formerly organised by Mattel, the copyright owners of Scrabble in ...
in 1971. Since 2015 he has been the president of the
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
Society, which was founded in 1990.
He is an
after-dinner speaker
Public speaking, also called oratory or oration, has traditionally meant the act of speaking face to face to a live audience. Today it includes any form of speaking (formally and informally) to an audience, including pre-recorded speech delive ...
and held the world record for the longest continuous after-dinner speech, twelve-and-a-half hours, done as a charity stunt. With his wife, he founded a
Teddy bear museum
A teddy bear museum is a museum about teddy bears. There are many teddy bear museums around the world.
The world's first Teddy Bear Museum was based in Petersfield, Hampshire, England. It was founded by Judy Sparrow in 1984, and housed a collecti ...
. Located in
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon (), commonly known as just Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-we ...
for 18 years, it was relocated to the Polka Theatre 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
* ...
, London. In 2016, the museum moved to
Newby Hall
Newby Hall is a country house beside the River Ure in the parish of Skelton-on-Ure in North Yorkshire, England. It is 3 miles south-east of Ripon and 6 miles south of Topcliffe Castle, by which the manor of Newby was originally held. A Grade ...
in Yorkshire. He is a patron of the
National Piers Society
The National Piers Society (NPS) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom dedicated to promoting and sustaining interest in the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers.
It was founded in 1979, with Sir John Betjeman as the fi ...
and vice-president of charity
Fields in Trust
Fields in Trust, is a British charity set up in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), by Brigadier-General Reginald Kentish and the Duke of York, later King George VI, who was the first president, which protects parks and green s ...
(formerly the
National Playing Fields Association
Fields in Trust, is a British charity set up in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association (NPFA), by Brigadier-General Reginald Kentish and the Duke of York, later King George VI, who was the first president, which protects parks and green s ...
).
In 2014, Brandreth was awarded the honorary degree of
Doctor of Letters
Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...
(DLitt) from the
University of Chester
, mottoeng = "He that teacheth, on teaching"
, former_names =
, established = (gained university status in 2005)
, type = Public
, endowment = £395,000 (2018)
, budget = £118.3 million
, chancellor = Gyles Brandreth
, vice_chancello ...
. In December 2016, he was named the university's
chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
, and officially took the role in March 2017.
Personal life
Brandreth met his future wife, Michèle Brown, at Oxford. Five years later, with Brown working as a television reporter and Brandreth in theatre, the couple decided to have a "quiet wedding". They were married at
Marylebone
Marylebone (usually , also , ) is a district in the West End of London, in the City of Westminster. Oxford Street, Europe's busiest shopping street, forms its southern boundary.
An Civil parish#Ancient parishes, ancient parish and latterly a ...
Registry Office on 8 June 1973, with actor
Simon Cadell
Simon John Cadell (19 July 1950 – 6 March 1996) was an English actor, best known for his portrayal of Jeffrey Fairbrother in the first five series of the BBC situation comedy ''Hi-de-Hi!''.
Early life
Born in London, he was the son of theatr ...
, Brandreth's best friend from school, as a witness. The couple have lived in
Barnes
Barnes may refer to:
People
* Barnes (name), a family name and a given name (includes lists of people with that name)
Places
United Kingdom
*Barnes, London, England
**Barnes railway station
** Barnes Bridge railway station
** Barnes Railway Bri ...
, south west London, since 1986.
They have three children, including Aphra, a former Conservative councillor in Richmond. She is deputy chair of the
Conservative Women's Organisation
The Conservative Women's Organisation (CWO) represents the female members of the Conservative Party in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The Scottish Conservative Women's Council is the autonomous sister organisation of the CWO in Scotla ...
and was the party's unsuccessful candidate for
Kingston and Surbiton
Kingston and Surbiton () is a constituency created in 1997 represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2017 by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats. Kingston and Surbiton has been considered a marginal seat, as wel ...
at the
2019 United Kingdom general election
The 2019 United Kingdom general election was held on Thursday, 12 December 2019. It resulted in the Conservative Party (UK), Conservative Party receiving a Landslide victory, landslide majority of 80 seats. The Conservatives made a net gain of 4 ...
.
Brandreth is a vegetarian, and stopped drinking alcohol in 1997 in order to lose weight.
[
]
Selected bibliography
Non-fiction
* ''Created in Captivity'' (1972), a study of prison reform
* ''The Funniest Man on Earth'' (1974), a biography of Dan Leno
George Wild Galvin (20 December 1860 – 31 October 1904), better known by the stage name Dan Leno, was a leading English music hall comedian and musical theatre actor during the late Victorian era. He was best known, aside from his music hall ...
* '' The Joy of Lex: How to Have Fun with 860,341,500 Words'' (1980),
*'' The Complete Home Entertainer'' (1981)
* ''Everyman's Indoor Games'' (1981),
* ''The World's Best Indoor Games'' (1981),
* 871 Famous Last Words, and Put-downs, Insults, Squelches, Compliments, Rejoinders, Epigrams, and Epitaphs of Famous People (1982)
* ''The Book of Mistaikes'' (1982),
* ''Wordplay'' (1982),
*'' John Gielgud: A Celebration'' (1984)
* ''The Scrabble Brand Puzzle Book'' (1984),
* ''The Book of Solo Games'' (1984),
* ''A Guide to Playing the Scrabble Brand Crossword Game'' (1985),
* ''The Great Book of Optical Illusions'' (1985),
* ''Everyman's Classic Puzzles'' (1986),
* ''The Scrabble Companion'' (1988), (with Darryl Francis
Darryl Francis (born 16 April 1948) is a well-known author of books on Scrabble.
He was a co-compiler of Chambers' original Official Scrabble Words publication in 1988 and consultant on all future editions, along with ex ABSP chairman Allan S ...
)
* ''World Championship Scrabble'' (1992), (with Darryl Francis)
* ''Under the Jumper: Autobiographical Excursions'' (1993).
* ''Breaking the Code: Westminster Diaries, 1992–97'' (1999),
* ''Brief Encounters: Meetings with Remarkable People'' (2001),
* ''John Gielgud: An Actor's Life'' (2001),
* ''The Biggest Kids Joke Book Ever!'' (2002),
* ''The Joy of Lex: An Amazing and Amusing Z to A and A to Z of Words'' (2002),
* ''The Word Book'' (2002),
* ''Philip and Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage'' (2004),
* ''Charles and Camilla: Portrait of a Love Affair'' (2005),
* ''The 7 Secrets of Happiness'' (2013)
* ''Word Play'' (2015)
* ''Messing About in Quotes '' (2018)
* '' The Oxford Book of Theatrical Anecdotes'' (2020)
* '' Philip: The Final Portrait'' (2021)
* ''Odd Boy Out'' (2021)
* ''Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait'' (2022)
Fiction
* ''Here Comes Golly'' (1979).
* ''Who is Nick Saint?'' (1996).
* ''Venice Midnight'' (1999).
* '' Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders'' (2007), (American title: ''Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance'').
* ''Oscar Wilde and the Ring of Death'' (2008), (American title: ''Oscar Wilde and a Game Called Murder'').
* ''Oscar Wilde and the Dead Man's Smile'' (2009).
* ''Oscar Wilde and the Nest of Vipers'' (2010), (American title: ''Oscar Wilde and the Vampire Murders'').
* ''Oscar Wilde and the Vatican Murders'' (2011).
* ''Oscar Wilde and the Murders at Reading Gaol'' (2012).
* ''Oscar Wilde and the Return of Jack the Ripper'' (2019).
References
External links
Gyles Brandreth's official website
*
*
*
*
*
*
Gyles Brandreth - The Telegraph
Gyles Brandreth , Culture , The Guardian
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brandreth, Gyles
1948 births
Living people
20th-century English male actors
20th-century English male writers
20th-century English non-fiction writers
20th-century English novelists
21st-century English male actors
21st-century English male writers
21st-century English non-fiction writers
21st-century English novelists
Alumni of New College, Oxford
British broadcaster-politicians
British monarchists
British Scrabble players
Conservative Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
English diarists
English podcasters
People associated with the University of Chester
People educated at Bedales School
People educated at Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle
People from Barnes, London
Presidents of the Oxford Union
Television personalities from London
UK MPs 1992–1997
Writers from London