Jonathan Peter Culshaw (born 2 June 1968) is an English actor, comedian and
impressionist
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passag ...
. He is best known for his work on the radio comedy ''
Dead Ringers'' since 2000.
Culshaw has voiced a number of characters for
ITV shows including ''
2DTV
''2DTV'' is a British satirical animated television series which was co-created and produced by Giles Pilbrow for ITV. It premiered on ITV1 on 14 October 2001 and was nominated for the Rose d'Or Award in both 2002 and 2003.
The programme was con ...
'' (2001), ''
Spitting Image
''Spitting Image'' is a television in the United Kingdom, British satire, satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productio ...
'' (1994–96) and ''
Newzoids
''Newzoids'' is a British topical satirical sketch show, which was co-produced by Citrus Television and Factory for ITV and broadcast for two series between 15 April 2015 and 8 October 2016.
The programme operated in a similar format to ''Spitti ...
'' (2015–2016), as well as appearing in ''
The Impressions Show'' alongside
Debra Stephenson from 2009 until 2011.
Early life and career
Culshaw was born on 2 June 1968 in
Ormskirk
Ormskirk is a market town in the West Lancashire district of Lancashire, England, north of Liverpool, northwest of St Helens, southeast of Southport and southwest of Preston. Ormskirk is known for its gingerbread.
Geography and administ ...
,
Lancashire
Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly.
The non-metropolitan county of Lancas ...
, and educated at St Bede's RC High School and
St John Rigby College,
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington ...
.
Culshaw's radio career began in
hospital radio in Ormskirk. His first job was at
Red Rose Radio (now Rock FM) in
Preston
Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to:
Places
England
*Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement
**The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement
**County Boro ...
in 1987, where, even then, he used to occasionally read the weather in the voice of
Frank Bruno. He did voice-over work, then was catapulted to prominence with ''
Spitting Image
''Spitting Image'' is a television in the United Kingdom, British satire, satirical television puppet show, created by Peter Fluck, Roger Law and Martin Lambie-Nairn. First broadcast in 1984, the series was produced by 'Spitting Image Productio ...
'', where he voiced around forty characters, including
John Major in the 1990s, who was then the
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
.
Culshaw is also a former student of
Canterbury Christ Church University.
For around four years in the late 1980s, Culshaw was a DJ on commercial radio station
Viking FM
Viking FM is an Independent Local Radio station based in Sheffield, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to the East Riding of Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire.
As of September 2022, the s ...
, based in
Hull
Hull may refer to:
Structures
* Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle
* Fuselage, of an aircraft
* Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds
* Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship
* Submarine hull
Mathematics
* Affine hull, in affi ...
, and also had a breakfast show on
Pennine Radio (now the
Pulse of West Yorkshire) and
Radio Wave
Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, typically with frequencies of 300 gigahertz ( GHz) and below. At 300 GHz, the corresponding wavelength is 1 mm (sho ...
in
Blackpool
Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, between the Ribble and Wyre rivers, and is ...
. It was a receptionist at Viking FM who persuaded Culshaw that he should go onstage with his impressions and make it his living. Culshaw later appeared on
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. ...
's ''
It's Been a Bad Week
''It’s Been a Bad Week'' is a British radio comedy on BBC Radio 2, that first broadcast on 11 February 1999. It is presented by Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, and is also referred to as ''Punt and Dennis: It's Been a Bad Week''. More than 100 epi ...
'', appeared as a guest on the
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 a ...
''Star Trek Night'' quiz in August 1996, and was also a regular guest on the
Chris Moyles afternoon show on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance ...
from 1998 to 2002, where he would phone up commercial organisations such as a
Kwik-Fit
Kwik Fit is a car servicing and repair company in the United Kingdom, specialising in tyres, brakes, exhausts, MOT testing, car servicing, air conditioning recharge, oil changes. As of , there are over six hundred Kwik Fit locations in the Un ...
garage in the voice of
Patrick Moore or
Obi-Wan Kenobi politely requesting whether they could service his
X-wing fighter and how much time it would take.
Career
Radio
Culshaw rose to fame in January 1998 while working with
Steve Penk on
Capital Radio, by impersonating
William Hague and succeeding in contacting
Number 10 Downing Street. He was put through to
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...
who, despite instantly discovering the ruse, had a lengthy conversation with him until a member of Blair's staff ended the call.
Culshaw was one of the stars of the
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 series ''
Dead Ringers'', which ran from 2000 to 2007 as well as the
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 a ...
television series of the same name, from 2002 until 2007. The radio series of ''Dead Ringers'' made a return to
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 ...
in 2014.
In 2018, Culshaw gave a rare dramatic performance as
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
in the BBC radio play ''The Final Take: Bowie in the Studio'', an imagined account of Bowie as he works on
his final album and looks back over his life.
Television
Between 2001 and 2002, Culshaw hosted a programme on
ITV called ''Alter Ego'', where he interviewed male celebrities in their own style of speaking, a form of simultaneous translation. Culshaw also appeared on ''
2DTV
''2DTV'' is a British satirical animated television series which was co-created and produced by Giles Pilbrow for ITV. It premiered on ITV1 on 14 October 2001 and was nominated for the Rose d'Or Award in both 2002 and 2003.
The programme was con ...
'', a cartoon version of ''Dead Ringers''. In early 2004, using the same production team, he had his own programme, ''
The Impressionable Jon Culshaw
''The Impressionable Jon Culshaw'' is a satire sketch show starring the impressionist Jon Culshaw, made by Ronin Entertainment. A deal with ITV enabled Culshaw to make this while simultaneously starring in BBC Two's '' Dead Ringers''. He also st ...
'' commissioned for
ITV.
In 2005, Culshaw was a celebrity contestant on ''
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy'' and was the fourth person to become eliminated. In the same year, he also appeared in the BBC General Election coverage, in the guises of
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...
and
George W. Bush. In January 2006, Culshaw presented one series of the
BBC programme ''
Jon Culshaw's Commercial Breakdown''. In November 2007 and December 2008, Culshaw, a keen
amateur astronomer
Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers ...
, appeared on ''
The Sky at Night
''The Sky at Night'' is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first broadcast on 24 April 1957 until 7 January 2013. The latter dat ...
'' impersonating a young
Sir Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore (; 4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012) was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter.
Moore was president of the Bri ...
. In March 2011, he appeared again on the 700th episode of ''
The Sky at Night
''The Sky at Night'' is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first broadcast on 24 April 1957 until 7 January 2013. The latter dat ...
'', reading viewer questions to the panel of experts. Culshaw later appeared two months later reporting on the
Northern Lights.
In January 2008, he appeared on ''
Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack'', as part of a
pub-quiz team with
Chris Moyles. In May 2008, Culshaw appeared in the
BBC documentary series ''
Comedy Map of Britain
''Comedy Map of Britain'' is a BBC documentary series which visits the places that have inspired many of Britain's leading comedians. It first aired on BBC Two in 2007 and 2008.
Narrated by veteran broadcaster Alan Whicker, comedians included i ...
''.
Since 2009, Culshaw has starred in the
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
comedy sketch show ''
The Impressions Show'' alongside
Debra Stephenson.
On 13 March 2010, Jon was a guest judge on the
BBC One
BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's flagship network and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television bulletins, ...
charity programme ''
Let's Dance for Comic Relief
''Let's Sing and Dance'', formerly known as ''Let's Dance'', is a British television programme shown on BBC One, featuring celebrities performing famous dance routines to raise money for the charities Comic Relief and Sport Relief. The program ...
''. In 2013, he appeared as a contestant on the show, where he performed a routine to "
Praise You" by
Fatboy Slim. However, he was eliminated by the public vote.
In 2010, Culshaw appeared in the television series, ''
Missing'' as Des Martin. In November 2013, Culshaw appeared in the one-off 50th anniversary comedy homage ''
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot''.
Since 2015, he has voiced a number of characters alongside
Debra Stephenson for the
ITV sketch show ''
Newzoids
''Newzoids'' is a British topical satirical sketch show, which was co-produced by Citrus Television and Factory for ITV and broadcast for two series between 15 April 2015 and 8 October 2016.
The programme operated in a similar format to ''Spitti ...
''. A second series aired in 2016.
In 2017, Jon was one of the minor hosts of the
Channel 5 documentary series ''
Secrets of the National Trust''. In February 2021, Culshaw appeared on
Celebrity Mastermind, doing "Doctor Who - the Jon Pertwee Years" for his specialist subject.
Culshaw narrates the Channel 4 property series ‘Sun, Sea, and Selling Houses’.
Film
In film, Culshaw appeared as
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...
in the 2004 film ''
Churchill: The Hollywood Years'' and voiced Piston Pete in the 2008 film ''Agent Crush''.
Impressions
Some of Culshaw's most famous impressions include former British Prime Ministers
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of t ...
and
Boris Johnson
Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson (; born 19 June 1964) is a British politician, writer and journalist who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He previously served as ...
,
Obi-Wan Kenobi (in the
Alec Guinness persona),
Russell Crowe, Presidents
George W. Bush and
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
,
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and television personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which period he adop ...
, comedian
Michael McIntyre, presenter
Dale Winton, newsreader
Brian Perkins,
Sir Patrick Moore
Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore (; 4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012) was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominence in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter.
Moore was president of the Bri ...
,
Tom Baker and
Les Dawson.
''Doctor Who''
Culshaw has appeared in numerous ''
Doctor Who'' related productions in various roles. This first came to fruition with his impersonation of
Tom Baker's
Fourth Doctor for both the TV and radio versions of ''Dead Ringers''.
He has also appeared in the webcast "
Death Comes to Time" and audio drama ''
The Kingmaker''. In the latter, he got to perform his Tom Baker impression "for real" (voicing tape recordings of the fourth Doctor), although his nominal part was that of
Earl Rivers. In 2019, he appeared in a trilogy of Doctor Who audio dramas alongside Fifth Doctor
Peter Davison, playing the shape-shifting android
Kamelion. He later started playing
Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart alongside
Tim Treloar
Timothy David Treloar is a Welsh actor. He is known for voicing the Third Doctor in the Big Finish Productions ''Doctor Who'' audio series and for playing Sergeant Major Tysoe in '' Bombshell''. A well known stage actor, he has also appeared in s ...
as the Third Doctor.
Awards and honours
In 2006, Culshaw received an
honorary fellowship from the
University of Central Lancashire in
Preston
Preston is a place name, surname and given name that may refer to:
Places
England
*Preston, Lancashire, an urban settlement
**The City of Preston, Lancashire, a borough and non-metropolitan district which contains the settlement
**County Boro ...
. In December 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by
Edge Hill University. In July 2013 he was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...
degree from the
University of Leicester
, mottoeng = So that they may have life
, established =
, type = public research university
, endowment = £20.0 million
, budget = £326 million
, chancellor = David Willetts
, vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah
, head_lab ...
. In March 2019, Culshaw sat for British impressionist artist Sherree Valentine-Daines for a portrait painted to mark the opening of the Clarendon Fine Art Gallery in Hampstead, London.
Charity
Culshaw is a celebrity ambassador for the charity Trekstock.
Culshaw also supports
the Starlight Children's Foundation.
Culshaw regularly presents Gold
Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...
s as part of his support for the charity.
In 2016 he participated in the
Great North Run to raise funds for the Jon Egging Trust, a charity set up in memory of the
Red Arrows Flight Lieutenant who lost his life while flying at the Red Arrows Display at the
Bournemouth Air Festival
The Bournemouth Air Festival is an annual air show held along the coast at Bournemouth, in Dorset, England. It has featured aircraft from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, as well as civil aviation displays. Since its formation in 2008, t ...
.
Filmography
;Film
;Television
;Guest appearances
*''
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (2007, 2013)
*''
Celebrity Are You Smarter than a Ten Year Old?'' (2008)
*''
Hotel Babylon'' (2008)
*''
Celebrity Mastermind'' (2008)
*''Heston's Eighties Feast'' (2010)
*''
The Sky at Night
''The Sky at Night'' is a monthly documentary television programme on astronomy produced by the BBC. The show had the same permanent presenter, Sir Patrick Moore, from its first broadcast on 24 April 1957 until 7 January 2013. The latter dat ...
'' (2011)
*''
Stargazing Live'' (2012)
*''
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
''Antiques Road Trip'' (also known as ''Celebrity Antiques Road Trip'') is a BBC television series produced by STV Studios. It was first shown on BBC Two from 2010 to 2012, and has been shown on BBC One since 2013. This show is not to be conf ...
'' (2012)
*''
Britain's Secret Treasures'' (2012)
*''
Pointless Celebrities'' (2012, 2014)
*''
The Chase: Celebrity Special'' (2013)
*''
Tipping Point: Lucky Stars'' (2014)
*''
Holiday of My Lifetime
''Holiday of My Lifetime'' is a documentary series hosted by Len Goodman
Leonard Gordon Goodman (born 25 April 1944) is an English professional ballroom dancer, dance judge, and coach.
He has appeared as head judge on the television dance ...
'' (2014)
*''Bruce Forsyth's Hall of Fame'' (2014)
*''
Get Your Act Together
''Get Your Act Together'' was a British talent show that began airing on ITV on 18 January 2015, hosted by Stephen Mulhern. The show features celebrities learning various different acts, such as juggling, singing, impressions and escapology, and ...
'' (2015)
*''
All Star Family Fortunes''
(2015)
*''
This Week'' (2015)
*''
Sunday Brunch'' (2015)
*''
The Paul O'Grady Show
''The Paul O'Grady Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, a ...
'' (2015)
*''
Celebrity Money for Nothing'' (2017)
*''The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas'' (2017)
References
External links
*
Alter Ego.Article in ''The Stage''BBC Dead Ringers.
Audio clips
Prank call.The Time Lord contacts terrestrial organisations by telephone.Voice over work.Viking FM jingleTalking about his work on ''Dead Ringers''.Interviewed on Radio Lancashire in July 2006Helping out with Budget 2005 on Radio Five Live''Would You'' featuring celebrity vocalsTalking on Danny Baker's programme.This is the Radio Four News with Brian Perkins.Are you sitting comfortably? It's time for Dead Ringers to begin.
Video clips
Receiving his honorary degree in Preston (YouTube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Culshaw, Jon
1968 births
Living people
20th-century English comedians
20th-century English male actors
21st-century English comedians
21st-century English male actors
English impressionists (entertainers)
English male comedians
English male film actors
English male television actors
English male voice actors
Male actors from Lancashire
People from Ormskirk