Jack Dee
Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox comedian
James Andrew Innes "Jack" Dee (born 24 September 1961) is an English stand-up comedian, actor, presenter, and writer known for his sarcasm, irony, and deadpan humour.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He wrote and starred in the sitcom Lead Balloon and hosts the panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue.
His UK television appearances include being a team captain on Shooting Stars and hosting Jack Dee: Live at the Apollo, which was nominated for a BAFTA in 2006. He also presented The Jack Dee Show, Jack Dee's Saturday Night and Jack Dee's Happy Hour. He won Celebrity Big Brother 1 in 2001.
Early life and education
Jack Dee was born 24 September 1961, is the youngest of three children born to Rosemary (Template:Née Stamper) and Geoffrey Dee, after Joanna Innes Dee and David Simon Innes Dee. He was born in the Municipal Borough of Bromley, Kent<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (now within the London Borough of Bromley) and grew up in Petts Wood,<ref name="jack">Template:Cite web</ref> before moving with his family to Winchester when he was young. His father was a printer and his mother was the daughter of two repertory actors, Henry Lionel Pope Stamper (1906–1985) and Edna May Howard Innes (1904–1969).<ref> Dee, Jack. Thanks For Nothing. Doubleday, 2009, pp. 133–34, 171.</ref>
Dee was educated at both private and state schools. His first school, The Pilgrims' School, a preparatory school in Winchester,<ref name="degree"/> then attended Montgomery of Alamein School for his secondary education,<ref name="degree"/> and for a period he attended Frensham Heights School. He attended Peter Symonds' College, Winchester to obtain his A-level.<ref name="degree"/> Following this, he planned to attend drama college, but his plans were scuppered when his mother persuaded him to get a vocation; as such, he entered the catering industry and became a waiter.<ref name="drunk">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2009, Dee received an honorary degree from the University of Winchester for recognition of his outstanding contribution to comedy, drama and the performing arts.<ref name="degree">Template:Cite web</ref>
Career
Dee's first public act was an open-mic gig in 1988 at The Comedy Store, which he went to one evening after work.<ref name="chortle">Template:Cite web Different sources give different dates for the open-mike gig, with some saying 1986, some 1987 and some 1988.</ref>
Since the 1990s, he has performed sell-out acts at many high-profile venues (including the London Palladium and the Hammersmith Apollo).<ref name="belly"/> After he won the British Comedy Award for Best Stage Newcomer in 1991, Dee was offered his own show; The Jack Dee Show first went out on Channel 4 in February 1992.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His combination of stand-up routines on television continued with Jack Dee's Saturday Night on ITV, Jack Dee's Happy Hour in 1997 and later Jack Dee Live at the Apollo in 2004 on BBC One.<ref name="belly">Template:Cite web</ref> Dee writes all his own material.<ref name="jack"/>
In 1996, he starred alongside Jeremy Hardy in Jack and Jeremy's Real Lives, a collection of mockumentaries similar to their previous collaboration, Jack and Jeremy's Police 4.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Each episode focuses on the pair playing bizarre characters from a particular profession. Shot on film and featuring no laugh track, the show failed to catch on. Aside from his stand-up career, Dee has made appearances acting in television series. He played the part of Doug Digby in the Grimleys pilot (1997) before the role was recast for the series, and made guest appearances on such programmes as Silent Witness,<ref name="belly"/> Dalziel and Pascoe,<ref name="belly"/> and Jonathan Creek.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2001, he won Celebrity Big Brother,<ref name="belly"/> (then linked to fundraising for Comic Relief). He has subsequently said that he dislikes the treatment of the housemates by the show and its producers, and has refused all permission for any of the clips to be shown again.<ref name="lawson">Template:Cite video</ref>
In 2004, he played the role of Steven Sharples MP, the self-styled 'Deputy Home Secretary', alongside Warren Clarke and Dervla Kirwan in The Deputy. Dee's performance was praised, though the film itself received a lukewarm response.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later that year he starred in another one-off drama, Tunnel of Love.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was the celebrity advocate in Britain's Best Sitcom for Fawlty Towers and presented an hour-long documentary about the series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2005, he co-hosted Comic Aid, a one-off gathering of comedians that aimed to raise money for the Asian Tsunami Appeal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May of the same year he appeared on the "Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car" segment of the BBC Two series Top Gear, achieving a lap time of 1:53.5 (52nd on the Suzuki Liana leader board).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His series Lead Balloon, which he also co-wrote, began on BBC Four on 4 October 2006. Described as "Britain's answer to Curb Your Enthusiasm",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Lead Balloon sees Dee play the semi-biographical role of Rick Spleen. A second series of eight episodes was commissioned and was broadcast on BBC Two in 2007, with a third series debuting on Thursday 13 November 2008. A fourth series finished on the BBC on 5 July 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also starred as Harry in the 2005 film Short Order.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In February 2009, it was announced that Dee would be one of a trio of hosts to replace the late Humphrey Lyttelton for the summer series of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (the others being Stephen Fry and Rob Brydon).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He subsequently became the permanent host from the 52nd series onwards.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He is also a frequent guest on QI and Have I Got News for You,<ref name="belly"/> which he has guest-presented ten times; he also hosts segments of the BBC's biennial Comic Relief telethon.<ref name="belly"/> He starred in advertisements for John Smith's Bitter in the 1990s, becoming known as "the midget with the widget".<ref name="chortle"/> He made his stage debut in 1998, playing Yvan in Yasmina Reza's Olivier award-winning 'Art'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He later returned as Serge for a 13-week run at the request of the director.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In 2008, Dee took part in the 15th anniversary special of Shooting Stars where he replaced Will Self as captain of Team A. The show aired on 30 December 2008 on BBC2. Dee returned as team captain in series 6 of Shooting Stars on 26 August 2009, and again for the 7th series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Over Christmas 2009, Dee played the role of John Tweedledum in The News at Bedtime.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2010, Dee 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, Dee joined Dara Ó Briain, Chelsee Healey, Greg James, Melanie C and Philips Idowu in Through Hell and High Water, a Comic Relief challenge which involved celebrities canoeing the most difficult rapids of the Zambezi River.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They raised more than £1 million for the charity.
In 2017, Dee co-wrote and starred in Bad Move, a sitcom about a middle-aged man and his wife (played by Kerry Godliman) who move from the city to a country cottage in search of the rural dream, which becomes more of a nightmare. A second series was broadcast in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In May 2024, Dee was announced as a contestant in the eighteenth series of Taskmaster, competing alongside Andy Zaltzman, Babatunde Aléshé, Emma Sidi, and Rosie Jones.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He finished in second place to Zaltzman.
Other activities
In 2007, the Daily Express reported that he was in negotiations with publishers to release his autobiography.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He signed with Doubleday in 2008 and the book, Thanks for Nothing: The Jack Dee Memoirs, was released in October 2009, along with an audiobook of the same title which he narrates.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> According to Dee, "it's really the story of how I got into comedy... It's kind of an autobiography but isn't, as it stops about 25 years ago. It goes right up to the first time I do stand up."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Dee is a director of Open Mike Productions, co-founded with Addison Cresswell,<ref name="scot">Template:Cite news</ref> which produces shows for television and radio including Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow and Alan Carr: Chatty Man.<ref name="scot"/>
Personal life
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Dee met Susan Jane Hetherington in 1986, when he was working as a waiter in Fulham and she was a receptionist at a nearby hotel.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> They married in Winchester, Hampshire, in 1989.<ref name="FunnyFella">Template:Cite web</ref> The couple divide their time between a family home in Wandsworth, London and a holiday house near Chichester, West Sussex.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Together, they have four children.<ref name="FunnyFella"/>
Dee suffers from depression. He has claimed that his work is the best therapy for his condition, saying "if you have the impulse to be creative, you ignore it at your peril".<ref>The Sunshine boy: Jack Dee interview, The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 5 November 2016.</ref>
In his twenties, Dee worked at the Ritz in Central London and started drinking heavily. He attended church and attempted to become a priest. After he realised that was not for him he gave it up, and never quit drinking, although he would later describe his condition as "alcohol abuse" rather than alcoholism, which was the diagnosis at the time.<ref name="funny">Template:Cite news</ref> Since the 1990s, he has advertised John Smith's Bitter, becoming known as "the midget with the widget".<ref name="chortle"/> Following his appearance on Celebrity Big Brother, he had a relapse, though did not attend AA meetings because he did not want paparazzi photographing him leaving the meetings.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In February 2009, Dee and several other entertainers wrote an open letter to The Times supporting Baháʼí leaders, then on trial in Iran.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–1994 | The Jack Dee Show | Presenter | |
| 1993 | The South Bank Show | Himself | Guest |
| 1995 | Top of the Pops | Guest Presenter | 3 episodes |
| The Steal | Wilmot's Servant | Guest role | |
| 1996 | Jack & Jeremy's Real Lives | Various characters | |
| 1997 | Clive Anderson | Guest | |
| The Grimleys | Doug Digby | Main cast | |
| 1998 | The Ambassador (TV series) | Cornelius | Guest role |
| 1999 | Comic Relief | Presenter | |
| It's only TV, But I like It | Team captain | ||
| Silent Witness | Chris Caldwell | Guest role | |
| 2000 | Don't Panic: The Dad's Army Story | Himself | Guest |
| 2000–2001 | Jack Dee's Happy Hour | Himself | Regular |
| 2001 | Celebrity Big Brother | Contestant | Winner |
| Trust Me I'm a Celebrity | Presenter | ||
| 2002 | Dalziel and Pascoe | Dick Dee | Guest role |
| Jack Dee: Sent To Siberia | Himself | ||
| 2003 | Comic Relief | Himself | |
| Jonathan Creek | Dudley Houseman | Guest role | |
| 2004 | Spivs | Nigel | |
| Bob Monkhouse: A BAFTA Tribute | Himself | Guest | |
| Tunnel of Love | Roy | TV movie | |
| 2004–2005, 2007, 2013 | Live at the Apollo | Presenter and Guest Presenter | |
| 2005 | Comic Aid | Presenter | One-off edition |
| 2006 | Mark Lawson Talks To... | Himself | Guest |
| The Last Drop | Warren | ||
| 2006–2011 | Lead Balloon | Rick Spleen | Main cast |
| 2007 | Dawn French's Boys Who Do Comedy | Regular | |
| The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz | Contestant | ||
| Jack Dee Up Close | Presenter | ||
| 2008 | Happy Birthday Brucie | Himself | Guest |
| The Comedy Map of Britain | Himself | ||
| 2008–2011 | Shooting Stars | Team captain | |
| 2009 | Kingdom | Judge Jeremey Harding | Guest role |
| 2010 | Let's Dance for Sport Relief | Guest judge | |
| Channel 4's Comedy Gala | Performer | ||
| A Comedy Roast | Roaster | ||
| Fry & Laurie Reunited | Himself | Guest | |
| 2011 | 24 Hour Panel People | Himself | |
| Wall of Fame | Team captain | ||
| My Favourite Joke | Himself | 5 episodes | |
| 2014–2017 | Josh | Geoff | Main cast |
| 2015 | Alternative Election Night | Himself | Panellist |
| The Apprentice: You're Fired! | Presenter | Series 11 | |
| 2015–2016 | Jack Dee's Helpdesk | Presenter | |
| 2016 | Power Monkeys | Oliver | Main cast |
| 2017–2018 | Bad Move | Steve | Main cast, 13 episodes |
| 2024 | Have I Got News for You | Guest panellist | 1 episode |
| 2024 | Taskmaster | Contestant | Series 18, 10 episodes |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | British Comedy Award | Best Stage Newcomer | Won | |
| Perrier Comedy Award | Nominated | |||
| 1997 | British Advertising Award | John Smith's Bitter Commercials | Won | |
| British Comedy Award | Best Stand-up Comedian | Won | ||
| 2006 | British Academy Television Award | Best Entertainment Performance | Jack Dee Live at the Apollo | Nominated |
Books
- Thanks for Nothing (Doubleday, 2009) Template:ISBN
- What is Your Problem? (Quercus, 2021) Template:ISBN
Stand-up VHS & DVDs
- Live at the Duke of York's Theatre (1992)
- Live at the London Palladium (10 October 1994)
- Live in London (10 November 1997)
- Live and Uncut (13 December 1999) [extended version of Live in London]
- Live at the Apollo (18 November 2002)
- Live Again (14 November 2005)
- So What? Live (18 November 2013)
References
External links
- Jack Dee Template:Webarchive at Off the Kerb Productions
- Template:Webarchive
- Template:BBC Online Guide to Comedy
- Jack Dee at the British Film Institute
- Template:Screenonline name
- Template:Discogs artist
- Template:IMDb name
- Template:Twitter
Template:S-start Template:Succession box Template:S-end Template:Big Brother UK Template:Authority control
- 1961 births
- Living people
- People from Petts Wood
- People educated at Frensham Heights School
- People educated at Peter Symonds College
- Big Brother (British TV series) winners
- English male comedians
- English stand-up comedians
- Comedians from Hampshire
- Comedians from Kent
- Comedians from the London Borough of Bromley
- English male television actors
- Male actors from Winchester
- Mass media people from Winchester
- 20th-century English male actors
- 21st-century English male actors
- English television writers
- English male writers
- 20th-century English comedians
- 21st-century English comedians
- English male television writers
- Actors from the London Borough of Bromley
- English Christians