| Alun Cochrane | |
|---|---|
 Cochrane in 2010 | |
| Born | (1975-02-08)8 February 1975 (age 50) Glasgow, Scotland |
| Medium | Stand-up, television |
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Website | aluncochrane.co.uk |
Alun Cochrane (born 8 February 1975) is a British comedian, and actor. He was born inGlasgow and raised inMirfield, West Yorkshire. He was a co-presenter on TheFrank Skinner Show onAbsolute Radio (2011–2022).
In 2004 Cochrane's firstEdinburgh Festival Fringe show, "My Favourite Words in My Best Stories", was nominated for the Best Newcomer award at thePerrier Awards.[1]
He went on to be nominated for "Best Compère" and "Best Breakthrough Act" at the2005 Chortle Awards. He returned to the Edinburgh Fringe during the same year with a new solo show "Comedy with Sad Bits", and in 2006 with "Introducing an Introduction to Alun Cochrane's Imagination".
At the2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe he played at theAssembly Rooms with the show "Alun Cochrane. Owner of a Shed. And a Son. Thinks the World Is Wonky".
Cochrane's2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show was called "Alun Cochrane Is a Daydreamer (at Night)". This was the first festival show he performed at The Stand. His2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, "Jokes. Life. And Jokes about Life", centred on a box of his own 'hand-chiseled, lovingly created jokes' from which, he randomly selected and told jokes, integrated into the anecdotal aspect of his show.
In 2011 he performed, at The Stand's main venue, "Moments of Alun", a show about small moments in life, prompted by a recent house purchase during which he realised that with a 25-year mortgage he had to feel funny for a quarter of a century.
Cochrane appeared on the panel showNever Mind the Buzzcocks in December 2005.[2] In May 2006 he appeared on thesatirical news quizHave I Got News For You, playing onPaul Merton's team.
Cochrane had a non-speaking role as a waiter in the third series ofNot Going Out, in an episode entitledAmy, broadcast on 13 February 2009 onBBC One. He was also the warm-up man for the recording of this episode atTeddington Studios in London. Cochrane also appeared as Jason the Asthmatic in an episode of the medical dramaAlways and Everyone.
He has appeared on various television stand-up shows, including on theSwansea edition ofMichael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow in June 2009, and has been a panellist several times onChannel 4's8 Out of 10 Cats. He appeared onMock the Week on 30 July 2009.
Cochrane had a small role as a chauffeur in episode 4 ofWe Are Klang.
He appeared alongsideSue Perkins on theSky Arts panel showWhat the Dickens?.
On 31 October 2010 he was one of the supporting acts on the fourth episode ofDave's One Night Stand.
In December 2015, Cochrane played a barman in the BBC Two comedy-dramaA Gert Lush Christmas.
In May 2017, Cochrane made a guest appearance as a patient in the third episode of the BBCmockumentary seriesHospital People.
Cochrane appeared in series three of theBBC Radio 4 stand-up show4 Stands Up and has also featured onThe Now Show and onJust a Minute.[3] He has also appeared onBBC Radio 5 Live'sFighting Talk. Cochrane started as a full-time presenter onFrank Skinner'sAbsolute Radio show in June 2011, replacingGareth Richards. In May 2022, he announced that he was leaving the show because "Frank wanted to refresh the line-up".
In April 2013 he starred in his own four-part series on BBC Radio 4 series titledAlun Cochrane's Fun House where he takes the listeners on a room by room stand-up tour of his house. The four episodes were titled 'The Kitchen', 'The Living Room', 'The Bathroom' and 'The Bedroom'.[4]
In January 2020 he competed on the second episode of series 101 of theBBC Radio 4 seriesThe News Quiz, alongside comediansMark Steel andLucy Porter, and JournalistHelen Lewis.
In July 2021 he starred in an episode of BBC Radio 4 stand-up specials titled "Alun Cochrane: Centrist Dad?" He looks at the polarised state of contemporary British politics and what place there is for someone whose views haven't changed but has found himself in a very different place on the political spectrum.[5]
Cochrane has a son and daughter[6] and is a supporter ofHuddersfield Town F.C.[7] He is an honorary associate of theNational Secular Society.[8]