Harry Hill | |
|---|---|
 Hill atWaterstones, London in 2024 | |
| Born | Matthew Keith Hall (1964-10-01)1 October 1964 (age 61) Woking, Surrey, England |
| Education | St George's Hospital Medical School (MBBS) |
| Notable work |
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| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Comedy career | |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Medium | |
| Genres | |
| Subjects | |
Matthew Keith Hall (born 1 October 1964), known professionally asHarry Hill, is an English comedian, presenter and writer. He pursued a career instand-up following years working as a medical doctor, developing an offbeat, energetic performance style that fused elements ofsurrealism,observational comedy,slapstick,satire andmusic. When performing, he usually wearsbrowline glasses and adress shirt with a distinctive oversizedcollar and cuffs.
He won thePerrier Award for Best Newcomer at the 1992Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and began his career in radio and television comedy with the radio seriesHarry Hill's Fruit Corner (1993–1997). He has hosted his own television comedy showsHarry Hill (1997–2003) andHarry Hill's TV Burp (2001–2012), and narratedYou've Been Framed! from 2004 to 2022. His other projects includeThe Harry Hill Movie, released in 2013.
Hill was born inWoking,Surrey on 1 October 1964[1] and grew up inStaplehurst, Kent, where he attended the local primary school.[2][3] At the age of 14, Hill moved with his family toHong Kong for two years and attendedIsland School there.[3][4] He was later educated atAngley School and thenCranbrook School in Kent andSt George's Hospital Medical School. He received hisMBBS medical degree from theUniversity of London in 1988.[5] Hill worked as ahouse officer atDoncaster Royal Infirmary before quitting the medical profession because he "didn't feel in control of what was happening";[6] he is still registered on theGeneral Medical Council's list ofRegistered Medical Practitioners.[5]
In 2020, during theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Hill nearly returned to work at the temporaryNHS Nightingale Hospital London, after filling in the form after "A few drinks". He was asked if he could start immediately due to his last medical specialism being inRespiratory Emergencies. However, he turned down the role due to travel issues.[7]
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Hill achieved his breakthrough in 1992, when he won the Perrier Award for Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[8] Shortly after, a radio show starring Hill was commissioned byBBC Radio 4 entitledHarry Hill's Fruit Corner. Hill hosted the show as himself, and each week he was joined by various guest performers, as well as regular character actors includingAl Murray andBurt Kwouk. The show featured a variety of other celebrity guests during its run includingRolf Harris andRonnie Corbett.[citation needed] Each episode is interspersed with Hill's stand-up routines.Fruit Corner ran for four series onBBC Radio 4.
Hill made his television breakthrough in 1994, when he starred inBBC2 black-and-white silent comedy seriesHarry Hill's Fruit Fancies. In a similar format toFruit Corner, Hill performed a series of sketches, with celebrity guests making cameo appearances.
The series ran for six episodes on BBC2 between October and December 1994. For Christmas that year, a VHS containing a 100-minute compilation of the best material from the series, as well as unseen sketches, was released by BBC Video.
Hill was a regular onSaturday Live, which was broadcast in 1996 onITV for eight episodes.[9]
Harry Hill got his own television series onChannel 4 in 1997. Among the regular characters were Harry Hill's big brother, Alan, played by Al Murray, and his adopted son, Alan Jr., played by Matt Bradstock.Burt Kwouk also appeared in many episodes as Harry's "Chicken Catcher" – and each week, he would come up with an excuse as to why he has not yet captured a chicken, followed by a performance of the song "Hey Little Hen". In later series, Hill and Kwouk appeared in sketches asKarl Lagerfeld andGianni Versace.
Hill's screen wife Mai Sung also made several appearances on the show, mainly on the theme of trying to steal hisAbbey National bank savings book. Another character that featured on the show was Stouffer the Cat, aglove puppet cat made from blue rubber. Stouffer would normally sit in a throne, supported by a rubber arm in the style ofRod Hull, and was employed to intimidate guests during Hill's standup routines. Some of Stouffer's catchphrases are "he got a big face" and "sorted – respect due".[citation needed]
At the end of each episode, an event called "The Badger Parade" was supposed to take place. The parade featured a number ofpuppetbadgers that included "Gareth Southgate badger" and "Tasmin Archer badger", among others – however, every week, there would be some kind of problem, resulting in the badgers being unable to perform. In place of the badger parade, Hill would usually sing a song, with a guest that he had invited onto the show. Atie-in book relating to the series was released in October 1998, entitledHarry Hill's Fun Book.
The series was cancelled in April 2000 but was revived byITV in March 2003, asThe All-New Harry Hill Show. It was broadcast in between the first two series of Hill's new ITV showTV Burp. Regular features on the ITV version included the Hamilton Challenge, featuringNeil andChristine Hamilton, and a butterfly in blue jeans. The Channel 4 series was revisited in August 2012, for a retrospective documentary entitledWhatever Happened to Harry Hill?.[10]
In October 2001, Hill moved toITV in a lucrative deal, in which he created an all-new show,Harry Hill's TV Burp, where he would take a look at the week's television, showing clips from various British television programmes, and framing them with funny commentary or intercutting additional footage.
The series would feature a regular stable of all new characters, including the Knitted Character, a small knitted rabbit, Wagbo, a demon love child whose parents are reportedlyWagner Carillho and Mary Byrne ofX Factor fame, and an interpretation ofHeather Trott fromEastEnders, played by Steve Bernham, as well as a doll ofThe Apprentice starAlan Sugar, who would regularly rap before clips ofThe Apprentice were introduced.
The show was piloted in December 2001, before running for eleven full series between 2002 and 2012, before being cancelled to allow Hill to work on other projects. Hill would occasionally say his catchphrase "Chippy chips!" and the show became known for another catchphrase "You get the idea with that" and Hill's actual sideways look at a topic. The show won a number ofBAFTA awards, and spawned fiveBest of TV Burp DVD compilations, and a book based on the series, which was released for Christmas 2009.
From 2004 to 2022, Hill narrated 15 series of the comical clip showYou've Been Framed!, often shortened toYBF!, replacingJonathan Wilkes on the show. In February 2023, it was reported that the show had been axed by ITV.
In October 2005, Hill wrote and starred inHarry Hill's Shark Infested Custard, a thirteen-part show broadcast in theCITV children's television slot, onITV. While many of his well-known characters, such as Stouffer and Garry Hill, his fictional layabout son from his first marriage, remained, it also showcased several new characters, including Speed Camera Boy, an outsider who is half boy and halfspeed camera, and Evelynne Hussey, a one-woman band who played a number of different instruments.
While the show featured a game-show element,Help the Aged, it was very similar in structure toHarry Hill. In the show, Hill wore a pale yellow, custard-coloured shirt, with a giant collar, instead of his usual white collar.
The series was never released on DVD; however, it did spawnHarry Hill's Whopping Great Joke Book, a book of children's jokes, released in 2006. The book was also made available as aniPhone application.[11] A second book,Harry Hill's Bumper Book of Bloopers, was released for Christmas 2011.
The Harry Hill Movie premiered in theUnited Kingdom on 20 December 2013. The film also starsMatt Lucas,Julie Walters,Johnny Vegas,Sheridan Smith,Simon Bird,Marc Wootton,Jim Broadbent, and bandThe Magic Numbers.[12][13] The film sees Hill embark on a road trip toBlackpool with his Nan (Julie Walters) when he discovers that his hamster has only one week to live.
The 88-minute film was directed bySteve Bendelack and made $3,647,870 at the box office.[14] It was also released on DVD on 14 April 2014.
Hill presented a revived version of the ITV talent showStars in Their Eyes.[15] The series aired for six episodes from 10 January until 14 February 2015. The revival has proved divisive. Fans of the original format were extremely critical of it, saying that Hill had made the show about himself rather than the contestants.
In April 2015, it was announced that the show had been axed by ITV, due to poor ratings.[16]
Tea Time saw Hill welcome guests to a spoof comedy kitchen and ask them to cook bizarre things. A new entertainment series forSky 1, the first series debuted on 16 October 2016, and was viewed by 400,000 viewers. Ratings slipped the following week, when only 180,000 watched. Guests for the first series includedPaul Hollywood,Joey Essex,Gok Wan,Martin Kemp andJason Donovan.
Harry Hill's Tea Time was commissioned for a second series which began airing in January 2018.
In March 2017, Hill began presenting six thirty-minute episodes ofHarry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule, which aired onITV on Thursday nights, 8.30 to 9 pm.
Thepanel show sees Harry welcoming two teams of two celebrity guests as they are tasked with saving planet Earth fromalien invasion by sending evidence (via the "fun capsule" of the title) that Earthlings are good fun and therefore worthy of saving from destruction. Harry alludes to the premise of the show as being rather tenuous in a running joke during each show's introduction, before introducing the two teams of guests, usually a mix of comedians and television stars.
In a similar style toHarry Hill's TV Burp, the show includes various clips from television and film, often attributed or related somehow to the current guests. The guests also partake in sketches and songs based on or directly spoofing the funny or bizarre items featured. There is a regular slot entitled "Local News Round Up", accompanied by its own theme tune, which involves each of the guests taking turns to read out bizarre headlines from local newspapers. Alan the Alien also appears as a green extra-terrestrial's arm, emerging from a box to aid Harry in some way.
Guests on the show includedGeorge Formby Society,Alison Hammond andLes Dennis.
The series has received positive reviews, with many pointing out the similarities toTV Burp.[17][18]
The show moved to Saturday evenings between 7.30 pm and 8.00 pm for a second series, aired in 2018, and a third in 2019.[19][20]
In 2020, Harry Hill started presentingHarry Hill's World of TV. Using archive clips, thisTV Burp-style show pokes fun at television, with each episode themed around a specific genre.[21]
In 2002, Hill published a novel entitledFlight from Deathrow, based around the unlikely fictional antics of real-life celebrities and politicians, as seen through the eyes of a storyteller who drifts in and out of a coma. His second book,Tim the Tiny Horse, was published in October 2006, and featured the tale of a small horse who has to wear glasses because of poor eyesight.
Hill's third book,The Further Adventures of theQueen Mum, was published in October 2007, and was a comic take on the life and times of the Queen Mother. His fourth novel,Tim the Tiny Horse at Large, which is a sequel toTim the Tiny Horse, was published in October 2009.
In 2010, Hill releasedLivin' the Dreem, a fictional account of a year in his life with frequent references to pop culture. The book was reprinted in May 2011, with additional entries for events occurring between January and April of that year.[citation needed]
A Complete History of Tim (the Tiny Horse) was published in November 2012 which contains the first twoTim the Tiny Horse novels, with four new stories.[22]
Hill has recorded voice-overs on television commercials. Advertisements that Hill has provided a voice over for include the holiday adverts forBoots in 2004, the "Bring on the Branston!" adverts for theBranston Pickle brand during 2006 to 2007, adverts for theGreen Flag car breakdown service, and adverts for the new yogurt,Danio byDanone. He also sang in 2001 "This Charming Man" byThe Smiths asMorrissey inStars in their Eyes.[citation needed]
In February 2001, and again in April, Hill appeared onLily Savage's Blankety Blank.[23][24] Hill has also appeared as a guest on theBBC Radio 4 seriesI'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, in theChuckleVision episode "Mind Your Manors", the first episode of the twentieth series, and as Joon Boolay in theSky Atlantic sitcomThis is Jinsy.[25] Between July and October 2003, Hill presented a Sunday morning comedy and music show onCapital Radio called "Funch".[26] In October 2006, Hill presented his own episode of long running ITV series,An Audience With..., in which he revived several characters fromHarry Hill. On 4 October 2004, he also appeared in an episode ofRoom 101.
In the autumn of 2008, Hill launchedHarry's Nuts, a brand ofFairtrade peanuts.[27]
In November 2010, Hill released his debut comic album, 'Funny Times'.[28] The album was preceded by the singles 'I Wanna Baby', 'SuBo', and 'Ken!', which featuresWilliam Roache, as hisCoronation Street character,Ken Barlow, is the feature of the song. Since October 2010, Hill has had his own comic strip inThe Dandy, entitledHarry Hill's Real Life Adventures in TV Land, drawn byNigel Parkinson. Hill was directly involved in its creation and is co-credited with Parkinson. Between October and December 2010, Hill starred in a weekly online comedy series on theChannelFlip website, entitledHarry Hill's Little Internet Show. Ten episodes of the show were broadcast online.[29]
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In 2003,The Observer listed Hill as one of the fifty funniest acts in British comedy. In 2005, in a poll to findThe Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the Top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.[30] In 2007, Hill was voted #5 on Channel 4's hundred greatest stand ups. On 13 December 2006, Hill won two Highland SpringBritish Comedy Awards, over the favouritesAnt and Dec, which Hill made light of in his acceptance speeches.[31]
In 2008, he won two BAFTAs, and another in 2009 for Best Entertainment Performance. In 2009, he won twoBritish Comedy Awards, making it his sixth award. He also won again in 2011, but was unable to be there and sent Wagbo to collect it on his behalf. He was also nominated for 3 other awards, including the People's Choice Award, which was won by Miranda Hart.
On 17 July 2014, Hill was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Arts by theUniversity of Kent, in recognition of his contribution to television and the arts.
Hill married artist Magda Archer[32] in 1996, inWandsworth, London.[33] They have three daughters,[32] all born inKensington and Chelsea.[34] Hill and his family live inWhitstable,Kent.[35] In February 2006, Hill was a victim ofidentity theft; a sum of £280,000 was stolen from his bank account.[36]
On 25 August 2016, Hill became a patron of Action Duchenne which funds research forDuchenne muscular dystrophy, and fights for improved standards of care.[37] Hill is a fan ofGeorge Formby and is a member of theGeorge Formby Society. Hill is a supporter of theLabour Party andcanvassed for the party during the2015 general election.[38]
| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Fruit Fancies | Himself, Various | Also writer |
| 1996 | Saturday Live | Himself | Stand Up |
| Top of the Pops | Presenter | 1 episode | |
| 1997–2000, 2003 | Harry Hill | 4 series | |
| 1998 | Sooty & Co | Himself, Estate Agent | CITV |
| 2001–2012 | Harry Hill's TV Burp | Presenter | 11 series; also writer |
| 2004–2022 | You've Been Framed! | Narrator | Writer |
| 2005 | Harry Hill's Shark Infested Custard | Presenter and Co-Writer | CITV |
| 2007 | Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway | Himself; Star Guest Announcer | ITV |
| 2008 | Chucklevision | Simon Chortle in the episode 'Mind Your Manors' | CBBC |
| 2014 | The Incredible Adventures of Professor Branestawm | Professor Branestawm | TV movie |
| 2015 | Stars in Their Eyes | Presenter | Revived ITV series |
| Professor Branestawm Returns | Professor Branestawm | TV movie | |
| 2016 | Harry Hill's Look at Love | Narrator and Writer | BBC iPlayer Exclusive |
| 2016–2018 | Harry Hill's Tea-Time | Presenter and Writer | Sky 1 series |
| 2017 | Saturday Mash-Up! | Himself, Guest | CBBC |
| 2017–2019 | Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule[39] | Presenter | ITV series |
| 2018 | The Great Stand Up to Cancer Bake Off | Himself, winner | Channel 4 |
| Jamie and Jimmy's Friday Night Feast | Himself, Guest | Channel 4 | |
| 2019 | Harry Hill's Clubnite[40] | Presenter | Channel 4 |
| 2019– | Junior Bake Off | Presenter | Channel 4 |
| 2020 | 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown | Himself, Guest | Channel 4 |
| Grayson's Art Club | Himself, Guest | Channel 4 | |
| Reasons to be Cheerful | Writer, Himself | Channel 4 | |
| Harry Hill's World of TV | Presenter, Writer | BBC Two | |
| 2021 | Grayson's Art Club | Himself, Guest | Channel 4 |
| Harry Hill's Lonely Island | Caveman, Napelon, Monkey, Writer, and Director | BBC Two | |
| 2023 | Saturday Kitchen | Himself, Guest | BBC One[41] |
| The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan | Himself, Guest | Channel 4 | |
| Have I Got News For You | Himself, Guest presenter | BBC One[42] | |
| Wonders of the World I Can't See | Himself, Guest | Channel 4[43] |
| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Harry Hill's Fruit Corner | Himself, various | BBC Radio 4 |
| 2017 | Life on Egg[44] | Himself | BBC Radio 4 |
| Year | Title | Writer | Composer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | I Can't Sing! The X Factor Musical | Harry Hill | Steve Brown |
| 2021 | TONY! [A Tony Blair Rock Opera][45] | Harry Hill | Steve Brown |
| Year | Title | Role | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Harry Hill Movie | Himself, Lead role | Also writer |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | First Direct | Himself, voice only |
| Digital Cellphones | Himself | |
| 2003 | Branston | Himself, voice only |
| 2004 | TUC | Himself, voice only |
| Boots | Christmas Doctor | |
| The Times | Himself | |
| 2007 | Walkers | Himself |
| 2009–2010 | WHSmith | Himself, voice only |
| 2010 | Green Flag | Ant, voice only |
| Funny Times | Himself | |
| 2012 | T-Mobile | Himself, voice only |
| 2013 | Danio Yogurt | Himself, voice only |
| Innocent Drinks | Himself, voice only | |
| 2025 | Donkey Kong Bananza | Himself, voice only |
TheUniversity of Kent holds material from Hill as part of the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive.[46][47] The Harry Hill Collection contains documents relating to Hill's stand-up comedy career, work on radio and television, and copies ofThe Beano andThe Dandy which he was involved with.[46][47]
| Preceded by | Host ofYou've Been Framed! 2004–2022 |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
