98-535: Benjamin Charles Elton AM is a British comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms The Young Ones and Blackadder , as well as continuing as a stand-up comedian on stage and television. His style in the 1980s was left-wing political satire . He has published many novels in dystopian , comedy, and crime genres, as well as written
196-573: A BBC television film adaptation of Roald Dahl 's classic children's novel . Receiving acclaim, the film starred Dustin Hoffman and Judi Dench , with James Corden as the narrator, was directed by Dearbhla Walsh and was broadcast on BBC on 1 January 2015. His next film, Yesterday , was adapted from an original screenplay by Jack Barth (who received only "co-story" credit, reportedly at Curtis's insistence). The film, directed by Danny Boyle and starring Lily James and Himesh Patel , follows
294-596: A Funeral proved to be the top-grossing British film in history at that time. It made an international star of Grant, and Curtis' Oscar nomination for the script catapulted him to prominence (though the Oscar went to Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary for Pulp Fiction ). The film was also nominated for Best Picture, but lost to Forrest Gump . Curtis' next film was also for Working Title, which has remained his artistic home ever since. 1997's Bean brought Mr. Bean to
392-399: A Miniseries or a Movie for Kelly Macdonald and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special trophy for Curtis himself. Curtis said of Yates' direction that he made "a much more beautiful film, and a surprising film and a better film than I could possibly have made." "The difference between having a good idea for a movie and a finished movie
490-594: A UK version of the US's Saturday Night Live , he became the host of the programme. In 1990 he starred in his own stand-up comedy and sketch series, Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie , which had a second series in 1994. (The title plays on The Man from UNCLE : "Auntie" is a nickname for the BBC.) In 1989 Elton won the Royal Television Society Writers' Award. The Ben Elton Show (1998) followed
588-561: A challenge to take the prime ministership in September 2015. Two months after coming into office, the new republican prime minister announced that the Queen had approved his request to amend the Order's letters patent and cease awards at this level. Existing titles would not be affected. The move was attacked by monarchists and praised by republicans. The amendments to the constitution of
686-571: A complaint by the British Stammering Association about 2011 Comic Relief 's opening skit, a parody by Lenny Henry of the 2010 film The King's Speech . He talked the producer of American Idol into doing a show wherein celebrities journeyed into Africa and experienced the level of poverty for themselves. It was called American Idol: Idol Gives Back . In 2014, Curtis publicly backed "Hacked Off" and its campaign in support of UK press self-regulation by "safeguarding
784-479: A format similar to The Man from Auntie and featured Ronnie Corbett , a comedian of the old guard that the " alternative comedians " of the 1980s were the direct alternative to, as a regular guest. It was Elton's last high-profile network programme in the UK as a stand-up comedian. Elton wrote the six-part sitcom Blessed , starring Ardal O'Hanlon as a record producer, first broadcast on BBC1 in 2005. No further series
882-591: A group of DJs on a pirate radio station run from a boat in the North Sea . The film starred Philip Seymour Hoffman , Bill Nighy , Nick Frost , Rhys Ifans , Gemma Arterton and Kenneth Branagh . The film was a commercial and critical disappointment in the UK. Curtis re-edited the film for its US release where it was re-titled Pirate Radio , but also failed to find an audience. He followed that with War Horse , which he rewrote for director Steven Spielberg based on an earlier script by playwright Lee Hall . Curtis
980-541: A member of the British Empire, members of the colonies and later federated nation of Australia were able to have achievement awarded under the British Imperial Honours system . However, existing criticism of the aristocratic nature of the awards grew following a cash-for-honours corruption scandal in the UK in 1922. Moves to abolish the awards federally and the states were unsuccessful; however
1078-585: A representation of the states (with whom Whitlam's government was constantly in dispute) through the state badges within the Commonwealth Coat of Arms . The original three-level structure of the Order of Australia was modelled closely upon the Order of Canada , though the Order of Australia has been awarded rather more liberally, especially in regard to honorary awards to non-citizens. As of July 2024 only 30 non-Canadians have been appointed to
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#17327756277841176-400: A revival of Friday Night Live , celebrating the 40th anniversary of the founding of Channel 4 and as part of their Truth and Dare season. Speaking to Adrian Chiles on BBC Radio 5 Live on broadcast day, Elton readily admitted that because of the fluid UK political situation, "I honestly haven't written the first five minutes yet!" Elton starred with Adrian Edmondson in a sitcom based on
1274-529: A second series in 2017, and a third series in 2018. A Christmas Special was aired on 21 December 2020. In June 2023, Elton presented Ben Elton: The Great Railway Disaster , a Channel 4 documentary about rail privatisation . Elton wrote and produced The Thin Blue Line , a studio-based sitcom set in a police station, also starring Rowan Atkinson, which ran for two series in 1995 and 1996. A prime-time family show, its traditional format and characters won it
1372-467: A short period in the 1970s, he lived in Warrington , Cheshire , where he attended Appleton Grammar School (now Bridgewater High School ). He lived at Merricourt on Windmill Lane, Appleton , Warrington, during this time. His university friend Rowan Atkinson was an occasional visitor to the house. He then won a scholarship to Harrow School , where he joined the editorial team of The Harrovian ,
1470-554: A single flower of mimosa . At the centre is a ring, representing the sea, with the word Australia below two branches of mimosa. The whole disc is topped by the Crown of St Edward . The AC badge is decorated with citrines , blue enamelled ring, and enamelled crown. The AO badge is similar, without the citrines. For the AM badge, only the crown is enamelled, and the OAM badge is plain. The AK/AD badge
1568-483: A situation comedy. This series, which dealt with greater, darker themes than prior Blackadder episodes, was praised for Curtis's and Elton's scripts, in particular the final episode . Before writing the series, the pair read about the war and found that: All the lead up to the first World War was very funny. All the people coming from communities where they'd never bumped into posh people and all being so gung ho and optimistic. The first hundred pages of any book about
1666-600: A third cousin of singer Olivia Newton-John . Elton's father is from a German-Jewish family and Elton's mother, who was raised in the Church of England , is of British background. Elton grew up in Catford , south London , before moving with his family to Guildford , Surrey in 1968, where he became involved in amateur dramatics groups. Reflecting on those times at an event in Guildford in 2013, Elton said: I started with
1764-504: A young man who discovers that the entire world except for him has no memory of the Beatles , allowing him to become a global pop star by performing their songs as his own. While Barth's original screenplay depicted an obscure musician unable to capitalize on his windfall, Curtis's more conventional script featured an independent musician unable to control his own career once the music industry takes over. It began filming on 21 April 2018 and
1862-608: Is True , released 2018, a speculative story of William Shakespeare 's years in Stratford-upon-Avon after his retirement from the theatre and move from London. Along with the filmcraft and acting, returning collaboration with Kenneth Branagh , All is True shows Elton giving a more serious and biographical perspective to some of the same characters who appear in Upstart Crow . Elton collaborated with Andrew Lloyd Webber on The Beautiful Game in 2000, writing
1960-434: Is a registered charity, whose stated purpose is "[t]o celebrate and promote outstanding Australian citizenship". It also supports the "community and social activities" of members and promotes and encourages the nomination of other Australians to the Order. The Order also runs a foundation that provides scholarships to tertiary students that show potential as future leaders and are involved in community activities. Branches of
2058-671: Is an atheist . Elton studied at Stillness Junior School and Godalming Grammar School in Surrey, before leaving home at age 16 to study theatre at South Warwickshire College in Stratford-upon-Avon , where he took and passed A-levels in English, History and Theatre Studies. In 1977 he went to study drama at the University of Manchester , where he met Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson , and in 1980 he graduated with upper second-class honours . Upon university graduation in 1980, Elton joined
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#17327756277842156-473: Is issued with each badge of the order at the time of investiture; AK/AD and AC lapel pins feature a citrine central jewel, AO and AM lapel pins have a blue enamelled centre and OAM lapel pins are plain. The different levels of the order are awarded according to the recipients' levels of achievement: Since 1976 any Australian citizen may nominate any person for an Order of Australia award. People who are not Australian citizens may be awarded honorary membership of
2254-471: Is known primarily for romantic comedy films, among them Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Notting Hill (1999), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Love Actually (2003), Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), About Time (2013), and Yesterday (2019). He is also known for the drama War Horse (2011) and for having co-written the sitcoms Blackadder , Mr. Bean , and The Vicar of Dibley . His early career saw him write material for
2352-563: Is likely to feel a bit second-rate, and the public is likely to agree. We hate to be the first to say it, but there is no doubt that the Order of Australia (OA) will be labelled as the Ocker Award. Satire and mockery also greeted the awards, being dubbed "Gough’s Gongs" and "the Order of the Wombat". The newly elected Liberal Fraser government decided to once again make recommendations for imperial awards, whilst maintaining and expanding
2450-485: Is similar to that of the AC badge, but with the difference that it contains at the centre an enamelled disc bearing an image of the coat of arms of Australia . The colours of royal blue and gold are taken from the livery colours of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms , the then national colours . The star for knights and dames is a convex golden disc decorated with citrines, with a blue royally crowned inner disc bearing an image of
2548-801: Is the same as seeing a pretty girl across the floor at a party and being there when she gives birth to your third child... It's a very long journey." —Curtis speaking in 2013 on the filmmaking process. In May 2007, he received the BAFTA Fellowship at the British Academy Television Awards in recognition of his successful career in film and television and his charity efforts. Curtis next co-wrote with Anthony Minghella an adaptation of Alexander McCall Smith 's novel, The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency , which Minghella shot in mid-2007 in Botswana. It premiered on
2646-512: The Blackadder series from 1983 to 1989, each season focusing on a different era in British history. Atkinson played the lead throughout, but Curtis was the only writer who participated in every episode of Blackadder . The pair continued their collaboration with the comedy series Mr. Bean , which ran from 1990 to 1995. Curtis had by then already begun writing feature films. His first
2744-487: The 10:10 campaign in Britain to promote climate change politics . The film depicted a series of scenes in which people were asked if they were going to participate in the 10:10 campaign, told there was "no pressure" to do so, but if they did not, they were blown up at the press of a red button. Reaction was mixed, but the video was swiftly removed from the organisation's website. In March 2011, Curtis apologised following
2842-488: The Australian Labor Party remained opposed and generally refused to recommend awards whilst in office, with this a part of the party's platform since 1918. This was confirmed in a resolution adopted unanimously by the party conference in 1921. However, the non-Labor parties remained supportive, with the long running Menzies government making significant use of the imperial system. The Order of Australia
2940-466: The Council for the Order of Australia . Members of the government are not involved in the recommendation of appointments, other than for military and honorary awards. The King of Australia is the sovereign head of the order, and the governor-general is the principal companion and chancellor of the order. The governor-general's official secretary , Paul Singer (appointed August 2018), is secretary of
3038-603: The London Coliseum from 2 June to 27 August. The 3 main cast members from the touring production will also be starring. Elton wrote and directed Twiggy The Musical , a jukebox musical based on the life of Twiggy , which had its world premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London in September 2023 (originally titled Close-Up: The Twiggy Musical ) and will tour the UK from September 2025. Elton has written five West End plays. In 1981 Elton
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3136-718: The Make Poverty History campaign's Live 8 efforts in 2005. The film stars Bill Nighy as a civil servant and Kelly Macdonald as a young woman he falls in love with at a fictional G8 summit in Iceland. Macdonald's character pushes him to ask whether the developed countries of the world cannot do more to help the most impoverished. The film was timed to air just before the Gleneagles G8 summit in 2005. It received three Emmy Awards in 2006, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie , Supporting Actress in
3234-578: The Nine Network in Australia. Live from Planet Earth was axed by the Nine Network on Wednesday 23 February 2011 after three episodes, despite having six commissioned. The show's final airing rated 200,000 viewers. In 2016 Elton wrote the sitcom Upstart Crow , parodying the writing and family life of William Shakespeare , and starring David Mitchell as Shakespeare. This programme ran for
3332-565: The University of Manchester . In 2007 he was awarded an Honorary Rose for lifetime achievement at the Rose d'Or festival , and was also made a Companion of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts , in recognition of his work with students. Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It
3430-558: The 1995 British Comedy Award and both the public and professional Jury Awards at Reims. In 2012 a new sitcom for BBC1 was commissioned, written and produced by Elton starring David Haig . Filming for a full six-part series of the sitcom The Wright Way (formerly known as Slings and Arrows ) was completed in late February 2013. It debuted in April 2013 to negative reviews. Friday Night Live Elton returned to live British television on Channel 4 on 21 October 2022 as "Ringmaster"/host of
3528-474: The 435 people who have received the nation's top Order of Australia honours since they were first awarded in 1975, shows they disproportionately attended a handful of elite Victorian secondary schools. Scotch College alumni received the highest number of awards, with 19 former students receiving Australia's [then] highest honour". On 26 January 1980 the Order of Australia Association was created as an incorporated body with membership open to award recipients. It
3626-548: The Australian/BBC TV series adaptation of his novel, in 1993. This was directed by Nadia Tass and filmed in Australia. Elton played Verges in Kenneth Branagh 's film adaptation of William Shakespeare 's Much Ado About Nothing , also in 1993. Elton wrote and directed the film adaptation of his novel Inconceivable , under the title Maybe Baby (2000) starring Hugh Laurie and Joely Richardson . It
3724-657: The BAFTA and BFI Screenwriters' Lecture Series. He followed that with Trash , which he adapted from the novel by Andy Mulligan for director Stephen Daldry . With three unknown Brazilian children in the lead roles, the film co-starred Wagner Moura , Rooney Mara and Martin Sheen . It was filmed in 2013 in Rio de Janeiro and released in Brazil on 9 October 2014 and in the UK on 30 January 2015. He next wrote Roald Dahl's Esio Trot ,
3822-522: The BBC and became their youngest ever scriptwriter. His first television appearance came in 1981 as a stand-up performer on the BBC1 youth and music programme Oxford Road Show . His first TV success, at 23, came as co-writer of the television sitcom The Young Ones , in which he occasionally appeared. In 1983/84 he wrote and appeared in Granada Television 's sketch show Alfresco , which
3920-420: The BBC of allowing jokes about vicars but not imams . "And I believe that part of it is due to the genuine fear that the authorities and the communities have about provoking the radical elements of Islam ". On 10 October 2010, Elton headlined the first episode of Dave's One Night Stand . Elton worked on Ben Elton Live From Planet Earth , a live one-hour comedy show which debuted on 8 February 2011 on
4018-404: The BBC on 23 March 2008, just days after Minghella's death. The film did not run in the US until early 2009, when HBO aired it as the pilot of a resulting six-episode TV series with the same cast, on which Curtis served as executive producer. His second film as writer/director, The Boat That Rocked , was released in 2009. The film was set in 1966 in the era of British pirate radio . It followed
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4116-745: The BBC's Not the Nine O'Clock News and ITV's Spitting Image . In 2007, Curtis received the BAFTA Fellowship for lifetime achievement from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . He is the co-founder, with Sir Lenny Henry , of the British charity Comic Relief , which has raised over £1 billion. At the 2008 Britannia Awards , he received the BAFTA Humanitarian Award for co-creating Comic Relief and for his contributions to other charitable causes. Curtis
4214-538: The Curtain Raisers in Onslow Village. Yes, we did Peter Pan in 1969 and mum persuaded me to go along to the audition. For me it was literally an Epiphany. My road to Damascus was Friar’s Gate. I had an absolute revelation. I loved the theatre and I knew I wanted to be involved in story telling and the public arts. From that moment onwards I was completely hooked. Raised in a loving non-religious home, he
4312-844: The Etceteras revue, part of the Experimental Theatre Club . He appeared in the company's "After Eights" at the Oxford Playhouse in May 1976. Collaborating with Rowan Atkinson in The Oxford Revue , he appeared alongside him at his breakthrough Edinburgh Fringe show. As a result, he was commissioned to co-write the BBC Radio 3 series The Atkinson People with Atkinson in 1978, which was broadcast in 1979. He then began to write comedy for film and TV. He
4410-418: The Order of Australia and the award of 199 Honorary Medals of the Order of Australia. Notable honorary awards include: Since 1975, just over 30 per cent of recipients of an Order of Australia honour have been women. The number of nominations and awards for women is trending up, with the 2023 Australia Day Honours resulting in the highest percentage of awards for women to date (47.1 per cent, 47.9 per cent in
4508-597: The Order of Australia. This was done by with the addition of two additional award levels: Knight or Dame (AK or AD) above the level of Companion, and the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) below Members. The Civil Division was also renamed the General Division, so that awards could be given to those in the Defence Force for non-military achievement. These changes were made on 24 May 1976. The reaction to
4606-486: The Order of Canada, while 537 non-Australians have been appointed to the Order of Australia, with 46 to the Companion level. Public reaction to the new awards was mixed. Only the state Labor governments of Tasmania and South Australia agreed to submit recommendations for the new awards, with the remaining governments affirming their committent to the existing imperial honours system. Newspaper editorials similarly praised
4704-498: The Order were gazetted on 22 December 2015. Yvonne Kenny AM represented the Order at the 2023 Coronation . King Charles III , when he was Prince of Wales , was appointed a Knight of the Order of Australia (AK) on 14 March 1981. As he is not an Australian citizen, even though he was the heir to the Australian throne at the time, this would have required the award to be honorary. To overcome this issue, his appointment
4802-594: The Order would be determined by the Council of the Order of Australia. Awards of the Order of Australia are sometimes made to people who are not citizens of Australia to honour extraordinary achievements. These achievements, or the people themselves, are not necessarily associated with Australia, although they often are. On 1 July 2024, the Australian Honours website listed appointments for 46 Honorary Companions, 118 Honorary Officers, 174 Honorary Members of
4900-441: The Queen to reinstate the level of knight or dame and the Queen co-signed letters patent to bring this into effect. The change was publicly announced on 25 March, and gazetted on 17 April 2014. Up to four knights or dames could be appointed each year, by the Queen of Australia on the advice of the prime minister after consultation with the chairman of the Order of Australia Council. Five awards of knight and dame were then made, to
4998-675: The US, Australia, Russia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Germany, Switzerland , Sweden, Canada, and The Netherlands . Elton also directed the 10th Anniversary Arena tour, in 2013. The musical ran for 12 years in London. The character of Pop was originally played by Elton's The Young Ones , co-star, Nigel Planer . His second compilation musical was Tonight's the Night , based on the songs of Rod Stewart , which opened in London's West End in November 2003. Elton worked with Andrew Lloyd Webber on
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#17327756277845096-511: The association are in all the states and territories of Australia as well as the UK and the USA. Total inductees as of July 2024 . The order of wearing Australian and other approved honours is determined by the government. The award is parodied in the play Amigos , where the central character is determined to be awarded the AC, and uses persuasion, bribery and blackmail in his (ultimately successful) attempts to get himself nominated for
5194-502: The award to Prince Philip in a ReachTEL poll. The Australian Labor Party continued to oppose knighthoods and damehoods. Leader of the opposition Bill Shorten stated in March 2014 that the party would again discontinue the level if it were to win the next Australian federal election. The knighthood decision was a significant factor that caused Liberal party members to question Abbott's leadership, with Malcolm Turnbull succeeding in
5292-408: The award. During the 1996 season of the popular television programme Home and Away , the character Pippa Ross was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for her years of service as a foster carer. Richard Curtis Richard Whalley Anthony Curtis CBE (born 8 November 1956) is a British screenwriter, producer and director. One of Britain's most successful comedy screenwriters, he
5390-411: The awards as an example of Australia's greater independence, whilst also noting that the awards would likely appear second-rate. The Australian stated that There is no longer a British Empire; everyone knows that. But somehow the phrase "imperial honours" still carries a ring of regal authenticity that somehow transcends nationalism. For the time being a recipient ... of the Order of Australia
5488-453: The big screen and was a huge hit around the world. He continued his association with Working Title writing the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill , starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts , which broke the record set by Four Weddings and a Funeral to become the top-grossing British film. The story of a lonely travel bookstore owner who falls in love with the world's most famous movie star was directed by Roger Michell . Curtis next co-wrote
5586-605: The book and lyrics (Lloyd Webber wrote the music). The Beautiful Game won the London Critics Circle Award for best new musical. He went on to write compilation shows featuring popular songs from the catalogues of pop/rock artists. The first was the musical We Will Rock You with music by Queen . Despite unfavourable early reaction, this was successful in the West End and won the 2003 Theatregoers' Choice Award for Best New Musical. It has since opened in
5684-499: The campaign "is all about helping people understand the impact of their money and how helping them think that if they are saving for retirement, what kind of retirement is their money saving for? What kind of world is it building?" In 2021, he joined the Rewriting Extinction campaign to fight the climate and biodiversity crisis through comics. He wrote a comic story in collaboration with War and Peas named "Woke". It
5782-519: The changes to the awards were similarly split along party lines. Following the 1983 federal election , Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke recommitted to the end of recommendations for imperial awards. No knighthoods were awarded during his first term in office and he advised the abolition of the knight/dame level after being re-elected in 1986. During the time the division was active from 1976 to 1983, twelve knights and two dames were created. On 19 March 2014, monarchist prime minister Tony Abbott advised
5880-463: The coat of arms of Australia. The ribbon of the order is royal blue with a central stripe of mimosa blossoms. Awards in the military division are edged with 1.5 mm golden bands. AKs, male ACs and AOs wear their badges on a necklet and male AMs and OAMs wear them on a ribbon on the left chest. Women usually wear their badges on a bow on the left shoulder, although they may wear the same insignia as males if so desired. A gold lapel pin for daily wear
5978-463: The exception of awards recommended by the soon to be independent government of the Territory of Papua and New Guinea ); however this did not affect the constitutional right of state governments to recommend imperial awards. According to the governor general's then-secretary Sir David Smith , Whitlam was furious when he first saw Devlin's design for the insignia of the order, due to the inclusion of
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#17327756277846076-489: The general division). Advocacy groups such as Honour a Woman and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency have called for greater effort to be made to reach equal representation of men and women in the order. In December 2010, The Age reported a study of the educational backgrounds of all people who had received Knight/Dame and Companion level awards at that time. It reported: "An analysis of
6174-683: The governments of each respective state and territory, and three ex officio members (the chief of the Defence Force , the vice-president of the Federal Executive Council and a public servant responsible for honours policy). The Council chair as of August 2024 is Shelley Reys. The Council makes recommendations to the governor-general. Awards are announced on Australia Day and on the King's Birthday public holiday in June, on
6272-586: The governor-general to remove an individual from the order, who may cancel an award. Announcements of all awards, cancellations and resignations appear in the Commonwealth Gazette . Nomination forms are confidential and not covered by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) . The reasoning behind a nomination being successful or unsuccessful—and even the attendees of the meetings where such nominations are discussed—remains confidential. As
6370-460: The launch of the Robin Hood tax campaign in 2010. The campaign fights for a 0.05% tax levied on each bank trade ranging from shares to foreign exchange and derivatives that could generate $ 700bn worldwide and be spent on measures to combat domestic and international poverty as well as fight climate change . In October 2010, a short film created by Curtis titled No Pressure was released by
6468-651: The musical Love Never Dies , which opened in London's West End in 2010. It was the sequel to Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera (1986). Elton directed a new 20th anniversary tour of We Will Rock You , that opened in February 2022 and visited over 25 cities in the United Kingdom. He will also make his theatre debut as the Rebel Leader (previously known as Pop) in a production of the show in 2023 at
6566-416: The musicals The Beautiful Game (2000), We Will Rock You (2002), Tonight's the Night (2003), and Love Never Dies (2010). Benjamin Charles Elton was born at University College Hospital in Fitzrovia , London, the son of Mary (née Foster), an English teacher from Cheshire , and physicist and educational researcher Professor Lewis Elton . He is a nephew of the historian Sir Geoffrey Elton and
6664-417: The occasion of a special announcement by the governor-general (usually honorary awards), and on the appointment of a new governor-general. The governor-general presents the order's insignia to new appointees. Appointments to the order may be made posthumously as long as a person was nominated for an award whilst they were still alive. Awardees may subsequently resign from the order, and the Council may advise
6762-430: The order at all levels. Nomination forms are submitted to the Director, Honours Secretariat, a position within the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia , at Government House, Canberra , which are then forwarded to the Council for the Order of Australia . The council consists of 19 members: seven selected by the prime minister (described as "community representatives"), eight appointed by
6860-448: The order. The order is divided into a general and a military division. The five levels of appointment to the order in descending order of seniority are: Honorary awards at all levels may be made to non-citizens. These awards are made additional to the quotas. The order's insignia was designed by Stuart Devlin . The badge of the Order of Australia is a convex disc (gold for AKs, ADs and ACs, gilt for AOs, AMs and OAMs) representing
6958-405: The outgoing governor-general , Quentin Bryce ; her successor, Peter Cosgrove ; a recent chief of the Defence Force , Angus Houston ; a recent governor of New South Wales , Marie Bashir ; and Prince Philip . This last award was widely met with ridicule and dismay by many in the Australian media. The award was also heavily criticised in the community, with 72% disapproving and 12% in favour of
7056-421: The press from political interference while also giving vital protection to the vulnerable." In August 2014, Curtis was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian opposing Scottish independence in the run-up to September's referendum on that issue . In 2020, Curtis co-founded the climate finance campaign Make My Money Matter . According to Campaign Director David Hayman
7154-681: The prime minister alone, rather than by the Council of the Order of Australia, as is the case with all lower levels of the order. In accordance with the statutes of 2014, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , was created a Knight of the Order by letters patent signed by the Queen on 7 January 2015, on Abbott's advice. Prince Philip's knighthood was announced as part of the Australia Day Honours on 26 January 2015 and his appointment attracted criticism of what Abbott described as his "captain's call". Abbott responded by announcing that future recommendations for appointments as Knights and Dames of
7252-438: The screen adaptation of the international bestseller Bridget Jones's Diary for Working Title. Curtis knew the novel's writer Helen Fielding . Indeed, he has credited her with saying that his original script for Four Weddings and a Funeral was too upbeat and needed the addition of the titular funeral. Two years later, Curtis re-teamed with Working Title to write and direct Love Actually . Curtis has said in interviews that
7350-486: The second-best, making Curtis the only screenwriter to create two shows in the poll's top 10 programmes. Curtis achieved his breakthrough success with the romantic comedy Four Weddings and a Funeral . The 1994 film, starring Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell , was produced on a limited budget by the British production company Working Title Films . Curtis chose Mike Newell to direct the film after watching his TV film Ready When You Are, Mr. McGill . Four Weddings and
7448-524: The showbiz send-up sitcom Filthy, Rich & Catflap . In 1985 Elton began his writing partnership with Richard Curtis . Together they wrote Blackadder II , Blackadder the Third , Blackadder Goes Forth , and a failed sitcom pilot for Madness . Blackadder , starring Rowan Atkinson , was a worldwide hit, winning four BAFTAs and an Emmy . Elton and Curtis were inspired to write Blackadder Goes Forth upon finding World War I to be apt for
7546-480: The song " Teenage Kicks " for BBC Radio 2 . A television version of Teenage Kicks for ITV has been made; Elton appeared in the pilot but was replaced by Mark Arden when it went to series production. Elton appeared in amateur dramatic productions as a youth, notably as The Artful Dodger in the musical Oliver! While in bit parts in his own TV series, he began professional film acting as CD in Stark ,
7644-454: The sprawling, multi-character structure of Love Actually owes a debt to his favourite film, Robert Altman 's Nashville . The film featured a " Who's Who " of UK actors, including Hugh Grant , Colin Firth , Bill Nighy , Emma Thompson , Liam Neeson , Andrew Lincoln , Alan Rickman and Keira Knightley , in a loosely connected series of stories about people in and out of love in London in
7742-568: The tour was interrupted in February 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic . He resumed it over a year later once trans-Tasman quarantine-free travel was launched. In 2022, his sell-out UK stand-up final show was held at the Palace Theatre Southend . It was filmed for broadcast on free to air, Channel 4 . His stand up tour "Authentic Stupidity" is due to tour the UK and Ireland in 2024. Elton received an honorary doctorate in 2004 from
7840-492: The weekly school magazine, and this, he asserts, is "where I learned all the skills that made me a sketch writer. I did reviews, comment pieces and funny articles where I'd try to conjure something out of nothing." While at Harrow, Curtis directed a school performance of Joe Orton 's play The Erpingham Camp ; this controversial choice was given the 'green light' by his classics master, James Morwood . Later, Curtis commented that Morwood's support had helped him understand that it
7938-523: The weeks leading up to Christmas. Its regular festive screening has seen it labelled as being arguably a modern-day Christmas staple. Curtis followed this in 2004 with work as co-writer on Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason , the sequel to Bridget Jones's Diary . Curtis then wrote the screenplay to The Girl in the Café , a television film directed by David Yates and produced by the BBC and HBO as part of
8036-402: The world war are hilarious, then of course everybody dies. Elton and Curtis also wrote Atkinson's 1986 stage show The New Revue , and Mr. Bean 's "exam" episode. Elton became a stand-up comedian primarily to showcase his own writing, but became one of Britain's biggest live comedy acts. After a regular slot on Saturday Live – later moved and renamed Friday Night Live – which was seen as
8134-502: Was The Tall Guy (1989), a romantic comedy starring Jeff Goldblum , Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson and produced by Working Title films. The TV movie Bernard and the Genie followed in 1991. In 1994, Curtis created and co-wrote The Vicar of Dibley for comedian Dawn French , which was a great success. In an online poll conducted in 2004 Britain's Best Sitcom , it was voted the third-best sitcom in British history and Blackadder
8232-547: Was a moderate UK success and distributed globally. The film was also nominated for a prize at Germany's Emden Film Festival. In 2015, Elton wrote a song for The Wiggles for the Wiggle Town DVD and CD: The Wonder of Wiggle Town . In September 2016, filming began in Western Australia on Three Summers , a romantic comedy film written and directed by Elton, which was released in 2017. Elton wrote All
8330-510: Was a regular writer on the BBC comedy series Not the Nine O'Clock News , where he wrote many of the show's satirical sketches, often with Rowan Atkinson. Curtis co-wrote with Philip Pope for The Hee Bee Gee Bees ' song "Meaningless Songs (In Very High Voices)", released in 1980, to parody the style of a series of The Bee Gees ' disco hits. In 1984 and 1985, Curtis wrote material for ITV's satirical puppet show Spitting Image . First with Atkinson and later with Ben Elton , Curtis then wrote
8428-466: Was all right "to push boundaries and to be funny". Curtis did not approve of fagging at the school, and at 18, when he became head of his house, he banned it. He achieved a first-class Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature at Christ Church, Oxford . At the University of Oxford , he met and began working with Rowan Atkinson , after they both joined the scriptwriting team of
8526-446: Was also notable for early appearances by Stephen Fry , Hugh Laurie , Emma Thompson and Robbie Coltrane . In 1985, Elton produced his first solo script for the BBC with his comedy-drama series Happy Families , starring Jennifer Saunders and Adrian Edmondson . Elton appeared in the fifth episode as a liberal prison governor. Shortly afterwards, he reunited Rik Mayall and Edmondson with their Young Ones co-star Nigel Planer for
8624-650: Was born in Wellington , New Zealand. He is the son of Glyness S. and Anthony J. Curtis. His father was a Czechoslovakian refugee who moved to Australia when aged 13 and became an executive at Unilever . Curtis and his family lived in several different countries during his childhood, including Sweden and the Philippines, before moving to the United Kingdom when he was 11. Curtis attended Papplewick School in Ascot, Berkshire (as did his younger brother Jamie). For
8722-406: Was broadcast in the UK on 1 March 2013. He next wrote and directed About Time , a romantic comedy/drama about time travel and family love. It starred Rachel McAdams , Domhnall Gleeson , Bill Nighy , Tom Hollander , Margot Robbie , Lydia Wilson and Vanessa Kirby . It was released in the UK on 4 September 2013. Soon after the film came out, Curtis delivered a screenwriting lecture as part of
8820-408: Was commissioned. In April 2007, Get a Grip , a new show, began on ITV1 . Featuring comic sketches similar to those on The Ben Elton Show and staged studio discussion between Elton and 23-year-old Alexa Chung , the show's aim was to "contrast Elton's middle-aged viewpoint with Chung's younger perspective" (although Elton was responsible for the scripts). In Third Way Magazine , Elton accused
8918-447: Was created by an amendment to the constitution of the Order of Australia by special letters patent signed by the Queen, on the recommendation of Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser . In March 2014 the knight and dame levels, which had been abolished in 1986 by Prime Minister Bob Hawke , were reintroduced to the Order of Australia by Tony Abbott . At the same time, Abbott announced that future appointments at this level would be recommended by
9016-408: Was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II , Queen of Australia , on the advice of then prime minister Gough Whitlam . Before the establishment of the order, Australians could receive British honours , which continued to be issued in parallel until 1992. Appointments to the order are made by the governor-general , "with the approval of The Sovereign", according to recommendations made by
9114-498: Was established on 14 February 1975 by letters patent of Queen Elizabeth II , acting as Queen of Australia , and on the advice of the newly elected Labor prime minister , Gough Whitlam . The original order had three levels: Companion (AC), Officer (AO) and Member (AM) as well as two divisions: Civil Division and Military Division. Whitlam had previously announced in 1972 (on his third day in office) that his government would no longer nominate persons for British Imperial honours (with
9212-408: Was hired by The Comedy Store in London as compère . He made two albums of comedy, Motormouth (1987) and Motorvation (1988). In 2005 Elton toured for the first time since 1997, touring the UK with Get a Grip . He toured Australia and New Zealand with the same show in 2006. In September 2019, Elton embarked on a three-month UK stand-up tour, his first tour since 2005. The New Zealand leg of
9310-512: Was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest figures in British comedy in 2003. In 2008, he was ranked number 12 in a list of the "100 most powerful people in British culture" compiled by The Telegraph . In 2012, he was one of the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his most famous artwork—the cover of The Beatles ' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band . Curtis
9408-646: Was printed in the book The Most Important Comic Book on Earth: Stories to Save the World which was released on 28 October 2021 by DK . Curtis lives in Notting Hill and has a country house in Walberswick , Suffolk with broadcaster Emma Freud who he married in September 2023. They have four children, including writer and activist Scarlett . He had previously dated Anne Strutt , now Baroness Jenkin of Kennington, before her marriage to Sir Bernard Jenkin ,
9506-573: Was recommended to Spielberg by DreamWorks Studio executive Stacey Snider , who had worked with Curtis during her time at Universal Studios . Curtis's work on the World War I-set Blackadder Goes Forth meant he was already familiar with the period. Curtis then wrote Mary and Martha , a BBC/HBO television film directed by Phillip Noyce. The film starred Hilary Swank and Brenda Blethyn as two women who bond after they both lose their sons to malaria. The film
9604-606: Was released on 28 June 2019. Curtis together with Lenny Henry are co-founders and co-creators of Comic Relief . Curtis is also a founder of Make Poverty History . He organised the Live 8 concerts with Bob Geldof to publicise poverty, particularly in Africa, and pressure G8 leaders to adopt his proposals for ending it. He has written of his work in The Observer in the Global development section in 2005. Curtis helped spearhead
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