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81-438: Malcolm Hardee (5 January 1950 – 31 January 2005) was an English comedian and comedy club proprietor. His high reputation among his peers rests on his outrageous publicity stunts and on the help and advice he gave to successful British alternative comedians early in their careers, acting as "godfather to a generation of comic talent in the 1980s". Fellow comic Rob Newman called him "a hilarious, anarchic , living legend ;

162-581: A minicab driver or you can go into showbusiness" and "Prison is like mime or juggling – a tragic waste of time". After coming out of prison in 1977 or 1978 (sources vary), Hardee joined Martin Soan's The Greatest Show on Legs – at the time, a one-man adult Punch and Judy act. Revamped as a surreal sketch group, The Greatest Show on Legs became a regular at the Tramshed venue in Woolwich , alongside

243-472: A monk . He also had convictions for arson and once infamously stole a Rolls-Royce which he believed belonged to British cabinet minister Peter Walker . (Walker later wrote to Hardee after reading about this widely reported story and denied it had been his car.) Hardee decided to turn to showbusiness as a way of staying out of trouble, saying: "There are only two things you can do when you come out of prison and you want immediate employment. You can either be

324-417: A bit shit", but once their performance was finished, he would often comfort those he thought showed promise with backstage words of encouragement and urge them to try again. According to Stewart Lee , he would often insult comedians after they had finished their acts while also simultaneously praising them, as a way of protecting their dignity. Lee notes that after his first gig he did for him, Hardee said "That

405-673: A blood clot from his right leg. Tarrant is a fan of English rock group Status Quo , and in 1991 followed them on their Rock 'til You Drop tour, which covered four concerts in one day (Sheffield, Glasgow, Birmingham and London) in aid of Nordorff-Robbins. In 2013, he attended the premiere of the band's feature film Bula Quo! in London. He is also a supporter of Reading F.C. Two of Tarrant's children also work in radio, both employed by Global Radio : Toby presents on Radio X , and Fia on Heart . Tarrant's charity work, for which he received an OBE in 2004, includes: being an ambassador for

486-700: A bottle of beer clenched in his right hand." Police sergeant Roy Dawson, in charge of overseeing the dive, told the court: "The bottle was held in his right hand. It fell from his hand on the ascent." Hardee's date of death is usually said to be 31 January, although Coroner John Sampson said, "He was last seen on the quayside outside the Wibbly Wobbly public house at about 6   am on Sunday January 30". About 700 people attended his funeral at St Alfege's Church in Greenwich. Jo Brand, Arthur Smith, Stewart Lee and his son Frank Hardee all delivered eulogies, and

567-727: A charity that supports the visually impaired in the Berkshire County. In 2024, Tarrant promoted the National Lottery's 'People's Portraits' series of Ukrainian refugees at the Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool . On 13 May 2007, Tarrant was arrested on suspicion of assault at an Indian restaurant and was released on police bail. The incident took place at the MemSaab Restaurant on Maid Marian Way, Nottingham , where Tarrant, who had been joking with

648-478: A comedy club after hours. The Improv became exclusively a comedy club over the years, before its closing in 1992. Dangerfield's was built ground-up as a comedy club in the Upper East Side of Manhattan . It closed due to the pandemic in 2020. Comedy clubs advantageously use their space to cater to their audience and create an optimal experience. Most clubs adjust their lighting to darker tones with

729-522: A couple dining at an adjacent table, threw an item of cutlery towards the man. Tarrant admitted to the BBC that he did jokingly "lob" some cutlery onto the couple's table after asking them to leave him alone to discuss work with his colleagues. He said: "I've no idea what his [the accuser's] motives were – it genuinely makes no sense. I got back from the station at 1 am and to this minute I am completely bemused by what happened." On 25 May 2007, Tarrant

810-465: A flourishing of comic theater, employing humor and cultural critique to entertain audiences while fostering a connection with real-life experiences. The spaces theaters and comedy clubs provided created cultural space for a future of comedy in Morocco. Now, Moroccan comedy clubs function as important spaces for humour and cultural commentary. The emergence of Japanese comedy clubs can be traced back to

891-400: A live goldfish in his mouth to get attention – I saw him do it twice. It was often said of Malcolm, with a lot of justification, that he never had a stage act – his life was his act." In his autobiography, Hardee claimed he was the first to attempt the ' banger -up-the- bum ' routine, later perfected and performed by Greatest Show on Legs co-star Chris Lynam, in which a firework (occasionally

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972-557: A millennial Falstaff ", while Stewart Lee wrote that "Malcolm Hardee is a natural clown who in any decent country would be a national institution" and Arthur Smith described him as "a South London Rabelais " and claimed that "everything about Malcolm, apart from his stand-up act, was original". Hardee was also a compère and talent-spotting booker at his own clubs, particularly The Tunnel Club in Greenwich , South East London , which gave early exposure to up-and-coming comedians during

1053-401: A number of columns in comedy magazines in which he gave tips and told anecdotes about life as a comic. Comedy club Some forms of comedy can have distinguished venues such as improvisational theatres , which host improv or sketch comedy, and variety clubs which may also host musical acts along with comedic acts. The documentation of Moroccan comedy spaces traces its roots back to

1134-487: A pivotal role in shaping comedy performance spaces and practices. The period of French colonization from 1912 to 1956 marked a significant chapter in the history of comedy clubs in Morocco, having heavy influences on artistic practices. Following the decline of French colonial dominance, comic theaters emerged as distinct spaces, gaining prominence in the 80s as a response to the heightened cultural interest in addressing humorous real-life concerns. The theatrical landscape saw

1215-468: A primary source of entertainment in towns where options were limited. The subsequent Meiji and Taisho eras witnessed the appearance of large-scale Yose theatres. However, with the advent of various entertainments like television, the number of visitors to Yose establishments significantly declined, leading to closures. In recent years, the dwindling interest in performance arts within Yose has resulted in

1296-557: A programme which shows clips featuring a number of unusual television programmes from around the world, and Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose , a programme which gives three- to six-year-olds the chance to fulfil their greatest ambitions in the adult world. He also hosted several other game shows including It's Not What You Know and The Colour of Money . Tarrant received an OBE in 2004 for his charity work, in particular his campaigning on behalf of disadvantaged children. Chris Tarrant

1377-595: A rave 5-star review of Hardee's own Fringe show and successfully managed to get it printed in The Scotsman under the byline of the influential newspaper's comedy critic. At the Fringe in 1996, The Independent reported that he attempted to sabotage American ventriloquist David Strassman 's Edinburgh show by abducting the act's hi-tech dummy, holding it to ransom and sending it back to Strassman piece by piece in return for hard cash. The plan failed. Perhaps

1458-468: A result of the venue not having the budget to cover it with drywall , would go on to become a common design feature of comedy clubs. Comedy clubs opt for colder temperatures for multiple reasons. A main reason for colder temperature is that the comedian does not get too flushed and tired under the hot spotlights and cold room. The second and more influential effect is on the psychology of the audience; audiences become more alert and evidently more focused on

1539-587: A series of tabloid stories, on 18 September 2006 the couple announced that they were separating. The couple previously lived with their two children, Sammy and Toby , in Esher , plus two children from Ingrid's previous marriage, Dexter and Fia, the latter a radio presenter with Heart . In a statement in September 2006, Tarrant said: "I am deeply sorry for the hurt I have caused to my loyal wife and wonderful children, all of whom I adore. I have only myself to blame for

1620-463: A set of questions incorrectly. Tarrant would later host Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? , in which the objective of the game is to do the opposite. From 1996 to 1999 Tarrant hosted the UK edition of Man O Man . In 1994, Tarrant hosted a revival of Pop Quiz , previously hosted by Mike Read . It ran one series and eight episodes in total, airing again on Saturday nights (as Read's version did). Tarrant

1701-430: A show for Watch called Tarrant Lets the Kids Loose . The eight-part series, beginning on 4 October, gave three- to six-year-olds the chance to fulfil their greatest ambitions in the adult world, whether running a photographic studio, a radio station or an ice-cream van. The show was executively produced by Lisa Perrin and Tess Cumming. In April 2010, Tarrant become one of the first three celebrities to be subjected to

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1782-431: A tabletop game made by Tiger Electronics based on the show. He recorded a total of 592 episodes across 30 series, in which a total of five contestants won the cash prize of £1 million. One contestant, Charles Ingram , won the £1 million cash prize (and was declared by Tarrant as "the most amazing contestant we have ever, ever had") but was denied his winnings when it was determined that he had cheated . Tarrant attended

1863-691: A tabletop game made by Tiger Electronics based on the show. He recorded a total of 592 episodes across 30 series, in which a total of five contestants won the cash prize of £1 million. In 2012, Tarrant began a travel documentary series, Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways , with locations including the Congo-Ocean Railway , the Ghan across Australia and the Konkan Railway in India. Tarrant's other television credits include Tarrant on TV ,

1944-474: A talent spotter and owner of clubs which gave vital early exposure to up-and-coming comedians including Charlie Chuck , Alan Davies , Harry Enfield , Harry Hill , Paul Merton , Vic Reeves , Frank Skinner , Johnny Vegas and Jo Brand , with whom he had a two-year affair and whom he persuaded to become a comedian. He hosted the first-ever outing of the new circus group Ra-Ra Zoo , who performed comedy mime to a, for once, silenced audience. He also worked for

2025-411: A television interview, Tarrant said he had chosen not to watch the revived series. He said he would have "politely turned down" an offer by the network to return to the show had he been approached. In 2020, a TV mini-series, Quiz , about Ingram's attempt to win a million pounds on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? by cheating, was released. Tarrant was portrayed by the actor Michael Sheen . Tarrant

2106-458: A three-stage Roman Candle ) was clenched between the buttocks and lit to a recording of Ethel Merman singing " There's No Business Like Show Business ". The claim for which Hardee was arguably best known throughout his performing life was that he was said to have "the biggest bollocks in show business" and he became renowned for a rarely performed but vividly unforgettable act in which he would use his own spectacles atop his genitals to create

2187-481: A time as the manager of Jerry Sadowitz and was an occasional promoter and tour manager for his friend and neighbour Jools Holland . His most infamous venue was The Tunnel Club, which he opened in 1984 next to the southern exit from the Blackwall Tunnel in Greenwich, South East London. He would sometimes introduce inexperienced stand-ups to audiences with the nerve-jangling line: "This next act's probably

2268-511: A unique visual impression of French President Charles de Gaulle with his testicles representing the politician's cheeks; this act pre-dated the Australian show Puppetry of the Penis by several years. Hardee rarely appeared on television, though he did play minor roles in six Comic Strip TV films and one episode in the first series of Blackadder . Hardee was also renowned as

2349-450: A very short duration) as his sidekick for the early years until Noble moved to Heart FM in 1995 with regular contributions from Flying Eye traffic reporter Russ Kane and newsreader Howard Hughes . It was on this show that he first coined his "Is that your final answer?" catchphrase. At 9:00 am on 2 April 2004, after hosting 4,425 shows, 20 years on Capital Radio and giving away prizes to the value of £3.5 million, Tarrant said his farewell to

2430-457: Is an important part of their ambience. Laughter is proven to be contagious in humans, and low ceilings allow for the sound of laughter to bounce back from the ceilings and be heard throughout the space. In higher ceilings and bigger spaces the sound of people’s laughter vanishes almost instantly. Lower ceilings contribute to a more joyful space. The bare redbrick wall of The Improv in New York,

2511-434: Is known to have worked at Salford Royal Foundation Trust as a Hospital radio presenter. Tarrant narrated the schools programme Stop, Look, Listen , made by ATV and later Central Television . Tarrant hosted Everybody's Equal in 1989, although the programme came to an end in 1990 (the format was revived in 1997 by Channel 5 as Whittle , with Tim Vine as host). In 1991 he hosted the second series of Cluedo which

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2592-520: The Midlands area of England, until 1982 . Tarrant rose to prominence after becoming a co-presenter on Tiswas , a children's television show broadcast on a Saturday morning from January 1974 to 1981, alongside Sally James . It also featured the young Lenny Henry and occasionally Jim Davidson together with Bob Carolgees and his puppet , Spit the Dog. John Gorman , former member of The Scaffold ,

2673-506: The " Rainbow Dream Ticket , Beer, Fags & Skittles Party" candidate, polling 174 votes. He stood again in the 1992 election in order to publicise his comedy club because the election rules allowed him a free mailshot to all registered voters in the constituency . Hardee regularly appeared in his own shows at the Edinburgh Fringe . The Greatest Show on Legs debuted there in 1982. Arguably his most infamous confirmed stunt there

2754-519: The 17th Century, encompassing rich performance practices like Labsat and Sultan Talba . The origins of comedy clubs can be traced to Labsat , an extravagant performance arts festival, with the noteworthy milestone of the first show staged within the king's, Sultan Mohammed ibn Abd Allah , palace. The evolution continued with Sultan Tabla , a theatrical celebration that served as a precursor to more modern al-halqa . Al-halqa , characterized by storytelling circles infused with elements of humor, played

2835-431: The 18th century with the establishment of Yose theatres. These early iterations were constructed for various forms of entertainment, such as Kōdan , Rōkyoku , Rakugo , and other varieties. Over the years, a notable convergence occurred between Yose and Rakugo , with the two becoming increasingly intertwined. In contemporary times, the majority of Yose theatres exclusively feature Rakugo performances, underscoring

2916-548: The BBC show Would I Lie to You? on David Mitchell 's team alongside Mel Giedroyc . In 2012, Tarrant filmed the Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways series for Channel 5 , which has been compared with similar programmes presented by Michael Palin and Michael Portillo and features locations including the Congo-Ocean Railway , the Ghan across Australia and the Konkan Railway in India. The series

2997-603: The British version of the American institution of a comedy roast, on Channel 4's A Comedy Roast .In August 2010, Tarrant launched the Fishing with Chris Tarrant application for iOS devices in association with Angling Times magazine. Also in 2010 he presented ITV1's The Door , a game show in which celebrities faced unpleasant and scary challenges to win money for charity. On 13 April 2012, Tarrant made an appearance in

3078-528: The Coroner found that, whilst attempting to access The Sea Sovereign from the quayside, Hardee had fallen into the dock while drunk. Police constable Martin Spirito told the court that, on 2 February: "The search commenced at 10:00   am. At 10:24   am one of the officers came up and said he had found a lifeless body. I followed the officer's line down. Six metres down I saw a white male. The male had

3159-702: The River Thames. On 2 February 2005, Hardee's body was recovered from Greenland Dock, after he was reported missing from The Wibbley Wobbley on 31 January; he had been last seen late-night on 30 January. A post-mortem soon confirmed he had drowned. In an inquest at Southwark Coroner's Court on 20 July, Coroner John Sampson recorded a verdict of accidental death. It had been assumed in several reports of his death that, while trying to make his way home by dinghy from The Wibbley Wobbley to his houseboat The Sea Sovereign just fifteen yards away across Greenland Dock, Hardee had lost his balance and drowned while drunk. But

3240-555: The TV channel Challenge . On 25 April 2022, Tarrant released his book It's Not A Proper Job: Stories from 50 Years in TV. Tarrant had two children from his marriage to Sheila Roberton, Helen in 1977 and Jennifer in 1980. The couple married in Southend-on-Sea in 1976 and divorced in 1982. Tarrant met his second wife, Ingrid Dupre-Walsh , when they both worked for TV-am . The couple married in 1991 and divorced in 2007. After

3321-530: The aim of creating anonymity in the crowd. Anonymity has the effect of producing more genuine responses in individuals, while also decreasing amount of external stress produced by being seen. The darkness factor is a key element to get the crowd feeling more relaxed in their space, especially for more controversial jokes which most comedians often make use of. Comedy clubs use low ceilings and small interior spaces to create fuller looking crowds. Low ceilings are especially important for most comedy clubs since laughter

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3402-514: The allegations. In subsequent interviews about the Ingram case, Tarrant has always insisted he was totally unaware of any coughing around him at the time of Ingram's run, but realised something wasn't right after viewing the tape afterwards. He has also said he was very sad about the whole situation, saying: "This was a very cynical plan, motivated by sheer greed. It is hugely insulting to the hundreds and hundreds of other contestants who have come on

3483-506: The anniversary of his death. The Malcolm Hardee Award for Comic Originality are awards given annually at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival "for comic originality of thought or performance". Previous winners: The Malcolm Hardee Cunning Stunt Award is given for the best Fringe publicity stunt of the year. Previous winners: The Malcolm Hardee 'Act Most Likely to Make a Million Quid' Award was started in 2010. In 2024,

3564-555: The breakdown of my marriage." Since 2008, Tarrant has been in a long-term relationship with legal assistant Jane Bird. In June 2000, Tarrant's River Thames launch boat the Ben Gunn was vandalised and burnt at its mooring in East Molesey . Tarrant's father died in 2005 and his mother died in 2012. Whilst Tarrant was preparing for his mother's funeral, he discovered his father's war diary in an open desk. Tarrant stated, "For

3645-572: The club became established, it attracted groups of men apparently from the suburb of Eltham who Hardee referred to as 'Herberts'. They were usually drunk and attending the Tunnel club as it offered after hours drinks on a Sunday night, a rarity back then. They usually ended the evening by fighting, fortunately usually between themselves, leaving everybody else as spectators. It was at the Tunnel Club that comedian Jim Tavare once began his act with

3726-469: The concurrent and final series of Tiswas alone. In 1984, Tarrant joined Capital Radio as a presenter, initially presenting the station's Sunday lunchtime show before moving to a late-morning weekday slot, following David Jensen. From March 1987 until April 2004 he hosted Capital Breakfast . The show was highly popular, increasing Capital Radio's audience share in London. Tarrant had regular co-presenter Kara Noble (eventually replaced by Zabe Newsome for

3807-453: The concurrent and final series of Tiswas alone. Tarrant was a Capital Radio host from 1984 to 2004, presenting the early-morning show Capital Breakfast . The show was highly popular, increasing Capital Radio's audience share in London. Tarrant presented the ITV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1998 to 2014, while also providing some audio recordings for some console games, and

3888-512: The early years of British alternative comedy. In his obituary , The Times opined that "throughout his life he maintained a fearlessness and an indifference to consequences" and one journalist claimed: "To say that he has no shame is to drastically exaggerate the amount of shame that he has". In a publicity quote printed in Hardee's autobiography I Stole Freddie Mercury's Birthday Cake , Arthur Smith wrote that Hardee had "led his life as though for

3969-625: The first comedy clubs hosting stand-up comedians (hanashikas) through the art of Rakugo . The first Yose theatre was organized in 1798 by Karaku Sanshotei 1st at the Shitaya-jinja Shrine in Shitaya , Tokyo . The stone monument commemorating the birthplace of Yose is located in this shrine, initially referred to as yoseba before later adopting the term "yose." Towards the end of the Edo period , multiple Yose theatres emerged, providing

4050-406: The first time, I had his own record of his wartime experiences." On 12 March 2014, it was reported that Tarrant had suffered a mini stroke whilst on board a return flight from Bangkok to London Heathrow on 1 March 2014, returning from overseas shooting for Chris Tarrant: Extreme Railways . Upon landing, he was rushed to Charing Cross Hospital where doctors did emergency surgery to remove

4131-410: The form of a megamix. In 2003, Tarrant did voice over work on the film Johnny English , where he starred as himself hosting a radio presentation of Sauvage's coronation. In 2008, he presented the game show It's Not What You Know on Challenge . In January 2009, Tarrant began hosting a new ITV show, The Colour of Money , which was cancelled after seven episodes after failing to perform well in

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4212-442: The game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from its inception in 1998 until 2014. Tarrant's career began in 1972, when he was hired by the television broadcaster, ATV . He presented ATV Today , a current affairs programme serving the Midlands area of England, until 1982. Tarrant rose to prominence after becoming a co-host on Tiswas , the children's television show broadcast on a Saturday morning from 1974 to 1981. Tarrant

4293-632: The homeless charity, Centrepoint ; trustee / patron of West Heath School for disadvantaged children; patron of Milly's Fund, set up in memory of murdered Surrey teenager Amanda Dowler ; patron of Swings & Smiles, a charity for children with special needs. He was a patron of the Headway Thames Valley, until he left in 2006, blaming "work commitments". Tarrant is a patron of the Trooper Potts VC Memorial Trust , Reading. As well as Berkshire Vision ,

4374-480: The likes of Rik Mayall and Ade Edmondson . Soon afterwards, in 1979, The Comedy Store opened in Soho and The Greatest Show on Legs became regulars there, too. Their breakthrough came in 1982, when they performed their Naked Balloon Dance on Chris Tarrant 's anarchic late-night TV show O.T.T. In 1987, as one of his many publicity stunts, Hardee stood for Parliament in the famous 1987 Greenwich by-election , as

4455-488: The most-quoted anecdote concerning Hardee was that, on 9 October 1986 his house was searched by the police – who were looking for crumbs – two days after he and others stole Freddie Mercury 's £4,000 40th birthday cake. No crumbs were found at the house as he had already by then donated the cake to a local nursing home . He used this incident as the title of his 1996 autobiography I Stole Freddie Mercury's Birthday Cake which he wrote with John Fleming. In another encounter with

4536-789: The musician Jools Holland played the piano. He was cremated at Hither Green in South East London. In June 2005, there were two tribute shows at the Glastonbury Festival ; in July, a BBC Radio 4 documentary tribute; and, in August, two tribute shows at the Edinburgh Fringe. There were five-hour tribute shows at the Hackney Empire theatre in London on 5 February 2006 and 28 January 2007 to commemorate

4617-522: The name of the award was changed to ' Act That Should Make a Million Quid' Award . The Malcolm Hardee ‘Pound of Flesh' Award was given in 2013 to an act which created "the kind of publicity money cannot – and perhaps should not – buy" The Malcolm Hardee FirstMinute Award was given in 2016, to the show with the funniest first minute (to spoof the Edinburgh Comedy Awards that year being sponsored by lastminute.com). Hardee also wrote

4698-535: The perfect autobiography and now he has paid himself the compliment of writing it." Hardee was born in Lewisham , South East London, near the River Thames , and came from a long line of lightermen who earned their living on tugs pulling barges on the river. He was the eldest son of Frank and Joan Hardee. He spent his first two years in an orphanage while his mother was in hospital with tuberculosis and

4779-435: The performance which usually elicits more laughter as a result. Where a venue has multiple stages, an "A Room" is typically the largest and best room, used for popular acts, while a "B Room" is for local, lesser-known performers. Comedy clubs often serve as the venue for stand-up comedy specials , where comedians are filmed at comedy clubs and theaters as they perform. These humorous spaces are also featured heavily in

4860-407: The police, Hardee was once questioned by Special Branch officers after being found on the balcony outside government minister Michael Heseltine 's hotel room, wearing nothing but a pair of socks and a leather coat containing £5,200 in cash and a pack of pornographic playing cards. He had mistaken the room for that of a friend. Collaborator John Fleming said of him that "At home, he occasionally put

4941-492: The prevalent association between Yose theatres and this particular form of comedic storytelling. Rakugo is a traditional Japanese storytelling art where a hanashika enacts stories by embodying characters through distinct voices, gestures, and wordplay. The narratives typically conclude with a punch line, referred to as " ochi ," akin to the structure observed in contemporary stand-up comedy , which often utilizes punchlines and wordplay for comedic effect. In this way, Yose were

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5022-463: The programme once his contract was finished; no more specials would be filmed after this announcement, leaving only those made before it to be aired as the final episodes. After the final celebrity editions, Tarrant hosted a clip show entitled "Chris' Final Answer", which aired on 11 February 2014 and ended the original series. In 2018, ITV commissioned a new series of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? , to be presented by new host Jeremy Clarkson . In

5103-618: The ratings. In June 2008 it was announced he would return to radio, hosting a weekly Saturday morning show for the GMG Radio network of stations including London's 102.2 Smooth Radio , Real Radio in Scotland and the North West's Century Radio . The show would air in direct competition to Jonathan Ross 's show on BBC Radio 2 and began on 26 July. It was aired for 12 months until July 2009. In 2009, UKTV signed Tarrant to present

5184-589: The school at hockey and cricket and gained A, B and D grades at A-level in English, history and ancient history. He then studied English at the University of Birmingham , graduating in 1967. Tarrant worked as a schoolteacher and also briefly as a film director for the Central Office of Information before joining ATV in 1972 as a newsreader on ATV Today , a current affairs programme serving

5265-470: The show Seinfeld , where a staged comedy club serves as a vital place where the lead character, Jerry Seinfeld , performs and socializes. Chris Tarrant Christopher John Tarrant , OBE (born 10 October 1946) is an English broadcaster, television personality, former radio DJ and stand up comedian. He is best known for presenting the ITV children's television show Tiswas from 1974 to 1981, and

5346-419: The show, just hoping for much smaller amounts of money but prepared to try and win their money honestly." In July 2000, Tarrant signed a contract with ITV to present the show until December 2002. This contract was later extended to 2013. On 22 October 2013, Tarrant announced that, after fifteen years of hosting the programme, he would be leaving Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? , which consequently led ITV to axe

5427-491: The station. Tarrant began hosting the television quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? in 1998. The format was sold to over 100 other countries. Tarrant coined the format's catchphrase, "But we don't want to give you that," and continued his older catchphrase, "Is that your final answer?", contributing it to the format. Tarrant presented the ITV game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? from 1998 to 2014, while also providing some audio recordings for some console games, and

5508-610: The survival of only a few Yose theatres. Consequently, the overall Yose industry faces challenging business conditions as it contends with changing entertainment preferences. Since the late 1960s and 70s, hundreds of comedy clubs have adopted a similar formula. The first of these pioneers were The Improv and Dangerfield's . The Improv opened as a coffee house in 1963, within the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City . While it hosted its first comedian in 1964, 5 years before Dangerfield's opening in 1969, it only shifted into

5589-487: The trial regarding the Ingram fraud case. When called to testify, he stated that he had not noticed anything amiss during the filming and had not heard any coughing. He said that following the win the Ingrams had been behaving "as normal as people who had just won £1m would be in that situation." Tarrant also said that he would not have signed the cheque if he had had suspicions of cheating and was "shocked" when he heard about

5670-573: The unwise opener, "Hello, I'm a schizophrenic " – to be met with the lightning rejoinder from a heckler in that night's audience, "Well, you can both fuck off then!". Julian Clary together with Fanny the Wonder dog were surprising hits at such evenings. The Tunnel closed in 1988 and, in 1991, Hardee opened the Up The Creek comedy club in Creek Road, Greenwich. In an upstairs bar at the club

5751-480: Was Stewart Lee. Started off well, got worse, by the end he was shit". His advice to comics who were concerned that a joke might be offensive to an audience was: "If you think it’s funny, then fuck ’em." At his weekly Sunday Night at the Tunnel Palladium shows, sometimes even experienced and accomplished comedians failed to complete a whole set against the unforgiving crowd and razor-sharp heckling . When

5832-620: Was a mural commissioned by Hardee as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci 's The Last Supper . It showed Hardee as Christ with Jo Brand, Julian Clary and other famous British comedians as the Disciples including Ben Elton as Judas Iscariot . In 2001, after he sold his percentage in Up The Creek, Hardee took over a floating pub , The Wibbley Wobbley, on a converted Rhine pleasure cruiser in Greenland Dock , Rotherhithe , by

5913-620: Was a member of the Four Bucketeers group, whose single "Bucket Of Water Song" reached No. 26 in the UK Singles Chart in 1980. In January 1982, along with Bob Carolgees , John Gorman , Randolph Sutherland and Lenny Henry , Tarrant launched a late-night show, O.T.T. ("Over the Top"), thought of as an "adult" version of Tiswas , which despite being short-lived, was very popular amongst adults. His co-host Sally James presented

5994-520: Was aired in December 2012. A second series was shown in 2015. In 2013, Channel 5 aired a new series called Chris Tarrant Goes Fishing . A year later Tarrant began appearing in the ITV daytime game show Show Me the Telly as the TV legends team captain. Since 2014, Tarrant has been a brand ambassador and has appeared in commercials for Lottoland . In 2017, Tarrant became a continuity announcer for

6075-438: Was also a presenter. In 1982, along with Bob Carolgees, John Gorman, Randolph Sutherland and Lenny Henry, Tarrant hosted the short-lived Saturday late-night show O.T.T. ("Over the Top"), which was billed as an adult version of Tiswas but was not such a success. Despite being short-lived, the show was very popular amongst adults. After this, Tarrant did a stint on the breakfast television station TV-am . Sally James presented

6156-442: Was also the long-term host of Tarrant on TV , a programme which shows clips featuring a number of unusual television programmes from around the world. He presented the show from 1990 to 2006. In 1998, Tarrant released a compilation album entitled Ultimate Party Megamix on PolyGram Television 's record label. A second edition entitled Ultimate Summer Party was also released. Both albums contain songs compiled by Tarrant himself in

6237-715: Was born on 10 October 1946 in Reading , England, to father Basil and mother Joan Tarrant. His father had joined a territorial unit of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in 1936 and was among those evacuated from Dunkirk in the retreat of May 1940. He was also active in the Normandy landings . Tarrant was educated as a boarder in Choir House at the King's School , Worcester from 1960 to 1964. He represented

6318-506: Was educated at three South East London schools – St Stephen 's Church of England primary, Colfe's School , and Sedgehill comprehensive . Expelled from the latter two schools he drifted into petty crime: stealing Coca-Cola from a local bottling plant, burgling a pawnbrokers and setting fire to a Sunday school piano because he wanted to see "holy smoke". He served prison sentences for cheque fraud , burglary and escaping custody; in 1967, he escaped from Gaynes Hall Borstal dressed as

6399-400: Was formally cautioned by Nottinghamshire Constabulary with regard to the incident. On 5 March 2009, Tarrant was arrested on suspicion of assault at his home in Esher . He was later released without charge. On 18 December 2017, Tarrant appeared in court charged with drink-driving . He returned to court on 18 January 2018 and received a £6,000 fine and a 12-month driving ban. Tarrant

6480-465: Was in 1983 when, performing at The Circuit venue – a series of three adjoining tents in a construction site with a different show in each tent – he became annoyed by what he regarded as excessive noise emanating nightly from Eric Bogosian 's neighbouring performance tent. Hardee obtained a nearby tractor and, entirely naked, drove it across Bogosian's stage during his performance. Rivalling this stunt in Fringe infamy, in 1989, Hardee and Arthur Smith wrote

6561-440: Was part panel quiz and part murder drama, based on the board game of the same name. On 1 January 1993, after Thames Television lost its ITV franchise and been replaced by Carlton Television , Tarrant hosted the first programme of the new contractor, A Carlton New Year . Also in 1993, Tarrant hosted Lose A Million , in which contestants started off with a (fictional) million pounds and were required to lose it by aiming to answer

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