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Frankie Boyle

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Frankie Boyle
Birth name Francis Martin Patrick Boyle
Born 16 August 1972 (1972-08-16) (age 39)
Pollokshaws, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
Medium Stand-up, Television
Nationality (Scottish) with Irish-Scots
Years active 1995-present
Genres Black comedy, Blue comedy, Wit, Improvisational comedy, Political satire
Subject(s) Scottish culture, Celebrities, Politics, Current events
Notable works and roles Mock the Week
Website frankieboyle.com

Francis Martin Patrick "Frankie" Boyle[1] (born 16 August 1972) is a Scottish[2] comedian and writer, well known for his pessimistic, often controversial sense of humour. He was a permanent panellist on Mock the Week for seven series and has made guest appearances on several popular panel games including Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie To You?, You Have Been Watching, Never Mind the Buzzcocks (as guest host and team captain when Phill Jupitus was unavailable for recording) and Argumental, as well as writing for Jimmy Carr's show Distraction and Sean Lock's TV Heaven, Telly Hell.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Frankie Boyle was born and brought up in Glasgow, spending most summer holidays in Donegal, Ireland. He is of Irish descent. He has an older brother named John and a younger sister named Karen. He was educated at St. Conval's Primary School in Pollokshaws, then Holyrood R.C. Secondary School on Dixon Road, in Glasgow's South Side. After leaving school he attended Aston University for a year before leaving and starting a BA in English at the University of Sussex. Whilst doing a teacher-training course in Edinburgh at the age of 23, he began doing stand-up routines.[3] He got his big break after performing at The Stand Comedy Club in Edinburgh, a venue that has also helped launch the careers of Stewart Lee, Johnny Vegas, Dara Ó Briain and Michael McIntyre.[4]

[edit] Career

[edit] Television

Boyle was a regular on the BBC panel show Mock The Week until October 2009, a show in which the panel comment humorously on various news stories from the British media. He has been referred to as the 'dark heart of Mock the Week' by host Dara Ó Briain.[5] He is known for his morbid sense of humour, which plays on negative images of society (particularly his country of birth, Scotland), celebrities and politicians.

On 2 October 2009 he announced he was leaving the show to concentrate on other projects. It was announced to the public via Facebook on the Mock the Week fan page.[6][7][8] Boyle has since criticised both the show's production team and the BBC Trust. He claims that the show did not cover enough major news stories and was too restrictive on his risqué comedy act, as the producers and the BBC Trust were afraid of "frightening the horses".[9]

He returned to Mock The Week for his final appearance on the 2009 Christmas Special which aired on 22 December 2009 as a series of best bits and festive clips. On 9 December 2009 he appeared as the guest host of Never Mind The Buzzcocks.[10]

[edit] Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights

Main article: Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights

In October 2009 Boyle piloted a sketch and stand-up show for Channel 4, entitled Deal With This, Retards to be produced by RDF Scotland subsidiary the Comedy Unit.[11] Boyle mentioned on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross that the original title of the show had been dropped, due to its potentially offensive nature. The programme was renamed Tramadol Nights and aired from the end of November 2010.[12] An official page launched via Channel 4's official website, which confirmed that the show's full name is Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights and the series was made up of six episodes.[13] Boyle has caused controversy with his on-air comments about Katie Price and her disabled son, Harvey.

[edit] Books

Front cover of his autobiography

On October 1, 2009, Boyle's first autobiographical book, titled My Shit Life So Far, was released,[14] published by HarperCollins.[15]

His second book, Work! Consume! Die!, was released in October 2011.

[edit] Journalism

It was reported on 24 October 2008 that Boyle was to begin a weekly column in the Daily Record, a Scottish tabloid newspaper.[16] On 26 June 2009, he reported via his MySpace profile that he had quit his newspaper column as "they refused to print any Michael Jackson jokes." This message was followed by the article he wanted to be printed, which contained dozens of Michael Jackson-based jokes referring to the singer's health, childhood and paedophilia charges.[17] Frankie Boyle now writes articles in The Sun, satirising the weekly news as he did previously on Mock The Week.

[edit] Live shows

In October 2007 Boyle embarked on a long stand-up tour of Britain, playing over 100 dates and enjoying a sold-out run that was extended through until December 2008. Boyle plans to quit stand-up before he turns 40, and has stated that he has written his final tour and plans to do more TV work after this.[18] Boyle performed the tour, entitled I Would Happily Punch Every One Of You In The Face between March and December 2010.[19]

Cover of his live DVD

On 21 November 2011, at a Meet the Comedians session in the Apple Store, Regent Street with Jimmy Carr,[20] Boyle announced he was doing another tour entitled The Last Days of Sodom despite intending I Will Happily Punch Every One Of You In The Face to be his final one. He mentioned the tour will not be as long as its predecessor. His website has stated it will run from July to December 2012 with more dates to be added.[21] Tickets went on sale in December 2011.[22]

[edit] DVD releases

On 10 November 2008 Boyle's first DVD was released,[5] featuring a sell-out stand-up performance given at London's Hackney Empire and some additional material, including a documentary about the tour, entitled Fuck You Scotland, and some sketches from the BBC3 comedy Rush hour.[23] The DVD was described by WhatDVD.net as "certainly not one to watch with your grandparents – not unless they are pretty open-minded!"[24]

He has also featured in three DVD compilations of material from Mock The Week. The compilations, entitled Too Hot For TV include material deemed too offensive for broadcast on TV and uncut versions of several full episodes.

Boyle's second live DVD entitled Frankie Boyle Live 2: If I Could Reach Out Through Your TV And Strangle You I Would was released on 15 November 2010.[25]

[edit] Podcast

In 16 July 2009 Boyle's first, and only, podcast was released.[26] Entitled Mock the Week Musings, the podcast is a recording of Boyle testing the material he has written for Mock the Week to a London audience. Boyle comments on his material throughout and often informs the audience that certain jokes are not going into the show due to their reaction (or lack thereof), and the podcast carries an explicit content warning. The recording includes some audience interaction, with Boyle offering to test some of his new "put-downs" on the crowd.[27]

[edit] Comic book

 This biographical section of an article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (January 2011)

In September 2010, Boyle began publishing his comic strip Rex Royd in the launch issue of CLiNT magazine, co-written with comedian Jim Muir and with artwork by Michael Dowling. The story follows a Lex Luthor-style newspaper magnate with a super-villain alter-ego. Initially, the strip ran for first four issues of CLiNT. The strip resumed again in November 2011.

[edit] Other appearances

Boyle appeared as himself in the video game Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned, in a stand-up routine at Liberty City's Split Sides Comedy Club.

Boyle appeared on Real Radio Wales weekly comedy show 'Comedy Nighthorse' on 19 October 2011.

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Rebecca Adlington

Boyle managed to attract criticism in August 2008 when complaints were received after comments he made about British swimmer Rebecca Adlington on Mock The Week. The BBC ruled that the jokes were indeed "humiliating" and "risked offending the audience", whilst also calling Boyle "a brilliant member of the team".[28] Despite this, Adlington's agent said that simply admitting mistakes was not enough, saying: "By giving Frankie Boyle a rebuke they fail to discourage others from doing the same."[29] Adlington later went on to say she was hypocritical in making this complaint. [30]

[edit] The Queen

In October 2008, during the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row, Boyle found himself in the midst of a scandal when the BBC broadcast a Mock The Week repeat in which he made a joke about the Queen that was considered offensive.[31] This caused many to complain about the state that the BBC had come to with Conservative MP David Davies calling the joke a "disgracefully foul comment".[32] Boyle was eventually cleared of any misconduct by the BBC Trust, although they called the comment "sexist and ageist".[33] Despite the media backlash, fellow comic Dara Ó Briain spoke out against the reaction saying: "not every TV show is for everyone".[34]

[edit] Down's Syndrome

Boyle's 2010 tour attracted negative media attention over a routine about Down's syndrome, after he received a complaint from audience member Sharon Smith, whose daughter suffers from the genetic condition.[35] Her feelings about the routine were made public after she posted details of the event on her personal blog.[36] Boyle's response to the incident on stage was to laugh and try and steer the topic back onto comedy, saying "Oh, well, it's all true isn't it?",[37] later adding "This is my last tour. I don't give a fuck what people think."[38][39] Mencap spokesman Ismail Kaji said that the comments were "no different to bullying".[37]

[edit] Palestine and Israel

In April 2010, the BBC Trust's Editorial Standards Committee apologised for a joke made by Boyle on Radio 4 panel show Political Animal in which he likened the situation in Palestine to a cake "being punched to pieces by a very angry Jew". Boyle also made another joke where he said that he had "been studying Israeli Army Martial Arts. I now know 16 ways to kick a Palestinian woman in the back".[40] In response, Boyle published a letter in which he criticised the Trust's "cowardly rebuke of my jokes about Palestine", before re-printing the jokes in question. He then criticised the BBC for not broadcasting a humanitarian appeal during the 2008-09 Gaza War, saying that it was "tragic for such a great institution but it is now cravenly afraid of giving offence and vulnerable to any kind of well drilled lobbying." Boyle then said that the situation in Palestine "seems to be, in essence, apartheid", concluding that he had reached this position after watching a documentary about life in Palestine that had made him cry.[41]

[edit] Harvey Price

In December 2010, both Katie Price and Peter Andre were said to have been left "absolutely disgusted and sickened" by a joke made about Price's heavily disabled son, Harvey, that was made on Frankie Boyle’s Tramadol Nights. On the show, Boyle said: "Jordan and Peter Andre are still fighting each other over custody of Harvey - eventually one of them will lose and have to keep him." Then he added "I have a theory about the reason Jordan married a cage fighter - she needed a man strong enough to stop Harvey from fucking her."[42]

In a response, Katie Price's representative said "Harvey Price is a little miracle. Every day he overcomes so many difficulties and has so many battles to win due to his medical problems. I love him and am deeply proud to be his mother. If Mr Boyle had a tenth of his courage and decency, he would know that to suggest, let alone think funny, that Harvey may sexually attack me is vile and deeply unfair. Mr Boyle clearly has serious issues and those that give him a TV platform to say such disgusting things need to look at themselves very honestly."

Peter Andre's representative also responded to the comments made by Boyle and said "We're all disgusted by these comments. Peter is angry and very upset at Harvey being mocked in this way. Children, especially a disabled youngster, should be off-limits."

Both confirmed that they had sought legal action and wrote a complaint to Channel 4 regarding Boyle's jokes with Price saying: "To bully this unbelievably brave child is despicable; to broadcast it is to show a complete and utter lack of judgement. I have asked my lawyers to write to Channel 4."[42] Ofcom confirmed that Price issued a complaint and accordingly launched an investigation into the programme.[43] In April 2011 Ofcom ruled Channel 4 had breached broadcasting rules by transmitting the material in question but did not require the network to broadcast an apology saying that it was "erroneous decision on a matter of editorial judgment on the broadcaster's part". Price criticised the decision not to require a broadcast apology.[44]

[edit] Personal life

Boyle lives in Glasgow with his partner, Shereen Taylor,[45] and has two children: a daughter (born 2004) and a son (born October 2007). He has admitted that his career had caused him to neglect his family.[46] He is a recovering alcoholic, having started drinking at the age of 15 and stopping at 26, and former drug user, who is now teetotal.[47][48]

He is a follower of Noam Chomsky and says that he has had a great influence on his political beliefs, claiming to be even more left-wing than Chomsky.[49]

He stated in his autobiography that he supported Celtic Football Club as a child.[citation needed]

[edit] TV appearances

TV Show No. of Episodes
Mock The Week 54 (excluding archive footage)
8 Out of 10 Cats 7
Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights 6
Rush Hour 6
Argumental 4
When Were We Funniest? 4
Never Mind the Buzzcocks 3
Would I Lie To You? 3
You Have Been Watching 3
Have I Got News for You 2
Live at the Apollo 2
News Knight with Sir Trevor McDonald 2
Burnistoun 1
The Charlotte Church Show 1
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross 1
The Graham Norton Show 1
They Think It's All Over 1

[edit] Live Tour Shows

Title Year(s)
Morons, I Can Heal You 2007-08
I Would Happily Punch Every One Of You In The Face 2010
The Last Days of Sodom 2012

[edit] Stand-Up DVDs

Title Released Notes
Frankie Boyle Live 10 November 2008 Live at London's Hackney Empire
If I Could Reach Out Through Your TV and Strangle You, I Would 15 November 2010 Live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo
Live - The Last Days of Sodom 26 November 2012

[edit] References

  1. ^ "For a long time, having to do a stand-up gig would ruin my day". edinburgh-festivals.com. 2007-07-24. Archived from the original on 2008-07-19. http://web.archive.org/web/20080719122847/http://www.edinburgh-festivals.com/8048/For-a-long-time-having.3309424.jp. Retrieved 2008-11-07. 
  2. ^ "Frankie Boyle : Dave". Uktv.co.uk. http://uktv.co.uk/dave/homepage/sid/7854. Retrieved 2011-12-16. 
  3. ^ EXCLUSIVE: BOYLE-ING POINT! By Rick Fulton dailyrecord.co.uk (Mar 3 2006)
  4. ^ Claire Sawers (2009-12-20). "Where Frankie Boyle got his shot at fame". London: Times Online. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/comedy/article6962610.ece. Retrieved 2009-12-24. 
  5. ^ a b Dalton, Stephen (2008-11-01). "Is Frankie Boyle the UK's most shocking comic?". London: Times Online. http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/comedy/article5037516.ece. Retrieved 2009-12-07. 
  6. ^ Frankie Boyle (2009-10-02). "Frankie's suicide note". Facebook. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/notes/mock-the-week/frankies-suicide-note/150339772162. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  7. ^ Boyle leaves Mock The Week panel, BBC, 2 October 2009
  8. ^ Jody Thompson. "Frankie Boyle reveals why he quit Mock The Week and spills beans on new Channel 4 show". Mirror. http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/10/27/frankie-boyle-reveals-why-he-quit-mock-the-week-and-spills-beans-on-new-channel-4-show-115875-21776859. 
  9. ^ "Frankie Boyle slams Mock The Week". uk.msn. 27 October 2009. http://tv.uk.msn.com/news/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=150480748&GT1=61503. Retrieved 1 November 2009. 
  10. ^ "BBC Two Programmes - Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Series 23, Episode 11". BBC. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pd74z. Retrieved 2009-12-10. 
  11. ^ Broadcast Now, 2 October 2009
  12. ^ Mayer Nissim. "Frankie Boyle dismisses comedy controversy". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a259760/frankie-boyle-dismisses-comedy-controversy.html. 
  13. ^ "Frankie Boyle's Tramadol Nights". Channel 4. 2010-12-29. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/frankie-boyles-tramadol-nights. Retrieved 2011-12-16. 
  14. ^ "Frankie Boyle launches his autobiography". Intelligent Conversation. 2009-09-22. http://www.intelligentconversation.co.uk/?p=21. Retrieved 2009-12-07. 
  15. ^ Boyle, Frankie (2009). My Shit Life So Far. Harper Collins. p. 291. ISBN 978-0-00-732449-1. 
  16. ^ Star comic Frankie Boyle is new Daily Record columnist (24 October 2008)
  17. ^ Frankie Boyle's MySpace (26 June 2009)
  18. ^ "Boyle:I'm Quitting Stand up ''Chortle.co.uk''". Chortle.co.uk. http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2009/07/02/9213/boyle%3A_im_quitting_stand-up. Retrieved 2009-07-26. 
  19. ^ "Frankie Boyle Live Tickets". Ticketmaster. http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Frankie-Boyle-Live-tickets/artist/953249?CAMEFROM=CFC_UK_EV0542_WEBLINK. Retrieved 2009-12-07. 
  20. ^ "iTunes - Podcasts - Meet the Comedians: Jimmy Carr and Frankie Boyle by Events at the Apple Store". Itunes.apple.com. 2011-11-28. http://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/meet-comedians-jimmy-carr/id484003108. Retrieved 2011-12-16. 
  21. ^ "Frankie Boyle". Frankie Boyle. http://www.frankieboyle.com/tourdates.html. Retrieved 2011-12-16. 
  22. ^ "Frankie Boyle Live Tickets 2012". Ticketmaster. http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Frankie-Boyle-Live-tickets/artist/33779. Retrieved 2011-12-09. 
  23. ^ Brian Klein (2008) (Back Cover). Frankie Boyle Live DVD (Liner notes). Channel 4. 
  24. ^ Lianne (2008-11-13). "Frankie Boyle Live DVD Review". WhatDVD.net. http://www.whatdvd.net/frankie-boyle-live-dvd-review-122.html. Retrieved 2009-12-07. 
  25. ^ Play.com - Frankie Boyle Live 2
  26. ^ "Frankie's Podcast". MySpace. 2009-07-16. http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=114749422&blogId=500565493. Retrieved 2010-01-30. 
  27. ^ Frankie Boyle (2009-07-16). "Mock The Week Musings". iTunes (Podcast). BBC. http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=323684930. Retrieved 2009-12-24. 
  28. ^ "'Mock' rapped over swimmer jibes". BBC. 2009-10-19. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8314495.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  29. ^ "Swimmer queries Mock show ruling". BBC. 2009-11-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8337421.stm. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  30. ^ "Rebecca Adlington: I'm over the Frankie Boyle spoon jibe". Telegraph. 2011-06-14. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8575567/Rebecca-Adlington-Im-over-the-Frankie-Boyle-spoon-jibe.html. Retrieved 2011-10-20. 
  31. ^ Olinka Koster (2008-10-31). "Even as Russell Brand row raged, BBC 'comedians' were insulting the Queen". London: The Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1081966/Even-Russell-Brand-row-raged-BBC-comedians-insulting-Queen.html. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  32. ^ Rashid Razaq (2008-10-31). "Corporation attacked for offensive joke about the Queen". ThisIsLondon.co.uk. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23580712-corporation-attacked-for-offensive-joke-about-the-queen.do. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  33. ^ Tara Conlan (2009-10-19). "Frankie Boyle's 'sexist' joke about Queen cleared by BBC Trust". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/19/frankie-boyle-mock-the-week. Retrieved 2009-12-14. 
  34. ^ David Lowe (2008-12-02). "The audience is the funniest gag at any of my gigs". The Sun (London). http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/comedycolumnists/1993527/The-audience-is-the-funniest-br-gag-at-any-of-my-gigs.html. Retrieved 2009-12-24. 
  35. ^ "Frankie Boyle criticised for Down's syndrome joke". BBC. 2010-04-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8611275.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  36. ^ Sharon Smith (2010-04-08). "Punching me in the face would have been preferable...". I live for glitter. http://k3tten.blogspot.com/2010/04/punching-me-in-face-would-have-been.html. Retrieved 2010-04-10. [dead link]
  37. ^ a b "Frankie Boyle in Down's syndrome row". Mencap. 2010-04-09. http://www.mencap.org.uk/news.asp?id=14385&detail=2Frankie. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  38. ^ Kate Loveys (2010-04-09). "Furious mother confronts comic Frankie Boyle over jokes about Down's syndrome victims". London: The Daily Mail. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1264725/Frankie-Boyle-Downs-syndrome-jokes-provoke-victims-mother.html. Retrieved 2010-04-10. 
  39. ^ Walker, Peter (8 April 2010), "Frankie Boyle meets his match in mother of Down's syndrome child", The Guardian (London: Guardian News and Media Limited), http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/apr/08/frankie-boyle-downs-syndrome, retrieved 12 April 2010 
  40. ^ "BBC apologises for Frankie Boyle joke". BBC. 2010-04-28. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8650254.stm. Retrieved 2010-04-28. 
  41. ^ Boyle, Frankie (1 May 2010), "Frankie Boyle letter about BBC in full", The Telegraph (London), http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/7660232/Frankie-Boyle-letter-about-BBC-in-full.html, retrieved 1 May 2010 
  42. ^ a b Christian Tobin (2010-12-09). "Price, Andre "sickened" by Frankie Boyle joke". DigitalSpy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/showbiz/news/a292233/price-andre-sickened-by-frankie-boyle-joke.html. Retrieved 2011-01-03. 
  43. ^ John Plunkett (2010-12-10). "Frankie Boyle's Katie Price joke sparks Ofcom investigation". London: The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/dec/10/frankie-boyle-katie-price. Retrieved 2011-01-03. 
  44. ^ Ofcom slams Frankie Boyle 'jokes' about Katie Price's disabled son Harvey
  45. ^ "Confessions Of An Urban Planner; Frankie Boyle The Big Interview". Sunday Mercury. 2008-11-16. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-189030560.html. Retrieved 2009-12-21. 
  46. ^ "Frankie Boyle: I'll quit comedy in two years". Nowmagazine.co.uk. 2008-12-27. http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/tv-news/290432/frankie-boyle-i-ll-quit-comedy-in-two-years/1/. Retrieved 2009-07-26. 
  47. ^ "Frankie Boyle: I've done cannabis, ecstasy and LSD". Nowmagazine.co.uk. 2008-11-11. http://www.nowmagazine.co.uk/celebrity-news/281140/frankie-boyle-i-ve-done-cannabis-ecstasy-and-lsd/1/. Retrieved 2009-07-26. 
  48. ^ Wyllie, Alice (27 September 2009). "Profile: Frankie Boyle: Frankie mocks the weak". Scotland on Sunday. http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/comment/Profile-Frankie-Boyle-Frankie-mocks.5681959.jp. Retrieved 27 September 2009. 
  49. ^ Jeffries, Stuart (19 December 2009). "Frankie Boyle lays into celebrity memoirs as his own is a surprise hit". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/dec/19/frankie-boyle-celebrity-memoirs. 

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