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Lee Mack

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Lee Mack
Mack at Radio 4's Don't Make Me Laugh in 2015
Born
Lee Gordon McKillop

(1968-08-04) 4 August 1968 (age 56)
Southport, Lancashire, England[1]
Alma materBrunel University London
Occupation(s)Comedian, presenter and actor
Years active1994–present
Known for
SpouseTara McKillop (m. 2005)
Children3
Lee Mack's voice
from the BBC programme Desert Island Discs, 29 September 2013.[2]
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Lee Gordon McKillop (born 4 August 1968),[3] known by his stage name Lee Mack, is an English comedian, presenter and actor.[4] He is known for writing and starring in the sitcom Not Going Out, for being a team captain on the BBC One comedy panel show Would I Lie to You?, hosting the Sky One panel show Duck Quacks Don't Echo and for presenting the panel show They Think It's All Over.

He has been guest host on Have I Got News for You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks, a guest captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and a guest panellist on QI.

Early life

Mack was born in the seaside town of Southport.[1] He lived above a pub until he was 12 when his parents separated.[4] He went to Birkdale Primary Junior School (Bury Road), Stanley High School in Southport and Everton High School in Blackburn.[5][6] On leaving school, Mack worked in a bingo hall and as a stable boy. After working at the stable of racehorse trainer Ginger McCain in Southport for three days, he asked if he could ride one of the horses, to which the trainer agreed. Without realising, Mack then chose Red Rum as the first horse he would ride.[4][7]

Mack then became a Blue Coat entertainer at the Pontins holiday resort at Hemsby in Norfolk. He was sacked after appearing on stage drunk one night, forgetting a joke and insulting an audience member.[8] He then worked for six months at Pontins in Morecambe.[4]

Mack went on to have various other jobs, and performed his first "open mic" slot in 1994, while studying at Brunel University from where he graduated with a degree in drama.[9] Within 18 months he was a full-time comedian.[4]

The surname McKillop is of Scottish origin.

Career

Mack first came to prominence by winning So You Think You're Funny at the 1995 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Five years later at the festival, he was nominated for the Perrier Award Main Prize for his sketch comedy show, Lee Mack's New Bits, with Catherine Tate and Dan Antopolski. Since then, Mack has played the part of Graham, the security guard in the original radio version of The Mighty Boosh, and also has his own radio show on BBC Radio 2 called The Lee Mack Show, which features varying celebrities co-hosting the show.

Television

Mack was a cast member for ITV's The Sketch Show[4] and featured in the American version of the same name.

In 2005, Mack presented They Think It's All Over, a sports based comedy panel game, formerly presented by Nick Hancock.[4] However, it proved to be the show's final series.[4] In 2007 he appeared on TV Heaven, Telly Hell.

His first sitcom Not Going Out for BBC One with Tim Vine (in which he plays Lee, the leading man) premiered on 6 October 2006. The show has since returned for ten more series, the most recent airing in 2021. The show has won a Rose d'Or and RTS Award.

Since 2007, Mack has been a team captain on the BBC One comedy panel show Would I Lie to You?.[4] He has also been guest host on Have I Got News for You six times, and was twice guest host on Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Mack has appeared on Live at the Apollo.

In June 2011, he launched a new show entitled Lee Mack's All Star Cast for BBC One. It features members of the audience taking part in silly games to get a spot in a sketch at the end of the show.[10] In June 2012, Mack was one of the compères at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in London.

In March 2013, Mack appeared on the panel on an episode of Let's Dance for Comic Relief with Arlene Phillips and Greg James.[11]

Since February 2014, he has presented Duck Quacks Don't Echo, a comedy-based panel show for Sky1.

In 2018, Mack appeared in the Doctor Who episode "Kerblam!".[12]

In June 2020, Mack announced his new sitcom Semi-Detached. He was also set to host a reality show named The Chop: Britain's Best Woodworker for Sky History. However the show was suspended shortly after its debut in October 2020, after allegations emerged that one of the series' contestants, promoted through the channel's social media pages, bore facial tattoos resembling Nazi symbolism.[13]

On 17th December 2020, it was announced that Mack would be included in the line up on series 11 of Taskmaster, alongside Charlotte Ritchie, Mike Wozniak, Jamali Maddix and Sarah Kendall.[14]

Live tours

  • 2006 – Lee Mack: Live
  • 2010 – Lee Mack: Going Out
  • 2014 – Lee Mack: Hit the Road Mack

Mack went on tour in 2006 and filmed his first live DVD at the Bloomsbury Theatre, which was released the following year. In spring 2010 Mack embarked on his "Going Out" tour. Extra dates were added for autumn 2010 due to his spring tour being sold out well in advance. Going Out Live, his second live DVD, was filmed at the Hammersmith Apollo and was released in November. In December 2010 he performed at the Royal Variety Performance.[15]

Personal life

Mack married Tara McKillop (née Savage) in 2005 and they have three children.

In February 2009, along with other British entertainers, Mack signed an open letter to The Times regarding the Baháʼí Faith leaders then on trial in Iran.[16]

Mack said in an interview with The Guardian[17] that his first foray into comedy was doing Bobby Ball impressions at his school when he was 15. Mack is a keen supporter of Blackburn Rovers and occasionally visits Ewood Park to watch games.[18] At one point, Mack shared a flat with Noel Fielding. In July 2012, Mack received an honorary doctorate from Brunel University.[19] He published his autobiography Mack the Life (ISBN 0-552-16655-3) in the same year.

In 2012, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.[20]

Mack is a darts fan and regularly plays with his friend Tim Vine. Both men appeared on the debut series of Let's Play Darts, facing each other in the final, with Mack and his partner Martin Adams beating Vine and his partner Darryl Fitton. He currently holds the Guinness World Records title for the most darts number twos in one minute. On the same day, he also broke the record for the most darts in inner and outer bullseyes in one minute, a title which he held for a year and two months before it was broken on 23 September 2016 by professional darts player James Wade.[21][22]

Mack is not the first person in his family to have performed comedy. He reveals in the 2018 series of Who Do You Think You Are? that his great-grandfather was a jobbing comic and used the stage name Billy Mac. By using the index of birth records from General Register Office (GRO) researchers obtained the details needed to order the birth certificate that confirms Mack's great-grandfather had been registered at birth as William Alexander McKillop. It was also revealed that his grandfather Joe was born in Southport but was brought to Ireland as a baby and brought up by his grandparents in Ballina, County Mayo.[23]

In a 2015 interview with The Big Issue, Mack claimed to adhere to "left-of-centre" political leanings.[24]

On 25 March 2020, Mack confirmed that he was self-isolating with suspected COVID-19 following his attendance of the Cheltenham Festival.[25]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2019 Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans[26] Angelo/Gary
Television
Year Show Role Notes
1997–1998 Gas Himself
1999, 2005–2006 They Think It's All Over Panellist and later Host 1 episode as panellist; host of Series 19 and 2006 specials
2001–2004 The Sketch Show Lee
2005–2010 Live at the Apollo Himself 3 episodes (1 as guest; 2 as host)
2005–2008 8 Out of 10 Cats Panellist 7 episodes
2006–present Not Going Out Lee
2007–present Would I Lie to You? Regular Team Captain
2008 Thank God You're Here Himself 2 episodes
2008–2018 Have I Got News for You Guest presenter 6 episodes
2009–2019 QI Panellist 7 episodes
2010, 2012 Never Mind the Buzzcocks Guest presenter 2 episodes
2011 Lee Mack's All Star Cast Presenter
2013, 2015–2018 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Guest Team Captain 10 episodes
2014–2017 Duck Quacks Don't Echo Presenter
2014 The Smiths Michael Smith Pilot
The Feeling Nuts Comedy Night Himself
2015 Let's Play Darts Competitor Won the show
Officially Amazing[22] Guest
2016 Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Guest announcer
2018 Top Gear Guest 1 episode
Doctor Who Dan Cooper 1 episode
2019 Semi-Detached Stuart 7 episodes
Comedians Watching Football With Friends[27] Himself 1 episode
2020 Semi-Detached Stuart
Stand-up DVDs
Title Released Notes Ratings when Televised TV Channel
Live 26 November 2007 Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre 0.95 Channel 4
Going Out Live 22 November 2010 Live at London's HMV Hammersmith Apollo 1.03 BBC One
Hit The Road Mack 24 November 2014 1.26 Channel 4

Awards

BAFTA TV Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2002 The Sketch Show Best Comedy Programme or Series Won
2014 Would I Lie to You? Best Comedy and Comedy Entertainment Programme Nominated
2015 Nominated
2016 Nominated
2018 Nominated
2019 Nominated
Lee Mack for Would I Lie to You? Best Entertainment Performance Won
2020 Nominated

British Comedy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2001 Lee Mack for The Sketch Show Best Comedy Newcomer Nominated
2006 Lee Mack Best Live Stand Up Tour Nominated
2007 Lee Mack for Not Going Out Best TV Comedy Actor Nominated
Not Going Out Best New TV Comedy Nominated
2010 Would I Lie to You? Best Comedy Panel Show Won
2011 Nominated
2012 Lee Mack Best Male Television Comic Won
King or Queen of Comedy Nominated
2013 Would I Lie to You? Best Comedy Panel Show Won
Lee Mack Best Male Television Comic Won
King or Queen of Comedy Nominated
2014 Would I Lie to You? Best Comedy Panel Show Won
Best Comedy Moment Nominated
Lee Mack Best Male Television Comic Won
King or Queen of Comedy Nominated

RTS Television Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 Not Going Out Breakthrough Award – Behind The Screen Won

Rose d'Or

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 Not Going Out Sitcom Won

References

  1. ^ a b Armstrong, Stephen (9 January 2005). "Comedy: This stand-up's got legs". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Lee Mack". Desert Island Discs. 29 September 2013. BBC Radio 4. Archived from the original on 29 September 2013. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  3. ^ @BritishComedy (4 August 2018). "Lee Mack a 50 today. Wishing him a very happy birthday" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Maxwell, Dominic (24 November 2007). "Mack on the Attack". The Times Magazine. London. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 8 February 2008.
  5. ^ Mayoh, Emma (5 May 2010). "Comedian Lee Mack confesses Southport fear". Lancashire Life. Archived from the original on 23 January 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2018.
  6. ^ "Return of the Mack as Not Going Out returns". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest (North West). 5 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  7. ^ "The 10 most surprising truths on 'Would I Lie to You?'". Radio Times. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2017.
  8. ^ "Bunch of Kents". Chortle. 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  9. ^ Mack, Lee (2012). Mack The Life. Bantam Press. ISBN 0593069420.
  10. ^ "Lee Mack and Penn & Teller ratings soar as Marriage Ref fails to impress". Metro. 19 June 2011. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  11. ^ "Lets Dance for Comic Relief – Series 5 – Episode 3". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 7 March 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
  12. ^ Tobin, Christian (4 November 2018). "Doctor Who series 11 episodes 7 and 8 feature the galaxy's biggest shop and 17th century witch trials". Digital Spy.
  13. ^ The Chop reality TV contest taken off air while contestant’s face tattoos are investigated Radio Times. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Taskmaster series 11 line up". Twitter. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  15. ^ Simon, Jane (16 December 2010). "Royal Variety Performance". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
  16. ^ "Stand up for Iran's Baha'is – Voices from the arts call for the imprisoned Baha'i leaders in Iran to receive a fair trial". The Times. London. 26 February 2009. Archived from the original on 14 August 2011. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  17. ^ Hodgson, Michelle (31 January 2009). "My family values". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  18. ^ Clough, Dan (15 April 2014). "East Lancs comedian Lee Mack in hunt for old Blackburn pub sign". Lancashire Telegraph. Newsquest Media Group. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  19. ^ "Comedian Lee Mack awarded honorary degree by Brunel University". Brunel University London. 27 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
  20. ^ Rogers, Paul (30 May 2013). "Lee Mack stars at Hay Festival". Hereford Times. Hereford. Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  21. ^ "Most darts in inner and outer bullseyes in one minute". Guinness World Records. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  22. ^ a b "Most darts number twos in one minute". Guinness World Records. 17 July 2015. Archived from the original on 25 September 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  23. ^ "TheGenealogist featured article: Lee Mack". TheGenealogist. Archived from the original on 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  24. ^ Lobb, Adrian (17 June 2015). "Lee Mack: "Like most of the nation, I'm a bit addicted to drinking"". The Big Issue. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  25. ^ Harrison, Ellie (25 March 2020). "Lee Mack responds to rumours he has coronavirus and says Not Going Out jokes have become a 'struggle'". The Independent. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  26. ^ "Big screen adaptation of the best-selling family franchise is set for UK and Irish cinemas on 26th July 2019". BBC Films.
  27. ^ "Comedians Watching Football With Friends". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
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