Christopher Biggins
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Christopher Biggins (born 16 December 1948 in Oldham, Lancashire) is an English television presenter, pantomime actor and the fifth winner of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! 2007.
Career
Biggins is most famous for being a comedy actor, appearing as the regular character Lukewarm in the popular situation comedy Porridge starring Ronnie Barker. Other comedy shows he appeared in include Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? (1973) and Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em (1973 & 1978). He played Nero in the BBC dramatisation of I, Claudius by Robert Graves, having been selected for the role partly on the strength of a television commercial in which he had played a Roman emperor presiding over the games. He also appeared in the BBC's adaptation of Poldark 2.
On children's television he had a regular role as supermarket manager Adam Painting in the children's television programme Rentaghost (1978-1983) and also played Reverend Whiting in Southern Television's Brendon Chase, produced in 1980.
Biggins appeared in the Big Finish Productions audio drama The One Doctor, based on the television series Doctor Who. His film roles include The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). His theatre roles have included Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar, and eighteen months at the London Palladium in the stage adaptation of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (where he was teamed in a double act with Louise Gold).
He was co-host on Surprise, Surprise and hosted children's gameshow On Safari (1982-1985) for TVS.
In 2003, he appeared as himself in two episodes of the fifth series of ITV prison drama, Bad Girls. He fronted an event for disabled children in a storyline that was centred around inmate Buki Lester's son Lennox, who inherited Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease at birth. The plotline saw Biggins being held hostage by the inmates during their protest at HMP Larkhall going private. However, Biggins ended up supporting their protest and joining in. At the end of the series, he adopted Lennox and when Buki was released, she too joined Biggins' family.
Biggins also appeared alongside fellow I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! contestant, Anna Ryder Richardson, on a Celebrity Version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which aired on 1st January 2008, in which Christopher and Anna shared a £50,000 prize for their chosen charities. Christopher also appeared on The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2007 with former camp-mate Cerys Matthews to ask a question about their time in the Jungle.
Since March 2008, he has co-presented a Sunday morning radio show on BBC London with Lesley Joseph.[1]
Also in March 2008, Biggins appeared in TV show Ghosthunting with..., hosted by Yvette Fielding. He took part alongside Cerys Matthews, former I'm a celebrity contestant Dean Gaffney and I'm a celebrity couple Matt Willis and Emma Griffiths.
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
Biggins is well known for his performances in pantomime, most often playing the dame. Biggins is not performing in pantomime in Christmas 2007 however, as he was taking part in ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, making this the first time he has not performed in a pantomime for 38 years. Biggins was eventually voted the winner of the show on November 30 2007.
Personal life
Biggins is openly gay and he formed a civil partnership with his partner Neil Twimaps, who works for British Airways, on December 30 2006 at Hackney Register Office.[2] He was married to Australian actress Beatrice Norbury from 1971 to 1974.[3]
Biggins currently lives near Victoria Park, East London.
References
- ^ BBC London show
- ^ Biggins, Christopher (2005-12-11). "MY PAP PICS CHRISTOPHER BIGGINS: I had 650 pairs of ridiculous". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 2007-07-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Biggins, Christopher (2007-12-02). "Biggins: My life". Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
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