Jim Davidson (comedian)

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Jim Davidson (comedian) bigraphy, stories - English comedian

Jim Davidson (comedian) : biography

13 December 1953 –

James Cameron "Jim" Davidson, OBE (born 13 December 1953) is an English comedian and television host. He had his highest profile for his television roles on Big Break and as the host of The Generation Game as well as a successful career as a stand-up comedian and developing adult pantomime shows such as Boobs in the Wood and SINderella both of which have played to sell-out audiences. Despite early recognition and winning many awards throughout his long career, Davidson has become known for his use of jokes about ethnic minorities (his mock Jamaican accent widely known as comedy character Chalkie White being a Davidson trademark), homosexuals (starting a feud with openly gay celebrity Brian Dowling on TV’s Hell’s Kitchen) and disabled people (Davidson refused to go on stage in Plymouth because he objected to wheelchair users in the front row) in his stand-up act, which has made him a subject of negative media coverage and frequent criticism.

On 20 March 2013 he was arrested over allegations of sexual offences by police officers working on Operation Yewtree.

Biography

The son of a Glaswegian father, Davidson was born in Kidbrooke, London, and attended Kidbrooke Park Primary School, Blackheath and St Austen’s School in Charlton. Having impressed some acquaintances of his father with impressions of celebrities, he was chosen to appear in Ralph Reader’s Gang Show at the Golders Green Hippodrome aged 12 and appeared on television in the Billy Cotton Band Show. He also briefly attended a stage school in Woolwich.

Upon leaving school he was a drummer for pub bands and worked as a supermarket shelf stacker, a messenger, air ticket clerk for a travel agency, a cashier for Wall’s ice cream, for Rank Xerox (having trained as a reprographics operator) and as a window cleaner.

Davidson found his way into show business when as a regular in a pub in Woolwich, he undertook an act after the regular comedian hadn’t turned up. He then became a regular on the London comedy circuit, and first auditioned for Opportunity Knocks in 1975, unsuccessfully; he was told by Hughie Green to "go away". His audition for New Faces was more successful, and he proceeded to win the show by one point, and then to come second in the overall contest.

Television

His success was quickly followed by many more appearances on television, including What’s On Next and several series of his own show The Jim Davidson Show (1979-82) which ran for five complete series and won Davidson the TV Times award as "Funniest Man On Television".

Davidson appeared on an edition of the BBC1 show Seaside Special, shown on 20th August 1977, hosted by Tony Blackburn and David Hamilton. The Stage’s reviewer, Martyn Wade, was not impressed: "comedian Jim Davidson had already won first prize for lack of taste with crude racist jokes tracing the adventures of a black man whose nickname was Chalky and whose other names included Toilet-Roll. "Day-light come and I gotta sign on" is a representative line from Mr Davidson’s act." The Stage, edition dated 25 August 1977, retrieved 23 May 2013

He starred in TV sitcoms Up the Elephant and Round the Castle (1983-85) and Home James (1987-90). His one man show for Thames TV, Stand Up Jim Davidson (1990),, BFI Film & TV Database was recorded at London’s Royalty Theatre.

Davidson became known for Big Break (1991-98) and as the host of The Generation Game (1995-2001), as the successor to Bruce Forsyth. In September 2007, Davidson appeared in the third series of Hell’s Kitchen (2007) in the UK, and in May 2008 he appeared in the BBCs Comedy Map of Britain. In 2009, he made a cameo appearance on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

Touring show

Davidson’s touring is developed from his original London comedy circuit show, for pub and club audiences. Aimed at a very different audience from that of his television work, it contains a lot more strong language, which he promotes as adult entertainment. This has also developed into his adult pantomime work, including productions with titles such as: Boobs in the Wood and SINderella – both of which have played to sell-out audiences.