Lee Hurst (born 16 October 1962) is an English comedian.
Hurst was a regular panellist on the comedy sports quiz They Think It's All Over from 1995 to 1998.
He is a fervent supporter of Brexit and an outspoken critic of Islam. In 2003, he was considering standing as a candidate in the 2004 London mayoral election. One of the factors behind his decision was a proposed redevelopment, which would have seen his comedy club demolished.
Hurst has a severe form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, a condition which causes acute back and joint pain.
Video Lee Hurst
Career
Hurst took up comedy after being employed in a number of jobs after leaving school, including working for a building society, the Department of Health and Social Security, and as a telephone engineer for BT. He made his first appearance on stage at the Donmar Warehouse: he later said that at the time "I only had four jokes and they were really crap but I told the first one and got a huge laugh. I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'This is all right'".
Television work
They Think It's All Over
Hurst got a break when he became the warm-up act for Have I Got News for You: producer Harry Thompson gave Hurst the opportunity to appear on the show as a guest.
Hurst first became known to television viewers as a regular team member on the BBC Two comedy sports quiz They Think It's All Over. He appeared alongside David Gower in 42 episodes over the first six series, from the first episode on 14 September 1995 until 1998.
He reduced his TV appearances to allow more time for running his comedy club, Lee Hurst's Backyard Comedy Club. He has returned for two appearances as a guest on They Think It's All Over towards the end of its run for series 17 in 2004, and for the 2011 Comic Relief 24 Hour Panel People.
Other television credits
Hurst's other TV credits include presenting Shark Tank, Salvage Squad and The Warehouse, and guest appearances on That's Showbusiness, The Stand Up Show and Have I Got News for You. He has also appeared as a regular panellist on Don't Give Up Your Day Job. He also fronted ITV's short-lived revival of the entertainment show Saturday Live.
- Have I Got News for You: two appearances in 1994 and 1995
- 1996 Saturday Live: 6 episodes
- 2002 Salvage Squad: series 1
- The Wright Stuff: three runs, in March 2012, November 2014 and February 2015
Writing
Hurst was the creator of Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment, which ran for five series on Five between 1997 and 2000.
Maps Lee Hurst
Conviction for criminal damage
Hurst pleaded guilty to criminal damage in February 2009 after an incident on 3 September 2008. He allegedly ran through the crowd at a stand-up comedy show he was performing at the Stoke Pub in Guildford, and snatched a mobile phone from a member of the audience, then took it on stage and hurled it to the floor. Hurst said that he did it out of anger, claiming that footage of his shows appear on websites such as YouTube.
Hurst was fined £60, and ordered to pay compensation of £80 and £87 costs in February 2009.
Politics
According to comments made by Hurst on his official Twitter account in 2014, he is a supporter of the UK Independence Party. During the 1990s Hurst espoused left-wing politics: he refused to be interviewed by newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch, was a critic of the Blair government, and in one interview, stated that he stopped attending a back support group which helped him with his ankylosing spondylitis after he found out that it was run as a charity, explaining that "I believe it should be provided by the State through taxation. I'd be very hypocritical if I used their facilities when I won't do medical charity benefits".
Stand-up videos
- Live (3 November 1997)
- Live at the Backyard Comedy Club (16 November 1998)
References
External links
- Lee Hurst on IMDb
Source of article : Wikipedia
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