Christopher Biggins

Early life

Biggins was born in Oldham, Lancashire, and brought up in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where he took elocution lessons and participated in local drama groups. His first lead stage role was at the age of 17 in a Stage '65 production of Molière's Le Médecin malgré lui, leading to work with a local repertory theatre company.

Television

Biggins appeared as the regular character Lukewarm in the situation comedy Porridge (1974–1977) 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 (1976), from the novels 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 Poldark (1977) as the Reverend Osborne Whitworth, and the TV miniseries Masada (1981).

Despite these serious roles, his co-hosting of Surprise Surprise and hosting children's game show On Safari (1982–1985) for TVS led to his being typecast as a "bubbly personality"; when asked in 2005 if he resented this, he replied

No, not a bit of it. I'm perfectly happy being me, thank you, and I happen to know that I am afforded enormous respect from everybody I know. And anyway, I'm having something of a second wind now. I've reached the age [57] where all kinds of roles are opening up to me.

On children's television, he had a regular role as department store owner 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. In the early 1980s he hosted children's game show On Safari, which had a jungle-themed studio set.

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1999 when he was surprised by Michael Aspel at the Theatre Royal, Brighton.

He appeared in The One Doctor, one of Big Finish Productions' audio dramas based on the television series Doctor Who.

He took part in the seventh series of I'm a Celebrity...Me Out of Here! in 2007. He was eventually voted the winner of the show on 30 November 2007.

He took part in an episode of Celebrity Come Dine With Me, first shown on Channel 4 on 15 February 2009. He won £1,000 for his chosen charity.

In 2009, he played himself as a pantomime director in the BBC Two sitcom, Psychoville.

In 2010, he was a celebrity guest team captain on an episode of What Do Kids Know? along with Rufus Hound, Joe Swash and Sara Cox on Watch.

In 2010, he played God in the BBC adult puppet comedy show Mongrels.

In May 2011, he starred in the second series of Channel 4's Celebrity Five Go To... in which the celebrities visited South Africa.

In 2014, he took part in the celebrity cookery programme Celebrity MasterChef on BBC One. In 2014, he took part in a celebrity edition of Catchphrase. He voices It's Not Me, It's You on Channel 5.

On 28 July 2016, Biggins entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to participate in its eighteenth series. He was chosen by the public to take part in the first secret mission. He was removed from the house on Day 9. The show's producers stated that Biggins had made "a number of comments capable of causing great offence to housemates and the viewing public." Forty-four people complained to Ofcom about comments Biggins made, but Ofcom ruled that he was not in breach of broadcasting rules.

Theatre

His theatre roles have included The Baker in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar, and 18 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).

Biggins is well known for his performances in pantomime. His most famous role is that of Widow Twankey in Aladdin. He has also played Buttons in Cinderella.

After not performing in pantomime in 2007, Biggins returned to the stage in 2008 at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton where he played the role of Buttons in Cinderella.

At the end of 2009 he was in pantomime in Plymouth playing Widow Twanky.

In 2010, Biggins appeared as a guest star narrator in The Rocky Horror Show at the Belfast Grand Opera House (March and April), at the Sunderland Empire Theatre (June), Southend Cliffs Pavilion (September), Grand Canal Theatre, Dublin and also at the Liverpool Empire Theatre (October).

In 2010, Biggins starred in Wolverhampton's Aladdin Pantomime at the Grand Theatre.

In 2011, Biggins played the part of Mrs Crusoe in Cardiff's Robinson Crusoe Pantomime, in the New Theatre.

In December 2012, he returned to the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in Dick Whittington.

In December 2013, he filled the role of Dame Trot alongside Bob Carolgees in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk at New Theatre, Hull.

In 2014, he filled the role of Mrs Smee in his Southend, Essex.

In 2017, he received the Lifetime Achievement award at the Great British Pantomime Awards.

Film

His film roles include The Sex Thief (1973), Eskimo Nell (1975), It Could Happen to You (1975), The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), Adventures of a Plumber's Mate (1978), Derek Jarman's The Tempest (1979), and "The Baker" in the 1999 film Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

In 2012, he was cast in the film version of Ray Cooney's farce Run for Your Wife.

Radio

In 2008, he briefly co-presented a Sunday morning radio show on BBC London with Lesley Joseph. In 2014 and 2015, Biggins sat in for Liza Tarbuck on BBC Radio 2 while she was away.

In May 2017, he returned to BBC Radio 2 to sit in for Paul O'Grady on his Early evening Sunday show.

Other work

Biggins hosts an annual show West End Live in London's Leicester Square.

At the Southport Flower Show in August 2009, Biggins launched a new hybrid tea rose called Olivia. Sales of the rose will benefit the Claire House charity.

In 2017 he recorded two songs for the album Wit & Whimsy - Songs by Alexander S. Bermange (one solo and one featuring all of the album's 23 artists), which reached No. 1 in the iTunes comedy album chart.

Personal life

Biggins was married to Australian actress Beatrice Norbury from 1971 to 1974. He is now openly gay and formed a civil partnership with his partner, Neil Sinclair, on 30 December 2006 at Hackney Register Office.

Politically, Biggins has expressed his admiration for former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He admits in his autobiography that he cried on the day she resigned, saying: "I'm not the most political of people. But I believe in self-reliance and getting on with the job in hand. Margaret had seemed to personify all that. And she had star quality, which of course I loved." In 2014, he said: "I loved John Major, he was charismatic and charming. I’ve always been a Conservative, though I would have voted for John Smith. I hope we have a new Conservative leader making his way to the top now. We need a new man."

During a 2012 interview on ITV's Loose Women, Biggins said that he felt same-sex marriage should not be legalised, stating that marriage "is for heterosexual couples". Despite this, on 29 March 2014, Biggins attended the "I Do To Equal Marriage" event which celebrated the introduction of same-sex marriage in England and Wales.