Simon Farnaby

Early life

Farnaby was born in Darlington, County Durham.

Career

Farnaby is a long-time member of The Mighty Boosh supporting cast, having had roles both in their series and co-starring in the quasi-spinoff film Bunny and the Bull. He is also well known for his similarly offbeat characters in the CBBC live-action series of Horrible Histories, such as Caligula and the Grim Reaper. Other notable television work includes a recurring role on the sitcom Jam & Jerusalem and co-starring as eccentric neighbour Sloman on The Midnight Beast's TV series. He previously had a very brief role in Coronation Street in the 1990s.

Along with the five other principal members of the cast of Horrible Histories, Farnaby is also the co-creator, writer and star of Yonderland, an eight-part family fantasy comedy series that premiered on SkyOne on 10 November 2013. He co-starred with the same troupe in Bill, a 2015 BBC comedy film based loosely around the early life of William Shakespeare.

In 2013, Farnaby presented a documentary entitled Richard III: The King in the Car Park, tracing the discovery and identification of the remains of the last Plantagenet king. The next year, Farnaby presented another Channel 4 documentary series entitled Man Vs Weird, in which he travelled the world investigating people who claim superhuman abilities.

In mid-2014, Farnaby narrated a series on Channel Five called On the Yorkshire Buses, following East Yorkshire Motor Services.

Personal life

Farnaby is married to actress Claire Keelan. On 10 November 2013, in a Radio Times article about Yonderland, it was revealed that Farnaby was about to become a father. Farnaby's daughter Eve was born in 2014. Her age at the time and her name were revealed in a 2017 article by The Scottish Sun about negative reaction Farnaby received after portaying a Scotsman.