Al Murray facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al Murray
Murray as "The Pub Landlord" in 2011
Born	(1968-05-10) 10 May 1968 (age 57) Stewkley, Buckinghamshire, England
Medium	Stand-up, television, radio
Alma mater	St Edmund Hall, Oxford
Years active	1991–present
Genres	Character comedy, political satire, insult comedy
Subject(s)	British culture, British politics, world history, current events
Spouse	Katherine Perry ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 2000)​ Amber Hargreaves ​ ​ (m. 2002; separated 2008)​
Children	3
Relative(s)	Ralph Murray (grandfather)
Notable works and roles	Al Murray's Happy Hour Time Gentlemen Please Multiple Personality Disorder Fact Hunt

Alastair James Hay Murray, born on May 10, 1968, is a well-known English comedian. He is famous for his stand-up comedy and his popular character, "The Pub Landlord."

After finishing his studies at the University of Oxford, Al Murray started his comedy career. He worked with comedian Harry Hill for BBC Radio 4. He often performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which is a big arts festival. It was there that he created his famous "Pub Landlord" character. This character became so popular that it led to a TV show called Time Gentlemen Please on Sky One. He also hosted a chat show called Al Murray's Happy Hour for ITV.

In 2003, a newspaper called The Observer listed Al Murray as one of the 50 funniest comedians in Britain. Later, in 2007, he was voted the 16th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups list. Today, he continues to perform stand-up comedy and appears regularly on British TV and radio.

Al Murray's Early Life and Family

Al Murray was born in Stewkley, a village in Buckinghamshire, England. His father was a soldier in the Royal Engineers and also worked for British Rail. Al Murray is related to the famous novelist William Makepeace Thackeray. His grandfather, Sir Ralph Murray, was a British ambassador.

Al Murray went to Bedford School. He enjoyed music and played percussion in the Bedfordshire County Youth Orchestra. He performed with the orchestra in different countries like Spain, France, and Scotland. He later said that going to boarding school from a young age helped him become more independent.

He studied Modern History at St Edmund Hall, Oxford, a college at Oxford University. While there, he joined a comedy group called the Oxford Revue.

Al Murray's Comedy Career

Al Murray started his comedy journey by touring with other comedians like Harry Hill and Frank Skinner. He won the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1999. This award is a big honor in comedy. Before becoming famous for "The Pub Landlord," he had an act where he made sound effects, like guns and animals. He first appeared on TV in 1991 on Channel 4's The Word.

From 1994 to 1995, Al Murray was the drummer in a band called Evangelista. This band was part of an experimental comedy show in London.

The Pub Landlord Character

Al Murray's most famous character is an English pub owner. This character has strong, traditional British views. He often jokes about other countries, especially Germany and France. He loves the British rock band Queen and sometimes has musicians on his show play Queen songs in their own style. Al Murray describes the character as someone who acts like he knows everything, even when he hasn't been asked.

The Pub Landlord character first appeared in 1994 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Al Murray came up with the idea when he needed a last-minute host for a show. He pretended that the barman from the venue was filling in, and that's how "The Pub Landlord" was born.

The Pub Landlord has appeared in many TV shows. He was in Harry Hill in 1997 and later in a short film called Pub Fiction. He also had a brief role in This Morning with Richard Not Judy. His theatre show, My Gaff, My Rules, was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2002.

The Pub Landlord is the main character in the TV series Time Gentlemen Please. He has also hosted three seasons of Al Murray's Happy Hour on ITV. His theatre tours have included shows like ...And a Glass of White Wine for the Lady and Giving it Both Barrels. The Pub Landlord has also "written" four books, including The Pub Landlord's Book of British Common Sense. In 2024, The Pub Landlord started a new tour called "Guv Island" across the UK and Ireland.

Other Projects and Interests

Al Murray is also a talented drummer. He played in a big band at his school and in the Bedfordshire County Youth Orchestra. He plays drums for a rock cover band called T-34. They performed at the Download Festival in 2010 and 2011. He is a fan of progressive rock bands like Genesis and King Crimson. He hosted the Progressive Music Awards in 2019.

In 2013, Al Murray was a guest star in the children's TV show Horrible Histories. He also presented Al Murray's Road to Berlin on the Discovery Channel. This series was about the final part of World War II. He drove a restored jeep and interviewed war survivors. In one episode, he even parachuted with veterans to remember a battle.

Al Murray starred in Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder, a sketch comedy show, in 2009. In 2010, he made a documentary for BBC Four called Al Murray's German Adventure. In this show, he explored German culture, showing a different side from his Pub Landlord character.

He even created his own potato crisps called "Steak and Al Pie" for a competition to raise money for Comic Relief.

In 2016, Al Murray played Nick Bottom in Shakespeare Live, a show celebrating 400 years of Shakespeare. He also appeared in Taskmaster series 3. In 2018, he starred in the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the New Wimbledon Theatre.

In October 2018, Al Murray hosted the History channel TV series Al Murray: Why Does Everyone Hate The English. In this show, he and other comedians looked at the historical rivalries between England and its neighboring countries.

In 2019, Al Murray played his ancestor William Makepeace Thackeray in a BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Vanity Fair. He also started a podcast called 'We Have Ways of Making You Talk' with historian James Holland. They discuss battles and events from World War II.

In October 2021, Al Murray presented the Sky History show Why Do the Brits Win Every War?. In each episode, he and a guest explored conflicts against different nations.

In 2023, Al Murray helped write and provided voiceovers for Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical, based on the TV series Spitting Image. He also played King Charles II in a play called The Crown Jewels in London. He published the book "Arnhem: Black Tuesday" in September 2024.

Al Murray's Political Involvement

On January 14, 2015, Al Murray, as his Pub Landlord character, announced he was forming a political party called the "Free United Kingdom Party" (FUKP). He decided to run for a seat in Parliament in the 2015 United Kingdom general election. He ran in the South Thanet area against UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Al Murray's agent confirmed that he was serious about running. The party's logo was an upside-down pound sign. Murray joked that the UK was ready for someone like him, "waving a pint around, offering common sense solutions." He also admitted he didn't know where South Thanet was, but compared it to Margaret Thatcher saving the Falkland Islands.

Nigel Farage seemed to welcome the competition on Twitter. Other political candidates also said it would make the election more interesting. When the official list of candidates was released, Al Murray appeared on the ballot without his party's name.

The election results were announced on May 8, 2015. Al Murray received 318 votes. When it was announced that Nigel Farage had lost the election, Al Murray's surprised reaction on stage was widely reported by the media. He even invited Farage for a drink in his pub to cheer him up.

Al Murray's Views and Activism

Al Murray with Paul Chambers (center) and Stephen Fry (right) outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London on June 27, 2012

Al Murray has supported important causes. In 2012, he, along with Stephen Fry, supported Paul Chambers in his court appeals. Chambers had been arrested for a joke tweet that police thought was a threat. Chambers' appeal against his conviction was successful.

In August 2014, Al Murray was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter to The Guardian newspaper. The letter expressed their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum.

Al Murray's Personal Life

Al Murray married Amber Hargreaves in 2002. They had two daughters before separating in 2008. He now lives in Chiswick. He later had a third daughter, Daisy, with his partner, Eleanor Relf, in 2018.

Al Murray is a big fan of cricket. He was invited to a special lunch for the England cricket team before they left for a big tournament in 2013.

He has received honorary degrees from two universities. The University of Bedfordshire gave him an honorary Master of Arts degree in 2014. The University of Wolverhampton awarded him an honorary doctorate in Social Science in 2017.

Al Murray's Stand-up Shows

DVD Releases of Shows

Books by Al Murray

Images for kids

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  Murray as "The Pub Landlord" in 2011

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  Murray with Paul Chambers (center) and Stephen Fry (right) outside the Royal Courts of Justice, London on June 27, 2012