Alex Horne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alex Horne
Horne in 2024
Born	Alexander James Jeffery Horne (1978-09-10) 10 September 1978 (age 46) Chichester, West Sussex, England
Other names	Little Alex Horne
Alma mater	Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Occupation	Comedian, writer
Years active	2000–present
Spouse(s)	Rachel Gibson ​ (m. 2005)​
Children	3

Alex Horne (born September 10, 1978) is a funny English comedian. He is best known for creating and co-hosting the BAFTA award-winning TV show Taskmaster. On the show, he plays the role of assistant to the main host, Greg Davies.

Alex also leads a funny band called The Horne Section. They have their own podcast and TV show. You might have seen them on BBC Radio 4 or the TV channel Dave.

Early Life and Education

Alex Horne was born in Chichester, England, in 1978. He went to Lancing College for high school. Later, he studied at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. While at Cambridge, he was part of the famous comedy group called Footlights.

Comedy Career

Alex started doing stand-up comedy while he was still a student. He performed at open mic nights in Cambridge and London. In 1999, he reached the semi-finals of a comedy competition called So You Think You're Funny.

He first performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2000. This is a big arts festival where many comedians get their start. Early in his career, Alex also worked as a journalist and a TV runner.

Early Shows and Awards

In 2003, Alex's show "Making Fish Laugh" was nominated for a Perrier Comedy Award for Best Newcomer. This is a big award for new comedians. In 2004, he won a Chortle Award for Best Breakthrough Act.

He continued to perform shows like "Every Body Talks" and "When in Rome." For these shows, he often used Microsoft PowerPoint for his presentations. In 2006, he even toured "When in Rome" only in old Roman towns in Britain.

Alex also wrote and performed solo shows like "Birdwatching" (2007) and "Wordwatching" (2008). He later wrote books based on these shows.

Unique Projects

In 2007, Alex became the first comedian to perform in Second Life, a virtual online world. He did this for a special on Sky News.

He also worked on a unique project with fellow comedian Owen Powell. They tried to find a person from every country living in London. After a year, they met people from 189 countries. They found that no one from Tuvalu, Palau, or the Marshall Islands seemed to live in London.

The Horne Section performing in 2019

Since 2010, Alex has been performing with his band, The Horne Section. They host comedy variety shows. Their show Alex Horne Presents The Horne Section was on BBC Radio 4. They also started The Horne Section Podcast in 2018.

During the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, Alex, along with Tim Key and Mark Watson, created a fun YouTube series called No More Jockeys. He also hosts another YouTube channel about golf called Bad Golf with John Robins.

Television Appearances

Alex has appeared on many TV shows. In 2008, he was a contestant on the game show Countdown. He won three matches!

In 2011, he was on Celebrity Mastermind, a quiz show. His special subject was the comedian Ken Dodd. He finished in second place. He has also been a guest on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown many times.

Taskmaster

Since 2015, Alex has been the co-host of Taskmaster, the show he created. He works alongside Greg Davies, who is the "Taskmaster." The show started on Dave and moved to Channel 4 in 2020.

Taskmaster is very popular and has won a BAFTA award. A funny running joke on the show is that Greg Davies always introduces Alex as "Little Alex Horne." The show has become so popular that versions have been made in many other countries, including Australia, Sweden, and New Zealand.

Other TV Work

In 2018, Alex voiced a talking Button in the BBC One game show The Button.

He also presented The Horne Section Television Programme in 2018. This was a one-off musical comedy show based on his radio show. It featured his band and other famous comedians. In 2022, a six-episode TV series called The Horne Section TV Show was released on Channel 4.

Personal Life

Alex Horne is married to Rachel Horne, who used to be a BBC business journalist. They met at Cambridge University. They have three sons together.

He enjoys birdwatching. He says it's a great hobby for someone who likes sports but is getting older. Alex is also a big fan of Liverpool F.C. and is a director for his local football team, Chesham United F.C..

In January 2024, the University of Warwick gave Alex an honorary doctorate. This is a special award for his achievements.

Filmography