Angus Deayton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Angus Deayton
Deayton in March 2007
Born	Gordon Angus Deayton (1956-01-06) 6 January 1956 (age 69) Banstead, Surrey, England
Education	New College, Oxford (BA)
Occupation	Television presenter actor writer comedian
Years active	1980–present
Known for	Television Stand-up
Style	Political satire Character comedy
Television	Have I Got News for You (1990–2002) One Foot in the Grave (1990–2000) Would I Lie to You? (2007–2008) Pramface (2012–2014) Waterloo Road (2013–2015)
Partner(s)	Helen Atkinson-Wood Stephanie de Sykes Lise Mayer (1991–2015)
Children	1

Gordon Angus Deayton (/ˈdiːtən/; born 6 January 1956) is an English actor, writer, musician, comedian, and TV presenter. He is well-known for hosting the funny news quiz show Have I Got News for You from 1990 to 2002.

He also hosted Would I Lie to You? from 2007 to 2008. Many people also know him as Patrick Trench from the TV show One Foot in the Grave. Later, he played George Windsor in the school drama Waterloo Road.

Early Life and Early Career

Angus Deayton grew up in Banstead, Surrey, England. He was the youngest of three brothers. He went to Oakhurst Grange School and Caterham School.

He was a good football player when he was young. He even had a try-out with the professional team Crystal Palace. He was also the captain of his school's Under-16 Rugby team.

Deayton studied French and German at New College, Oxford University. In 1978, he joined a comedy group called The Oxford Revue. They performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which is a big arts festival. This led him to create a funny music group called the Hee Bee Gee Bees in 1980. They made fun of the high-pitched singing style of the Bee Gees. Their popular song was "Meaningless Songs (In Very High Voices)".

Radio and Television Work

Angus Deayton started his career on a radio show called Radio Active. It was a funny show that made fun of local radio stations in Britain. He helped write and perform in the show, which was on BBC Radio 4 from 1981 to 1987. The show was so popular that it was made into a TV show called KYTV from 1989 to 1993.

Deayton often worked with famous comedian Rowan Atkinson. He appeared in an episode of Mr. Bean called "The Curse of Mr. Bean". He also appeared in an episode of Black Adder in 1983.

From 1988 to 1991, Deayton was a regular on the comedy sketch show Alexei Sayle's Stuff. In 1990, he got the role of Patrick Trench in the TV show One Foot in the Grave. In the same year, he became the host of Have I Got News for You. He also appeared in TV adverts for the Vauxhall Nova car. Later, he worked with writer David Renwick again in the TV mini-series If You See God, Tell Him.

He hosted a BBC show in the late 1990s called Before They Were Famous. This show played old and sometimes funny clips of TV and film stars from when they were just starting out. Deayton was also a popular host for big TV events like the BBC's New Year's Eve show and the BAFTA Awards. He also appeared in adverts for Barclaycard and in the films Savage Hearts and Elizabeth.

Have I Got News for You

Angus Deayton was the first host of the popular news quiz show Have I Got News for You. He hosted the show for 12 years, from 1990 to 2002. He was known for his calm and witty style.

In 2002, Angus Deayton stopped presenting the show. Many viewers wanted him to stay. An online poll on the BBC's website showed that more than three-quarters of people wanted him to continue as host. In April 2003, fellow comedian Stephen Fry showed his support for Deayton by saying he would not appear on the show again.

Later Career

After leaving Have I Got News for You, Angus Deayton continued to work in TV and radio. In December 2002, he reunited with the cast of Radio Active for a new episode. In 2003, he was a guest star in the BBC comedy Absolute Power. In January 2004, he starred in the BBC comedy Nighty Night. He also had a small role in the 2004 film Fat Slags.

He is also involved with Comic Relief and Sport Relief, which are big charity events in the UK. He helped host the Sport Relief show Only Fools on Horses in July 2006. He also played football for the England team in the Soccer Aid match, which raises money for UNICEF. He played in 2006 and again in 2008.

In June 2007, Deayton returned to the BBC to host the panel show Would I Lie to You?. He left the show in 2009. From 2007 to 2009, he also hosted the TV show Hell's Kitchen.

In 2008, Deayton presented Comedy Sketchbook, which looked back at classic comedy sketches. On 6 December 2008, he hosted the British Comedy Awards.

He has appeared in several films, including That Deadwood Feeling (2009), Swinging with the Finkels (2011), and Playing the Moldovans at Tennis (2012). In 2011, he returned to BBC Radio 4 to host the panel show It's Your Round.

On 12 December 2012, Deayton joined the BBC drama series Waterloo Road. He played a teacher named George Windsor and later became the deputy head. He also co-starred with Anna Chancellor in the BBC sitcom Pramface (2013).

In August 2016, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Deayton wrote and performed in a new version of Radio Active. From 2017 to 2022, he was in the radio sitcom Alone on BBC Radio 4.

Personal Life

Angus Deayton and Lise Mayer in March 2007

When he was at Oxford, Angus Deayton was in a relationship with Helen Atkinson-Wood. She later became an actress and worked with him on Radio Active and KYTV. While they were touring Australia in the 1980s, Deayton saved Atkinson-Wood's life. She was caught in a strong rip current while swimming off Sydney's Manly Beach, and he rescued her.

From 1991 to 2015, Angus Deayton was in a relationship with scriptwriter Lise Mayer. They have a son together. The famous actor Richard Wilson is their son's godfather.

Filmography

Awards

• British Comedy Awards for "Top TV comedy newcomer" (1991)
• Nominated for a British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Performance in 2001 and 2003.

See Also

• List of University of Oxford people
• Oxford University Broadcasting Society
• List of Have I Got News for You presenters
• List of Top of the Pops presenters
• The British Environment and Media Awards

Images for kids

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  Angus Deayton in March 2007

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  Angus Deayton and Lise Mayer in March 2007