Clive Anderson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clive Anderson
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Anderson at Selwyn May Ball (2008)
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| Born |
Clive Stuart Anderson
10 December 1952 Stanmore, London, England
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| Education | Selwyn College, Cambridge (BA) |
| Occupation | Comedy author, game show host, barrister, radio presenter, television presenter |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Known for | Hosting Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Clive Anderson Talks Back and Clive Anderson All Talk |
| Spouse(s) |
Jane Anderson
(m. 1981) |
Clive Stuart Anderson (born 10 December 1952) is a well-known English television and radio host, comedian, and writer. He also used to be a barrister (a type of lawyer). Clive won a British Comedy Award in 1991. He started trying out comedy and writing funny scripts during his 15 years working as a lawyer.
He became famous as the host of Whose Line Is It Anyway? This show began on BBC Radio 4 in 1988 before moving to Channel 4 television from 1988 to 1999. Clive also hosted his own chat show, Clive Anderson Talks Back, which later became Clive Anderson All Talk. He has hosted many radio shows and appeared as a guest on popular TV shows like Have I Got News for You, Mock the Week, and QI.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Clive Anderson's parents met while they were serving in the RAF. He went to Stanburn Primary School and Harrow County School for Boys. His father, who was from Glasgow, Scotland, became a manager at the Bradford & Bingley Building Society.
Clive studied at Selwyn College, Cambridge. From 1974 to 1975, he was the President of the Cambridge Footlights, which is a famous university comedy club. In 1976, he became a practising barrister, focusing on criminal law. Even while working as a lawyer, he kept performing comedy. He even took a show to the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 1981 with fellow comedian Griff Rhys Jones.
Career Highlights
Clive Anderson was part of the new "alternative comedy" scene in the early 1980s. He was actually the very first performer at The Comedy Store when it opened in London in 1979.
Hosting Popular TV Shows
Clive became widely known as the host of the original UK version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? This was an improvised comedy show where performers made up scenes and songs on the spot. It ran for 10 series on Channel 4 from 1988 to 1999.
He also hosted his own chat show, Clive Anderson Talks Back, for 10 series on Channel 4 from 1989 to 1996. The show then moved to the BBC and was renamed Clive Anderson All Talk, running for another 4 series until 1999. Clive was known for his quick wit and sometimes cheeky questions.
- In one famous moment in 1997, the music group Bee Gees walked off his show after he made some jokes about them.
- Another time, Richard Branson poured a glass of water over Clive's head. Clive quickly replied, "I'm used to that; I've flown Virgin."
- When singer and actress Cher was on the show, Clive joked about her looks, asking, "You look like a million dollars – is that how much it cost?"
- He also had a funny exchange with author and politician Jeffrey Archer. When Archer said something negative about the show, Clive replied, "Yes, I've read your books," making a joke about Archer's own writing.
Clive has appeared many times on the comedy panel show Have I Got News for You. In 1996, he had a sharp exchange with fellow guest Piers Morgan, who was then the editor of the Daily Mirror newspaper. Clive also frequently appears on the quiz show QI.
From 2019 to 2020, he co-hosted the TV series Mystic Britain on the Sky television channel Smithsonian. In 2023, Clive appeared on the TV game show Richard Osman's House of Games and won!
Radio Work and Comedy Writing
Clive Anderson presents a legal show called Unreliable Evidence on BBC Radio 4. He also hosted the original radio version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? in 1988 before it became a TV hit.
Since 2008, he has been the permanent host of Loose Ends on BBC Radio 4, a popular Saturday morning show featuring guests and comedy. He also hosted six series of Clive Anderson's Chat Room on BBC Radio 2. Clive has appeared on other BBC Radio 4 shows like The Unbelievable Truth.
Besides hosting, Clive is also a comedy sketch writer. He has written for famous comedians like Frankie Howerd and for TV shows such as Not the Nine O'Clock News. He also wrote for newspapers, including being a regular columnist for The Sunday Correspondent.
Personal Life
Clive Anderson lives in Highbury, north London, with his wife, Jane Anderson. She is a doctor who has spent her career working with HIV/AIDS patients. They have three children together.
Clive is a fan of two football teams: Arsenal and Rangers. He is also the President of the Woodland Trust, which is a charity that protects woods and trees.
Awards and Recognition
The TV show Whose Line is it Anyway? won a BAFTA award in 1990. The next year, in 1991, Clive Anderson himself won two awards at the British Comedy Awards: "Top Entertainment Presenter" and "Top Radio Comedy Personality." In 2023, he was made an Honorary Fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge, which is a special honour from his old university.
Images for kids
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Anderson at Selwyn May Ball (2008)
