John Bishop facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Bishop
Bishop in June 2011
Born	John Bishop (1966-11-30) 30 November 1966 (age 58) Everton, Liverpool, England
Occupation	Comedian presenter actor former semi pro footballer
Years active	2002–present
Spouse(s)	Melanie Cornall Bishop ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	3
Relatives	Eddie Bishop (brother)

John Bishop (born 30 November 1966) is a famous English comedian, TV presenter, and actor. He used to play football semi-professionally before becoming a star.

John Bishop has played football as a midfielder for several teams like Winsford United F.C. and Crewe Alexandra F.C.. He started appearing on TV in 2007 on an Irish comedy show called The Panel. Later, he was in the teen drama Skins and the film Route Irish.

He's hosted his own popular shows, including John Bishop's Britain and The John Bishop Show. From 2021 to 2022, he played the character Dan Lewis, a companion to the Thirteenth Doctor in the sci-fi series Doctor Who. John is also well-known for his amazing charity work, raising millions of pounds for good causes.

John Bishop's Early Life

John Joseph Bishop was born in Liverpool, England, on 30 November 1966. His mum, Kathleen, was a housewife, and his dad, Edward, was a labourer. He has an older brother, Eddie Bishop, who was also a footballer, and two older sisters, Kathy and Carol.

John grew up mostly in the towns of Runcorn and Winsford in Cheshire. He went to Murdishaw West Primary School and Brookvale Academy. He studied English at Newcastle Polytechnic and later got a degree in Social Science from Manchester Polytechnic. Before becoming a comedian, he worked as a medical representative for a pharmaceutical company until 2006. He was 40 when he decided to focus on comedy full-time!

John Bishop's Comedy and TV Career

John Bishop

Bishop carrying the Olympic Torch at Jodrell Bank in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth	(1966-11-30) 30 November 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth	Liverpool, England
Height	5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m)
Playing position	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1988–1990	Hyde United	30	(3)
1990–1991	Southport	38	(7)
Total		68	(10)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

John Bishop first tried stand-up comedy in Manchester in October 2000. The very next year, he reached the finals of many big new comedy competitions. He won the City Life North West Comedian of The Year Award. In 2002, BBC Radio Merseyside named him the best newcomer.

In 2009, John Bishop became well-known after appearing on Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow. He also performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where his show Elvis Has Left the Building was nominated for an award.

TV Appearances and Hosting

John Bishop has been on many popular TV shows. He was a contestant on Celebrity Mastermind and appeared in the sitcom Lunch Monkeys. His comedy often comes from his own life, like being a dad, cycling around the world, and playing football.

He was a regular on the Irish comedy show The Panel and later appeared on 8 out of 10 Cats and Live at the Apollo. In 2010, he started his own show on LFC TV called John Bishop Meets..., where he interviewed former Liverpool football players.

John Bishop has also been a guest on shows like Mock the Week, Have I Got News for You, Would I Lie to You?, and QI. He was a team captain on What Do Kids Know? and a regular panelist on the sports comedy show A League of Their Own.

In 2015, he presented his own variety show on BBC One called The John Bishop Show. Since 2016, he has hosted John Bishop: In Conversation With..., where he interviews famous people. In 2019, he started presenting a football show called Back of the Net for Amazon Prime Video with Peter Crouch.

Acting Roles

Besides comedy, John Bishop is also an actor. In the TV series Skins, he played the father of Emily and Katie Fitch. He was also in the film Route Irish.

In 2021, it was announced that John Bishop would join the cast of Doctor Who as Dan Lewis, a companion to the Thirteenth Doctor. In 2022, he starred in the pantomime Mother Goose alongside Ian McKellen in London's West End.

John Bishop's Awards and Recognition

In 2010, John Bishop won the Best Male Comedy Breakthrough Artist award at the British Comedy Awards. He also became the fastest "Star in a reasonably priced car" on the TV show Top Gear in 2011, beating Tom Cruise's time!

In 2014, Liverpool John Moores University gave him an honorary fellowship. This was to recognise his contributions to the arts and his charity work. In 2018, he won the Celebrity Animal Champion award from the RSPCA for his work helping rescue animals. In 2019, he received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Manchester Metropolitan University for his charity work and contributions to comedy.

John Bishop's Charity Work

John Bishop is very dedicated to charity. In 1992, he cycled all the way from Sydney, Australia, to Liverpool, England. He raised £30,000 for the NSPCC, a charity that helps children.

In 2010, he took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a big show that raised money for Great Ormond Street Hospital, a children's hospital.

Bishop promotes his "Say Hello" campaign in 2022

In 2012, John completed an incredible 290-mile (470 km) triathlon from Paris to London in just five days. He did this to raise money for the BBC charity Sport Relief. His challenge involved cycling 185 miles (298 km), rowing across the English Channel with a team, and then running 90 miles (140 km) from Dover to London. His amazing efforts raised a huge £4.2 million!

He has also played in the Soccer Aid football matches for Unicef several times, helping to raise money for children around the world. In 2020, John donated 100 laptops to his old school, Brookvale Academy, to help students learn from home.

John Bishop's Personal Life

John Bishop has been married to his wife Melanie since 1993. They have three sons together. He is a big fan of Liverpool F.C. football club.

John has been a vegetarian since 1985. He has talked about this on his TV shows.

John Bishop's Stand-up Shows

DVD Releases of Stand-up Shows

John Bishop's Filmography

Television Shows

Films

Music Videos

• 2011: Take That – "Happy Now" for Comic Relief
• 2012: The Justice Collective – "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"

Stage Shows

• 2009: One Night in Istanbul – Tom
• 2022–2023: Mother Goose – Vic