Johnny Vegas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johnny Vegas
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Vegas in 2007
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| Born |
Michael Joseph Pennington
5 September 1970 St Helens, Lancashire, England
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| Education | Middlesex University (BA) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1996–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Kitty Donnelly
(m. 2002; div. 2008)Maïa Dunphy
(m. 2011; sep 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
Michael Joseph Pennington (born 5 September 1970), known to many as Johnny Vegas, is a famous English actor, comedian, director, and writer. He is well-known for his strong accent from Lancashire, his deep voice, and his funny, often silly, jokes.
Johnny Vegas has starred in many TV shows. He played Moz in the comedy series Ideal from 2005 to 2011. He was also Geoff Maltby, nicknamed "The Oracle," in the popular sitcom Benidorm. You might also know him as Eric Agnew in Still Open All Hours. Besides acting, he often appears as a guest on fun TV quiz shows like QI and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
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Early life and education
Johnny Vegas was born Michael Joseph Pennington on 5 September 1970. He grew up in Thatto Heath, a part of St Helens, Lancashire. He has three older brothers and one older sister. His family raised him as a Roman Catholic.
When he was 11, he went to a special boarding school called St Joseph's College, Upholland. He was training to become a priest, but he missed home a lot and came back after about a year.
A fun fact about his childhood: when he was 13, Johnny had to play Santa Claus. His dad was stuck at work, so young Johnny stepped in! He knew most of the kids there, which made it even funnier.
Later, Johnny Vegas studied Art and Ceramics at Middlesex University in London. He earned a special degree called a BA. After university, he returned to his hometown. He worked in different jobs, like at an Argos warehouse and selling boiler insurance door-to-door. He also packed bottles in a factory and worked as a barman in a local pub. From 1994 to 1997, he was part of a comedy group called Cluub Zarathustra.
Comedy and acting career
Johnny Vegas first appeared on TV in 1996. He was a contestant on a game show called Win, Lose or Draw. He used his real name then but mentioned he wanted to be a comedian and his stage name would be "Johnny Vegas."
He became more widely known as a regular on the comedy show Shooting Stars. On the show, he played a character who often looked sad and always had a pint of Guinness. In 2001, he won £10,200 on the game show The Weakest Link during a special episode for comedians.
In 2002, Johnny Vegas co-wrote and starred in a radio comedy show for BBC Radio 4 called Night Class. He played a former holiday camp entertainer who taught pottery classes. The show was very popular and was a runner-up for best comedy at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.
Television roles
Johnny Vegas has had many memorable roles on television.
- From 2005 to 2011, he played Moz in the BBC Three sitcom Ideal.
- He was also well-known for playing Geoff Maltby, also known as "The Oracle," in the ITV sitcom Benidorm. He was in the show from 2007 to 2009 and again from 2015 to 2017.
- In 2005, he appeared in the BBC show Bleak House, which was based on a famous book by Charles Dickens.
- In 2012, he played Mr. Croombe in a TV movie based on David Walliams' children's book Mr Stink.
- Since 2013, he has played Wet Eric Agnew in the popular BBC sitcom Still Open All Hours.
- He often appears as a guest presenter on Channel 4's Sunday Brunch.
- In 2016, he starred in a comedy pilot called Home From Home for BBC Two. It was so popular that it became a full series on BBC One in 2018.
- Since 2019, Johnny Vegas has been the voice of the main character in the fun animated children's series The Rubbish World of Dave Spud.
- He is a frequent guest on the quiz show QI and has also been a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.
- In 2023, it was announced that Johnny Vegas would direct a new audio series of The Wombles for BBC Radio 4.
Film roles
Johnny Vegas has also acted in several films.
- In 2003, he appeared in films like The Virgin of Liverpool and Blackball.
- He lent his voice to Abu the hamster in the 2013 British film The Harry Hill Movie.
- In 2018, he voiced the character Asbo in the animated film Early Man, made by Aardman Animations.
- In 2017, he starred in the comedy film Eaten by Lions.
Other projects and interests
Beyond acting, Johnny Vegas has been involved in many interesting projects.
- In 2001, he became famous for his funny adverts for ITV Digital, where he appeared with a puppet named Monkey. He later brought Monkey back for adverts for PG Tips tea in 2007.
- He is also known for his ceramic art. His work has been praised by art critics and even bought for a collection at the famous Victoria and Albert Museum. He was even asked by Old Spice to design a bottle for their aftershave!
- In 2014, he directed a music video for musicians Paul Heaton and Jacqui Abbott. That same year, he also released his autobiography, which is a book about his own life.
Personal life
Johnny Vegas married Catherine "Kitty" Donnelly in August 2002. They had one child together. They later separated in 2006 and divorced in 2008. In April 2011, he married Irish TV presenter Maïa Dunphy. They had their first child together in 2015. They separated in 2017, got back together for a while, and then separated again before April 2020.
Johnny Vegas still lives in his hometown of St Helens. He is very proud of his town and often helps support the local community. He even played for his favourite rugby league team, St Helens RFC, in a special game in 2005, which was a dream come true for him!
In December 2012, Johnny Vegas shared that he had returned to the Roman Catholic faith he grew up with. He believes his faith helped him have a good upbringing.
In 2014, Edge Hill University gave him a special award, making him an Honorary Doctor of Literature. This is a big honour for his achievements.
He is also a supporter of the Labour Party and has spoken about how much he values the NHS, which provides healthcare in the UK.
Images for kids
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Johnny Vegas in 2007
