Jon Culshaw facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jon Culshaw
Culshaw at the premiere of Miss Potter in 2006
Birth name	Jonathan Peter Culshaw
Born	(1968-06-02) 2 June 1968 (age 57) Ormskirk, Lancashire, England
Nationality	British
Years active	1980s–present
Genres	Impressions, sketch comedy
Notable works and roles	Dead Ringers (2000–2007, 2014—present) 2DTV (2001–04) The Impressionable Jon Culshaw (2004) Headcases (2008) The Impressions Show (2009–2011) Newzoids (2015–2016)

Jonathan Peter Culshaw (born on June 2, 1968) is an English actor, comedian, and impressionist. He is famous for his amazing ability to copy the voices and mannerisms of many different people.

Jon Culshaw is especially well-known for his work on the radio comedy show Dead Ringers, which started in 2000. He has also lent his voice to characters in TV shows like 2DTV, Spitting Image, and Newzoids. From 2009 to 2011, he starred in The Impressions Show with Debra Stephenson.

Early Life and First Jobs

Where Jon Grew Up

Jon Culshaw was born in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England, on June 2, 1968. He went to St Bede's Catholic High School and later to St John Rigby College in Wigan.

Starting in Radio

Jon's journey in radio began at a hospital radio station in Ormskirk. His first professional job was at Red Rose Radio in Preston in 1987. Even back then, he would sometimes read the weather forecast using the voice of famous boxer Frank Bruno.

He also did voice-over work. Jon became very well-known when he joined Spitting Image, a show with puppet caricatures. He voiced about forty characters, including John Major, who was the Prime Minister in the 1990s.

Working as a DJ

For about four years in the late 1980s, Jon was a DJ at a radio station called Viking FM in Hull. He also hosted a breakfast show on Pennine Radio and Radio Wave in Blackpool. It was a receptionist at Viking FM who encouraged Jon to perform his impressions on stage for a living.

Jon later appeared on BBC Radio 2's It's Been a Bad Week. He was also a regular guest on the Chris Moyles afternoon show on BBC Radio 1 from 1998 to 2002. On this show, he would call businesses, like a car repair shop, using the voice of Patrick Moore or Obi-Wan Kenobi. He would politely ask if they could fix his X-wing fighter and how long it would take!

Jon Culshaw's Career Highlights

Radio Shows and Impersonations

Jon Culshaw became famous in January 1998. While working with Steve Penk on Capital Radio, he pretended to be William Hague. He managed to call Number 10 Downing Street and was put through to Tony Blair, who was the Prime Minister at the time. Even though Mr. Blair quickly realized it was a trick, they had a long chat before a staff member ended the call.

Jon was one of the main stars of the BBC Radio 4 comedy series Dead Ringers. This show ran from 2000 to 2007. It also became a TV series on BBC Two from 2002 to 2007. The radio version of Dead Ringers returned to BBC Radio 4 in 2014.

In 2018, Jon showed his acting skills in a BBC radio play called The Final Take: Bowie in the Studio. He played David Bowie in this imagined story about Bowie working on his last album.

Television Appearances

From 2001 to 2002, Jon hosted a show on ITV called Alter Ego. On this show, he interviewed male celebrities by speaking in their own style. Jon also appeared on 2DTV, which was a cartoon version of Dead Ringers. In 2004, he got his own show on ITV called The Impressionable Jon Culshaw.

In 2005, Jon was a contestant on Comic Relief Does Fame Academy, a charity singing competition. He also appeared in the BBC's coverage of the General Election, pretending to be Tony Blair and George W. Bush. In January 2006, Jon hosted a BBC show called Jon Culshaw's Commercial Breakdown.

Jon is very interested in space and astronomy. In November 2007 and December 2008, he appeared on The Sky at Night, a famous astronomy show. He impersonated a younger Sir Patrick Moore, who was the show's long-time presenter. He appeared again on the 700th episode in March 2011, reading questions from viewers. Two months later, he reported on the Northern Lights.

In January 2008, Jon was part of a pub-quiz team on Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack with Chris Moyles. In May 2008, he appeared in the BBC documentary series Comedy Map of Britain.

From 2009 to 2011, Jon starred in the BBC One comedy sketch show The Impressions Show with Culshaw and Stephenson with Debra Stephenson.

On March 13, 2010, Jon was a guest judge on the charity show Let's Dance for Comic Relief. In 2013, he was a contestant on the show himself, performing a dance to "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim.

In 2010, Jon appeared in the TV series Missing as Des Martin. In November 2013, he was in The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot, a special comedy show for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.

In 2015, he voiced many characters alongside Debra Stephenson for the ITV sketch show Newzoids. A second series of Newzoids aired in 2016.

In 2017, Jon was one of the hosts for the Channel 5 documentary series Secrets of the National Trust. In February 2021, Jon appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, where his special subject was "Doctor Who – the Jon Pertwee Years."

In 2021, Jon was a guest on Celebrity Yorkshire Auction House. He entertained the staff and buyers and donated all the money from his sold items to charity. Until 2023, Jon narrated the Channel 4 property show 'Sun, Sea, and Selling Houses'. In 2023, he played Boris Johnson in the Channel 4 TV drama Partygate.

Film Roles

In movies, Jon Culshaw played Tony Blair in the 2004 film Churchill: The Hollywood Years. He also voiced Piston Pete in the 2008 animated film Agent Crush. In 2019, he voiced President Donald Trump and Bernard St. Bernard in The Queen's Corgi.

Famous Impressions

Some of Jon Culshaw's most well-known impressions include:

• Former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson
• Obi-Wan Kenobi (as played by Alec Guinness)
• Russell Crowe
• Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump
• Musician Ozzy Osbourne
• Comedian Michael McIntyre
• Presenter Dale Winton
• Newsreader Brian Perkins
• Astronomer Sir Patrick Moore
• Actors Tom Baker and Les Dawson

Jon Culshaw and Doctor Who

Jon Culshaw has been involved in many Doctor Who productions. He first impersonated Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor for both the TV and radio versions of Dead Ringers.

He also appeared in the online story "Death Comes to Time" and the audio drama The Kingmaker. In The Kingmaker, he got to use his Tom Baker impression "for real" by voicing old recordings of the Fourth Doctor. In 2019, he played the shape-shifting android Kamelion in three Doctor Who audio dramas with Peter Davison, who played the Fifth Doctor. He later started playing Brigadier Lethbridge Stewart alongside Tim Treloar as the Third Doctor.

Awards and Recognition

In 2006, Jon Culshaw received an honorary fellowship from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston. In December 2010, Edge Hill University gave him an honorary doctorate. In July 2013, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Leicester. In March 2019, artist Sherree Valentine-Daines painted a portrait of Jon.

Charity Work

Jon Culshaw is a celebrity ambassador for the charity Trekstock. He also supports the Starlight Children's Foundation, which helps seriously ill children.

Jon regularly presents Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Awards to young people as part of his support for the charity. In 2016, he took part in the Great North Run to raise money for the Jon Egging Trust. This charity was set up in memory of a Red Arrows pilot who died during an air show.

Filmography

Movies Jon Culshaw Has Been In

TV Shows Jon Culshaw Has Appeared In

Other TV Appearances

• Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2007, 2013)
• Celebrity Are You Smarter than a Ten Year Old? (2008)
• Hotel Babylon (2008)
• Celebrity Mastermind (2008)
• Heston's Eighties Feast (2010)
• The Sky at Night (2011)
• Stargazing Live (2012)
• Celebrity Antiques Road Trip (2012)
• Britain's Secret Treasures (2012)
• Pointless Celebrities (2012, 2014)
• The Chase: Celebrity Special (2013)
• Tipping Point: Lucky Stars (2014)
• Holiday of My Lifetime (2014)
• Bruce Forsyth's Hall of Fame (2014)
• Get Your Act Together (2015)
• All Star Family Fortunes (2015)
• This Week (2015)
• Sunday Brunch (2015)
• The Paul O'Grady Show (2015)
• Celebrity Money for Nothing (2017)
• The Hairy Bikers Home for Christmas (2017)

Images for kids

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  Culshaw at the premiere of Miss Potter in 2006