Mark Benton facts for kids

Mark Benton is an English actor and TV presenter. He was born on 16 November 1965. He is well-known for his roles in popular TV shows. These include playing Eddie in Early Doors and Martin Pond in Barbara.

Mark also starred as Daniel "Chalky" Chalk in the BBC school drama Waterloo Road. He was on the show from 2011 to 2014. In 2013, he joined the dance competition Strictly Come Dancing. He also hosted the game show The Edge in 2015. Since 2018, he has played Frank Hathaway in Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators.

Mark Benton's Early Life and Start

Mark Benton was born in Guisborough, England. He went to Sarah Metcalfe Comprehensive School. Later, he studied at Stockton Billingham Technical College. Mark gained early acting experience at Middlesbrough Youth Theatre. He performed in plays like Atmos Fear and Twist.

Mark Benton's Acting Career

Mark Benton has had many different roles in his acting career. He has worked in TV shows, movies, and even theatre. He is known for his versatile acting skills.

Famous TV Shows and Roles

Mark had a regular role as Father McBride in Murphy's Law. He also worked with comedy duo Vic and Bob. He appeared in their shows like Catterick. In 1999, he played Mickey-O in Ballykissangel. From 1999 to 2003, Mark was Martin Pond in the sitcom Barbara.

He also appeared in the famous Doctor Who episode "Rose". In this episode, he played Clive, a conspiracy theorist. From 2009 to 2011, he co-starred as Max de Lacey in Scoop. Mark joined Waterloo Road in 2011 as maths teacher Daniel 'Chalky' Chalk. He left in 2013 but returned for an episode in 2014.

Since 2018, Mark has played the main role of Frank Hathaway. This is in the BBC comedy-drama Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators. He stars alongside actress Jo Joyner.

Movies and Other Performances

Mark Benton has also appeared in several films. He played Ricky in Mike Leigh's Career Girls (1997). He was Phil in the independent film Mr In-Between (2001). He also played Vic in the British comedy Three and Out (2008).

He was the bank manager in many TV commercials for Nationwide Building Society. These adverts were shown from 2004 to 2010. In theatre, Mark appeared in The Railway Children in London in 2011. He played Mr Perks. In 2013, he starred as Edna Turnblad in the UK tour of Hairspray the Musical.

Hosting and Voice Acting

In 2015, Mark Benton hosted the BBC One game show The Edge. He also does voiceover work. He was the voice for the programme Street Doctor on BBC One. In 2016, he voiced characters for the progressive rock band Gandalf's Fist's album. More recently, he voiced Major Prickles in the animated series Big Tree City.

Dancing on Strictly Come Dancing

In September 2013, Mark Benton became a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing. This is a popular BBC One dance show. He was partnered with world dancing champion Iveta Lukosiute.

Mark and Iveta were eliminated in week 10 of the competition. Mark holds a record on the show. He was in the dance-off for four weeks in a row. This is the most consecutive dance-offs in Strictly history.

Mark Benton's Family Life

Mark Benton has been married to Sarah Gardner since 2002. They have three children together. Mark is a big fan of the football club Middlesbrough F.C.. He has even appeared in their advertising campaigns.