Paul Zerdin facts for kids

Paul Zerdin (born August 21, 1972) is a funny British comedian and ventriloquist from London, England. He is famous for making puppets seem like they are talking all by themselves! Paul won the 10th season of the popular TV show America's Got Talent.

Paul Zerdin's Early Life

When Paul Zerdin was 10 years old, a friend of his family made him a special puppet theatre. Paul loved it and used it to put on shows for fun.

Later, when he was older, Paul didn't do very well in his school exams (GCSEs). So, he got a job in a magic shop. While working there, he learned many magic tricks. At the same time, he also started working as an entertainer for children.

Paul Zerdin's Career

Paul Zerdin first appeared on TV as a magician on a BBC show called Tricky Business. Soon after, when he was 20, Paul got a two-year job. He became a presenter for a children's TV show called Rise and Shine, which was made by Disney for GMTV.

In 1996, Paul won a TV show called The Big Big Talent Show by a huge number of votes. This show was hosted by Jonathan Ross. Because of this win, he met Nigel Lythgoe, who helped Paul a lot. Nigel helped Paul get on other big shows like Tonight at the London Palladium and The Generation Game. In 1997, Nigel also helped Paul perform at a special event for The Prince's Trust.

During the Christmas season in 2016-2017, Paul Zerdin played the character Buttons in the pantomime Cinderella at the London Palladium. A magazine called Radio Times said he was "inspired casting." They also said that his quick jokes and amazing skills with his puppet, Sam, made the audience participation parts of the show really funny.

Winning America's Got Talent

In 2015, Paul Zerdin tried out for the tenth season of America's Got Talent. He did very well and made it to the live shows. On September 16, 2015, he won the finals!

As the winner, Paul received $1 million. He also got his own show in Las Vegas. His show was called Mouthing Off. It ran for four months in 2016, from May 14 to September 4, at Planet Hollywood. The show eventually closed.

In 2019, Paul returned to the Got Talent stage. He took part in America's Got Talent: The Champions in January and Britain's Got Talent: The Champions in July. However, he did not make it to the final round in either of these shows.

Paul Zerdin's Shows and Appearances

Paul Zerdin has been on many TV shows and performed on stage.

Television Shows

Stage Performances

Films

See also

• Ventriloquism