Sean Lock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sean Lock
Lock at The Hexagon, Reading, 2008
Born	(1963-04-22)22 April 1963 Chertsey, England
Died	16 August 2021(2021-08-16) (aged 58) London, England
Medium	Television stand-up radio
Education	Drama Centre London
Years active	1993–2021
Genres	Dry humour Deadpan Surreal
Spouse	Anoushka Nara Giltsoff
Children	3

Sean Lock (born 22 April 1963 – died 16 August 2021) was a famous English comedian and actor. He started his career doing stand-up comedy. In 2000, he won the British Comedy Award for Best Live Comic. He was also nominated for the Perrier Comedy Award, which is a big award in comedy.

Sean Lock was well-known as a team captain on the Channel 4 comedy show 8 Out of 10 Cats. He was on this show from 2005 to 2015. He also appeared on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown from 2012 until he passed away in 2021.

Lock often performed on stage, TV, and radio. His comedy was often very unique and surprising, delivered in a serious, straight-faced way. He also wrote jokes for other comedians like Bill Bailey and Lee Evans. In 2007, he was voted the 55th greatest stand-up comedian on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups list. By 2010, he moved up to 19th place! He was also a frequent guest on popular shows like Have I Got News for You and QI.

Early Life and First Steps in Comedy

Sean Lock was born in Chertsey, Surrey, England, on 22 April 1963. He was the youngest of four children. His dad, Sidney, worked in building, and his mum, Mary, was from County Armagh in Ireland. Sean grew up in Woking, Surrey, and went to St John the Baptist School.

As a teenager, Sean enjoyed watching special art-house films on TV. He said the 1979 science-fiction movie Stalker really made an impact on him. In 1981, he finished school. After that, his dad helped him get a job working in construction.

Sean worked as a labourer for seven years. Then, he decided to travel and try different jobs. He worked on a French farm looking after goats and also on a kibbutz in Israel. He even cleaned toilets and worked in an office for a while. During his time as a labourer, he had skin cancer, but he recovered fully.

After these experiences, he thought about becoming an actor and joined the Drama Centre London. But he soon realized it wasn't for him and went back to construction work. Later, after seeing comedians like Alexei Sayle perform, he decided to try comedy. He started doing open-mic nights in London pubs as a hobby. In 1988, he had his first paid comedy show at a pub in Stoke Newington. He earned £15 for 20 minutes, and that's when he knew he could make comedy his job.

Sean Lock's Comedy Career

Sean Lock's first TV work was in 1993, supporting Rob Newman and David Baddiel in their show Newman and Baddiel in Pieces. He also toured with them. Comedians Frank Skinner and Eddie Izzard were big inspirations for his comedy style.

Many people think Sean Lock was the first stand-up comedian to perform at Wembley Arena. This is because he was a support act for Newman and Baddiel. However, he only appeared in short skits during their show, not a full stand-up set.

Radio and TV Shows: 15 Minutes of Misery and 15 Storeys High

Sean Lock often appeared on radio comedy shows. He also helped write for Bill Bailey's TV series Is It Bill Bailey? in 1998. In December 1998, Sean started his own radio show on BBC Radio 4 called 15 Minutes of Misery. This show was about Sean's character secretly listening to his neighbours in a tower block.

In 1999, 15 Minutes of Misery became a longer show called 15 Storeys High. Sean co-wrote it with Martin Trenaman. In this show, Sean's character, Vince, lived with a flatmate named Errol. The show was about their lives and the funny things their neighbours did. 15 Storeys High later became a TV show on BBC Choice in 2002 and 2004. It became very popular and gained many fans.

Other TV Appearances and Hosting Roles

In 1995, Sean Lock played a character in an episode of The World of Lee Evans. He also helped write the movie This Filthy Earth in 2001.

In 2005, he became a regular team captain on the Channel 4 panel game 8 Out of 10 Cats. This show made him very famous. He was a team captain on 8 Out of 10 Cats until 2015, and on its spin-off 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown from 2012 until he passed away.

In 2006, Sean hosted his own show called TV Heaven, Telly Hell on Channel 4. He also narrated a BBC show about World Cup goals. He appeared on many other popular British TV panel shows, including The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, Have I Got News for You, and QI. In 2009, he became "The Curator" for the radio show The Museum of Curiosity.

In 2010, Sean took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a show that raised money for Great Ormond Street Hospital for children. He also appeared in a funny video for the charity Shelter to help people with housing problems. In 2011, he became the host of the comedy panel show Argumental on the Dave channel. In 2019, he was in an episode of the BBC comedy series Mandy.

Sean Lock's Unique Comedy Style

Sean Lock was known for his very unique and surprising comedy style. He often delivered his jokes with a serious, straight face, which is called deadpan humour. He was also known for his dry humour, which means his jokes were subtle and clever.

The Guardian newspaper said he was "celebrated for his carefully crafted surreal content and imaginative observational wit." Sean himself said that comedy isn't always easy. He explained that it takes "tedious hours straining over a blank sheet of paper trying to think of something funny."

Fellow comedian Harry Hill said that Sean was more than just dark or surreal. He said Sean had a "playful side; a wide-eyed wonder at the world." Sean Lock mentioned Sam Kinison and Lenny Bruce as his main comedy influences. He also admired comedians like Paul Merton, Steven Wright, and Les Dawson.

Sean Lock's Family Life

Sean Lock was married to Anoushka Nara Giltsoff. They had two daughters, born in 2004 and 2006, and a son, born in 2009. His family lived in the Muswell Hill area of London.

Sean was diagnosed with skin cancer in 1990. He believed it was because he spent too much time in the sun when he worked in construction. He made a full recovery after seeing a doctor at Guy's Hospital in London. In 2012, he supported a Sun Awareness event at the hospital to help others learn about sun safety.

Sean was a big fan of Chelsea F.C. (a football club). He also actively supported the Muswell Hill soup kitchen, which helps people in need. In December 2020, he made a video to help raise money for Edible London, a charity that provides food ingredients to people struggling during the lockdown. In the video, he joked, "I'm Sean Lock. You may know me as that bloke off the telly whose name you can't remember."

His Passing and Tributes

Sean Lock passed away from cancer at his home on 16 August 2021, when he was 58 years old. His close friend, comedian Bill Bailey, shared that Sean had been diagnosed with lung cancer a few years before.

Many people paid tribute to Sean Lock after he died. This included his fellow 8 Out of 10 Cats performers like Jimmy Carr, Jon Richardson, Rachel Riley, and Susie Dent. Many other comedians, Chelsea Football Club, and Channel 4 also shared their sadness. Harry Hill wrote a special piece in The Guardian, calling him "the comedian's comedian."

On 19 August 2021, Channel 4 showed a tribute to Sean Lock. They aired his stand-up show Keep It Light and an episode of 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Chelsea Football Club also honored him on 11 September during their game against Aston Villa. They held a one-minute applause during the 58th minute of the match, as he died at age 58.

Fans of Sean Lock asked for his funny parody book, The Tiger Who Came for a Pint, to be published. This book was based on the children's book The Tiger Who Came to Tea and was read on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Some fans suggested that any money from the book should go to cancer research in his memory. Also, after the TV tribute, fans and friends, including Kathy Burke, asked the BBC to add 15 Storeys High to its online service. The BBC then made both series of the show available on iPlayer on 27 August 2021.

In August 2022, Bill Bailey completed a 100-mile charity walk in memory of Sean Lock. He raised over £110,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support, a charity that helps people with cancer.

Sean Lock's Stand-up Shows

Sean Lock performed several popular stand-up comedy shows:

• 2010: Lockipedia
• 2013: Purple Van Man
• 2016–2018: Keep It Light

These shows were also released on DVD for fans to enjoy at home.

Awards and Recognitions

Sean Lock was recognized for his comedy talent multiple times.

• In 2007, he was voted the 55th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups.
• In 2010, he moved up to the 19th greatest stand-up comic on the updated list.