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Harry 'Harrison Howard' Hill
Hill in Putney with The Caterers in 2006.
Birth name	Matthew Keith Hall
Born	1 October 1964 (1964-10-01) (age 45) Woking, Surrey, England
Medium	Stand-up, television, film
Nationality	English
Years active	1992-present
Genres	Improvisational comedy, Satire, Surreal Comedy
Subject(s)	Humanity, pop culture, television, world history
Influences	Eddie Izzard, Malcolm Hardee, Monty Python, Reeves & Mortimer, The Two Ronnies
Spouse	Magda Archer
Notable works and roles	Harry Hill's TV Burp The Harry Hill Show
Website	http://www.harry-hill.tv
BAFTA Awards
Best Entertainment Performance 2008, 2009 Harry Hill's TV Burp Best Entertainment Programme 2008 Harry Hill's TV Burp
British Comedy Awards
Best Comedy Entertainment Programme 2006, 2008 Harry Hill's TV Burp Best TV Comedy Entertainment Personality 2006, 2009 Harry Hill's TV Burp

Harry Hill (born Matthew Keith Hall 1 October 1964), is a triple BAFTA award-winning English comedian, author and television presenter. A former medical doctor, (who remains on the General Medical Council's List of Registered Medical Practitioners), Hill began his career in comedy with the popular radio show Harry Hill's Fruit Corner.

Career

The Harry Hill Show

From 1997 Hill had his own Channel 4 television series called The Harry Hill Show (listed simply as Harry Hill on screen) which ran for three series. The show was essentially a reworking of the Radio series Harry Hill's Fruit Corner. Among the regular characters were Harry's big brother, 'Alan' (played by the comedian Al Murray) and his adopted son 'Little Alan' (played by Dr. Matt Bradstock). A DVD of the show, consisting of all three series, is currently in production.

Burt Kwouk appeared in many episodes of the Harry Hill Show and occasionally in Harry's major live standup shows. Kwouk plays Harry's "Chicken Catcher" and each week he will have an excuse as to why he has not yet captured a chicken, followed by a performance of the song Hey Little Hen. In later series Hill and Kwouk appeared in sketches as Karl Lagerfeld and Gianni Versace.

Harry's wife May Sung also made appearances on the show, mainly around the theme of trying to steal Harry's bank savings book.

Another favourite on the show was Stouffer the cat, a curious-looking cat glove puppet made of blue rubber. Stouffer normally sits in a throne supported by a rubber arm in the style of Rod Hull, and is employed to intimidate guests during Hill's standup routines and as part of a strange children's TV parody sketch on his TV show. Stouffer's catchphrases are "he got a big face" and "sorted — respect due".

The end of each episode was supposed to include an event called "The Badger Parade", a parade of puppet badgers that includes Gareth Southgate badger and Tasmin Archer badger, among others. But every week there would be some kind of problem resulting in the badgers being unable to perform. In place of the badger parade, Harry would usually sing a song, with a guest he had invited onto the show.

Harry Hill's TV Burp

In 2001 Hill moved to ITV presenting an all-new show Harry Hill's TV Burp, which started its tenth series in January 2010. The show is a comic look at the week's television, picking out and commenting on lines and scenes from various programmes, which is now on its 10th series. Also on ITV1 was The All New Harry Hill Show, similar to his Channel 4 show, but with a bigger budget and more celebrity guests. Regular features included the Hamilton Challenge (featuring the disgraced political couple Neil and Christine Hamilton), and a Butterfly in Blue Jeans finale.

In 2005 Hill moved into new territory with Harry Hill's Shark Infested Custard, a 13-part show broadcast in the CITV slot. While many of his previous characters including Stouffer and Garry Hill (Hill's fictional layabout son from his first marriage) remained, it also showcased several new characters including Speed Camera Boy, about an outsider who is half boy and half speed camera, and Evelynne Hussey and her Amazing Instruments. While the show featured a game show element, Help the Aged, it was very similar in structure to The Harry Hill Show'

Voiceovers

Hill's instantly recognisable voice has led to work in voice-over roles on television commercials such as the holiday adverts for Boots in 2004. Hill also provides the voice over for You've Been Framed and once sang a song entitled "Bring on the Branston!" for the Branston Pickle adverts.

Books

In 2002 Harry Hill's first novel, Flight from Deathrow, was published. It is based around the unlikely antics of real-life celebrities and politicians as seen through the eyes of the storyteller, whilst in and out of a coma.

His second book, Tim the Tiny Horse, was published in October 2006, and his third, The Further Adventures of the Queen Mum, in October 2007. Also available is Harry Hill's Fun Book, a Christmas spin-off from his Channel 4 TV show,Harry Hill's Whopping Great Joke Book and Tim the Tiny Horse At Large, which is the sequel to the first book.

In October 2009, Ebury Press published Harry Hill's TV Burp Book, a tie-in to the popular television programme, which included comics,spoofs and pin ups.

• Hill, Harry (8 October 2009). Harry Hill's TV Burp Book. Ebury Press. ISBN 9780091932244. 

Awards

In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.^[1] In 2007 he was voted number five on Channel 4's hundred greatest stand-ups. On 13 December 2006, he won two Highland Spring British Comedy Awards, over the favourites Ant and Dec, which Harry made light of in his acceptance speeches.^[2] In 2008 he won two Baftas and another in 2009 for best Entertainment Performance. Also lately in 2009 he won 2 British Comedy Awards, making it his 6th award.

Personal life

He was born in Woking, Surrey^{[citation needed]} and educated at Cranbrook School in Kent, and holds a medical degree from St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London. He married illustrator Magda Archer in 1996 in Wandsworth, London.^[3] They have three daughters, all born in Kensington and Chelsea, London: Kitty Clover (born 1997), Winifred Millicent (born 1998) and Frederica Aster (born 2004).^[4] Hill currently owns property in West Beach in the seaside town of Whitstable in Kent. In February 2006, Hill was a victim of identity theft; a sum of £280,000 was stolen from his bank account.^[5] In September 2008, Hill worked with Fairtrade to release Harry's Nuts, a brand of fairtrade peanuts.^[6]

Hill said he quit the medical profession because he didn't feel in control of what was happening.^[7]

References

• Unknown, Unknown (1999-2006). "Harry Hill : Comedian Profile". Comedy Zone. http://www.comedy-zone.net/standup/comedian/h/hill-harry.htm. Retrieved 13 February 2007. 

• Wilkes, Neil (13 December 2006). "British Comedy Awards 2006: The Winners". Digital Spy. http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds40735.html. Retrieved 13 February 2007. 

• Hill, Harry (2007). "Harry Hill". http://www.harry-hill.tv. Retrieved 13 February 2007. 

• Unknown, Unknown (2006). "A V A L O N". Avalon UK. http://www.avalonuk.com/management/artist_hill.htm. Retrieved 13 February 2007. 

External links

• Avalon.co.uk - Avalon, Harry Hill's agent
• Chortle Harry Hill on Chortle
• TV Recordings Free tickets to Harry Hill's TV shows
• Harry Hill Fansite - Unofficial Fansite for Harry Hill

From Wikiquote

Harry Hill (born October 1, 1964 in Woking, England) is an English stand-up comedian, radio presenter, television presenter and author.

Unsourced

Stand-Up

• It's only when you look at an ant through a magnifying glass on a sunny day that you realise how often they burst into flames.

• When you buy a V-neck sweater there's a V of material missing. You know what they do with that? They send it to Ann Summers and she makes those fancy pants.

• My aunt used to say, 'What you can't see, can't hurt you'...well, she died of radiation poisining a few months back!

• I was doing some decorating, so I got out my step-ladder. I don't get on with my real ladder.

• Well I was bullied at school, called all kinds of different names. But one day I turned to my bullies and said - 'Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me', and it worked! From there on it was sticks and stones all the way.

• My Dad used to say 'always fight fire with fire', which is probably why he got thrown out of the the fire brigade.

• I knew I was going bald when it was taking longer and longer to wash my face.

• The thing about heroin is... it's very morish, apparently.

• A dolphin will jump out of the water for a piece of fish, imagine what he'd do for some chips

• Apparently, you can tell a lot about someone's personality from what they're like

• (Repeated line) What are the chances of that happening?

• Want to know where your post has come from? Run after your postman shouting '1-4-7-1!

• Not just Jockeys I think all small men should have to wear a number.

• If you drop a Bible on a field mouse, it'll kill it. So maybe the Bible's not all good?

• Is it just me, or does anyone else get the amount you're allowed to drink when you're driving mixed up with the amount you're allowed to take through customs?

• Why do they put the little holes in the top of the biscuits? (Points to random audience member) YOU, go and find out!

• What is it about people that repair shoes that makes them so good at cutting keys? Try going in there with a shoe shaped like a key and see how confused they get.

• My nan has a picture of the United Kingdom tattooed all over her body. You can say what you like about my nan, but at least you know where you are with her.

• You know what I blame the increase in crime on? The rise of mobile phones. There's fewer phone boxes. Fewer places for Superman to get changed in. He's having to get changed in Portaloos. Is that what we want? Is that the sort of society that we want? A world where Superman has to stand on his shoes to get changed?

• Vegetarians tend to be the same touchy-feely bunch that go on about the environment. Well, maybe there'd be more environment about, if you lot weren't eating all the plants.

• You know the white plastic doll's house garden furniture that you get free with the home delivery pizzas? I keep getting the table. What's that about? They're not making enough chairs are they? The ratio of tables to chairs should be at least four to one.

• What is it with chimpanzees and that middle parting? It's so 1920s.

• I think dogs should only be allowed to eat food that rhymes with their names. Under this system Poodles would only be able to eat noodles or strudel. But if you think about it that is the only dog which rhymes with a food so that's probably why the system isn't in effect. No, stop trying to think of a dog which rhymes with a food there isn't one. Stop it!

  (later)

  Quiche Lorraine, Great Dane. No, I won't accept it.

  (later)

  Labrador, lobster thermidor. OK, I'll accept that one.

• I remember the shouts of "SCAB!" as my father went to work. "SCAB!" they would shout during the great dermatologists strike...

• Last night I had a lovely quattro formaggi pizza. Bit cheesy.

• I don't wear a watch. I want my arms to weigh the same.

• Hitler was a bad man. Winston Churchill was a good man. But if you were in a balloon with Hitler and Churchill, and you were losing altitude...

• Apparently if you find an osprey egg and you give it the right temperature, the right conditions, that egg will turn into a beautiful... omelette.

• I went to an Indian restaurant called A Taste Of The Raj. The waiter hit me with a big stick and got me to build a complicated railway system.

Harry Hill's TV Burp

• Hang on, this isn't a show, is it? This is just some things that happen. It's like an episode of Wife Swap where they don't swap wives, they swap dogs and one of the dogs gets a cough and one of the husbands nephews spends some book tokens. The end.

• (Repeated line) There's only one way to find out! FIIIGHT!

• Well, I've had a terrible week. I've had that, erm, Anthrax, have you had that? Diarrhoea, blood in the urine, the liver was disintegrating... and i found the only thing that really helped... was Lemsip. Just took the edge off.

• Cataracts?

• Ear Cataracts?

• I always thought that eating flowers made me feel like a very hungry tramp.

• My uncle's got a glass eye

did he tell you
no it just came up in a conversation

Awards Ceremonies

• (on beating Ant and Dec and the 2006 British Comedy Awards) It's all over for you!

• (At the 2006 BAFTA Comedy Awards, after announcing the nominations for best comedy) They're all good but which ones the winner? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!

• (At the 2008 TV Baftas) Baffy-waff! Baffy-waffy-wim-wham! Wim-wham-baffy-waff! Waff-waff, whiffy-waffy-wafta ... Put the spuds on darling; I'm coming home.

Interviews

• (on why he quit being a doctor) I left because it wasn't really me. An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but in my experience so does an air rifle and an open bedroom window.

External links

Wikipedia has an article about:

Harry Hill