Bobby Davro

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Bobby Davro
Birth nameRobert Christopher Nankeville
Born (1958-09-13) 13 September 1958 (age 65)
Ashford, Middlesex, England
Years active1981–present
Genres Stand-up
SpouseTrudi Jameson (1993–2003)
Children3
Notable works and rolesComedian, actor, impressionist, host
Website twitter.com/BobbyDavro1

Robert Christopher Nankeville, known professionally as Bobby Davro (born 13 September 1958 [1] ), is an English actor and comedian.

Contents

He made his television debut in 1981 followed by breakthrough in Live from Her Majesty's (1983); this was followed by appearances on the television show Copy Cats.

Between 2007 and 2008, Davro played Vinnie Monks in the BBC One soap EastEnders . He participated in Dancing on Ice in 2010, and took part in Your Face Sounds Familiar in 2013. Over the years he has appeared many times in pantomime.

Career

Davro appeared on a variety of television shows, mostly with ITV, throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His popularity was at its highest during the mid-1980s with his own Saturday night ITV shows, Bobby Davro on the Box, Bobby Davro's TV Annual and Bobby Davro's TV Weekly. He also made appearances on the popular comedy impressions sketch show Copy Cats . While he went on to make two more shows with Television South for ITV – Davro's Sketch Pad and Davro in 1990 – by this time the comedian's brand of humour was proving to be less popular with audiences, and ratings for his shows declined.

The 1990s saw Davro switching channels to the BBC, appearing on television shows such as Public Enemy Number One. During the filming of Public Enemy Number One he suffered whiplash for several weeks after being placed in a pillory which, not being secured vertically, toppled over projecting him face-first onto the studio's concrete floor. Reflecting on the incident, Davro said, "the doctors were amazed I hadn’t suffered more badly. I didn’t break my nose or any teeth, which was a minor miracle". [2] [3] This incident was not televised but was used in a BBC safety video, and Inside No.9 's Halloween special of 2018, "Dead Line".

On the short-lived show Rock with Laughter, Davro made another attempt at the comedy sketch-show format that had proved so successful for him in the 1980s. He replaced John Eccleston as co-presenter on the game show Run the Risk with Peter Simon: this featured on the BBC's Saturday morning children's show Live & Kicking . Davro returned to UK TV screens in May 1997 as host of Yorkshire Television's Winner Takes All for 65 episodes; this was produced for Challenge TV.

In 2015 Davro appeared at the King's Head Theatre, Islington as ping-pong-playing London cab driver Eric in a revival of Simon Block's comedy Not a Game for Boys. The play was directed by Jason Lawson. [4] The production was well-received, with Danny Coleman-Cooke of the British Theatre website commenting: "Davro is brilliant as the sexist, bitter captain from hell Eric. Davro really captures the tragedy of the character and his quest for escapism, especially in the scene where Eric admits that his 45 minutes a week at the table is the only time in life that he feels truly happy. The funnyman has clearly not lost his comic timing but the depth and emotion of his performance here may well surprise some of his fans and critics alike." [5]

In December 2015, Davro announced a 20-date UK tour for the following year, starting at the Epsom Playhouse on 17 May 2016. [6] On 6 February 2015, he was a guest of Graham Norton on his weekly BBC Radio 2 show. [7]

Live performances

EastEnders

In August 2007, Davro joined the cast of the BBC One soap opera EastEnders , playing Vinnie Monks, a love interest for Shirley Carter. The character first appeared on screen in October. [11] He left in autumn 2008, later claiming his character "wasn't very good and they didn't give me proper storylines". [12]

Guest appearances

In 1987, Bobby Davro appeared in an episode of Rainbow titled "Guess Who I Am", in which he did impressions of Bungle, Zippy, George and Geoffrey.

In 2006, Davro made a special guest appearance as a judge on Channel 5's All Star Talent Show.

On 20 September 2009, he appeared in a new series of the Channel 4 programme Come Dine with Me . This was a celebrity episode in which he appeared with EastEnders actress Laila Morse, DJ Dane Bowers and former The Word presenter Dani Behr. Davro attained second place. [13]

Dancing on Ice

Davro took part in the ITV skating show Dancing on Ice in January 2010, and was paired with newcomer Molly Moenkhoff. He began the show as a 66/1 outsider to be the outright winner, and made his first and only competitive appearance along with the other male celebrities in week 2. Following a poor performance he was the first male celebrity to be eliminated, after a dance-off against actor Gary Lucy. [14]

Your Face Sounds Familiar

In 2013, Davro along with other celebrities took part in the ITV entertainment series Your Face Sounds Familiar . He was eliminated in the fifth week. His chosen charity for the series was Kids 'n' Cancer. [15]

WeekPortrayingSongJudges' scoresResult
Julian Clary Emma Bunton Guest JudgeBonus pointsTotal
1 Sir Tom Jones "Sex Bomb"879024Not in Top 3
2 Sir Mick Jagger "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"910101039Runner-up
3 Ozzy Osbourne "Paranoid"999027Not in Top 3
4 Tammy Wynette "Stand by Your Man"767525Not in Top 3
5 Sir Paul McCartney "I Want to Hold Your Hand"887528Eliminated

Celebrity Big Brother

After dismissing reality shows including Big Brother, Britain's Got Talent and I'm a Celebrity and saying he would never appear on such series, [16] in 2015 Davro entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to take part in the sixteenth series. On 24 September, he reached the final and was placed 4th. [17]

Personal life

Trudi Jameson, the mother of Davro's three children, is from Sutton Coldfield. The couple parted in 2003. [18]

Between 2007 and 2011 Davro dated Vicky Wright, daughter of Wolverhampton Wanderers and England footballer Billy Wright. [19] They later reunited and were engaged to be married until Wright's death in May 2023. [20]

Davro's father, Bill Nankeville, was a runner; a British national mile and 1500m champion, world-record holder, and represented Great Britain in two Olympic Games. [21] In 2003 Davro was one of the contestants in the Channel 4 reality TV show The Games , in which 10 celebrities competed against each other in Olympic style events.

Charity

Davro has been a supporter of the UK charity Kids 'n' Cancer. [22]

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References

  1. ↑ Researcha.co.uk – UK Company and Company Director Reports [ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ "In the stocks – Bobby Davro's faceplant almost kills him – YouTube". M.youtube.com. 30 September 2010. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  3. ↑ Turrill, Katrina (10 August 2019). "Bobby Davro health: 'Doctors were amazed I hadn't suffered more badly' Comedian's ordeal". Express. Retrieved 25 July 2023. The doctors were amazed I hadn't suffered more badly. I didn't break my nose or any teeth, which was a minor miracle, but they said my neck was injured. I can't remember what they said, but whiplash was part of the diagnosis
  4. ↑ "Bobby Davro stars in ping pong play at King's Head". WhatsOnStage.com. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  5. ↑ "REVIEW: Not A Game For Boys, King's Head Theatre ✭✭✭✭". Britishtheatre.com. 15 June 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  6. ↑ "Bobby Davro announces 2016 Tour". News on News. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "BBC Radio 2 – Graham Norton, Ben Miller and Bobby Davro". BBC. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Bobby Davro plays free Billingshurst gig".
  9. ↑ http://www.dorkinghalls.co.uk/index.cfm?articleid=26565&eventid=20363 . Retrieved 25 March 2016.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ Buckley, Kelly (20 December 2017). "Echo review: Jack and the Beanstalk". Echo. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Davro to appear in Albert Square". BBC. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 8 August 2007.
  12. ↑ Laws, Roz (22 August 2011). "Why won't they let me on telly any more? asks Bobby Davro". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  13. ↑ Bobby Davro appears in Celebrity Come Dine with Me. Archived 29 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ↑ "Bobby Davro skates off Dancing on Ice". BBC News. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  15. ↑ Archived 29 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ↑ Laws, Roz (22 August 2011). "Why won't they let me on telly any more? asks Bobby Davro". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  17. ↑ Agius, Nicola (25 September 2015). "Bobby Davro is EVICTED from Celebrity Big Brother house and takes home fourth place". Daily Mirror . Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "Bobby Davro rubbishes claims he's 'dating mystery brunette half his age'". 15 June 2019.
  19. ↑ Laws, Roz (22 August 2011). "Why won't they let me on telly any more? asks Bobby Davro". Birmingham Mail . Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  20. ↑ "Singer and actress Vicky Wright dies aged 63". BBC News. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  21. ↑ "BBC EastEnders – Characters & Cast – Bobby Davro". BBC. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  22. ↑ "A Red Carpet Night at the CASA " Kids n Cancer UK". Kidsncancer.org.uk. 4 December 2012. Archived from the original on 7 January 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
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