Christopher Biggins (born 16 December 1948) is an English actor and television personality. He became widely known for his roles in television series such as Porridge, Poldark and I, Claudius in the 1970s. He later became known for making frequent appearances as a celebrity on television, which included winning the 2007 series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, and has performed frequently in pantomime.
He played the Roman emperor Nero in the BBC's version of I, Claudius (1976), dramatised from the novels by Robert Graves, having been selected for the role partly on the strength of a television commercial for Heineken in which he had played Nero presiding over the games.[5] He appeared in the BBC's Poldark (1977) as the Reverend Osborne Whitworth, in Minder in the episode "The Bounty Hunter" (1979) and the TV miniseries Masada (1981).
On children's television, he had a regular role as department store owner Adam Painting in the children's television programme Rentaghost (1978–1983) and also played Reverend Whiting in Southern Television's Brendon Chase, produced in 1980. He had a leading role in The Phoenix and the Carpet (1997) and a supporting role as villainous antique dealer, Mr. Benger, in the Look and Read serial "Dark Towers" (1981).
Biggins' co-hosting of Surprise Surprise and hosting children's game showOn Safari (1982–1984) for TVS, led to his being typecast as a "bubbly personality". He was asked in 2005 if he resented this situation replying:
No, not a bit of it. I'm perfectly happy being me, thank you, and I happen to know that I am afforded enormous respect from everybody I know. And anyway, I'm having something of a second wind now. I've reached the age [57] where all kinds of roles are opening up to me.[2]
In 2003, Christopher appeared in Shed Productions programme Bad Girls as himself. He featured heavily in episode seven where he was 'held hostage' by a group of prisoners protesting over the change of management in the prison. During the episode, he strikes up a relationship with many inmates, but one in particular, Buki Lester, whom he invites to live with him in episode fourteen of the same series. 2003 appeared in Jonathan Meades' Fast Food.
In 2009, he played himself as a pantomime director in the BBC Two sitcom Psychoville.
In 2010, he was a celebrity guest team captain on an episode of What Do Kids Know? along with Rufus Hound, Joe Swash and Sara Cox on Watch. Also in 2010, he played God in the BBC adult puppet comedy show Mongrels.
In May 2011, he starred in the second series of Channel 4's Celebrity Five Go to... in which the celebrities visited South Africa.[7]
In 2013, he appeared on The Celebrity Chase, where he was the first person in the history of the show to answer all six questions correctly while going for a higher offer.[8]
In 2014, he took part in the celebrity cookery programme Celebrity MasterChef on BBC One, and returned again in 2020, for a Christmas Special.[9] In 2014, he took part in a celebrity edition of Catchphrase. He voices It's Not Me, It's You on Channel 5.
On 28 July 2016, Biggins entered the Celebrity Big Brother house to participate in its eighteenth series. He was chosen by the public to take part in the first secret mission. He was removed from the house on Day 9. The show's producers stated that Biggins had made "a number of comments capable of causing great offence to housemates and the viewing public" with regard to antisemitic comments to his fellow housemates, as well as his view of bisexuals, whom he described as the "worst type" and blamed for the spread of HIV/AIDS.[10][11][12] Forty-four people complained to Ofcom about comments Biggins made, but Ofcom ruled that he was not in breach of broadcasting rules.[13]
In 2017 he recorded two songs for the album Wit & Whimsy – Songs by Alexander S. Bermange (one solo and one featuring all of the album's 23 artists).[citation needed]
Personal life
Biggins was married to Australian actress Beatrice Norbury from 1971 to 1974.[18] He later came out as gay and formed a civil partnership with his partner, Neil Sinclair, on 30 December 2006 at Hackney Register Office.[19]
Political views
Biggins has expressed his admiration for former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He wrote in his autobiography that he cried on the day she resigned, saying: "I'm not the most political of people. But I believe in self-reliance and getting on with the job in hand. Margaret had seemed to personify all that. And she had star quality, which of course I loved."[20] In 2014, he said: "I loved John Major, he was charismatic and charming. I’ve always been a Conservative, though I would have voted for John Smith. I hope we have a new Conservative leader making his way to the top now. We need a new man."[21]
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↑ An Object of Value. Upstairs, Downstairs Series 2: Episode 9. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 1 September 2019.
↑ Biggins, Christopher (2009). Just Biggins: My Story. Kings Road Publishing. ISBN9781857827811. Retrieved 12 February 2022. The advert was [...] one of the biggest commercials ever filmed [...] I was Nero, sitting commandingly on my dais at the Colosseum while two young gladiators fought for my pleasure down in the arena.
↑ Biggins, Christopher (2 December 2007). "Biggins: My life". Sunday Mirror. Archived from the original on 3 February 2008. Retrieved 27 February 2008.
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