Simon Brodkin

Last updated

Simon Brodkin
Birth nameSimon Benjamin Brodkin
Born (1977-09-29) 29 September 1977 (age 47) [1]
Camden Town, London, England
NationalityBritish
Education University College School
Alma mater University of Manchester
Years active2002–present
SpouseLouise Brodkin
Notable works and roles Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder
Lee Nelson's Well Good Show
Lee Nelson's Well Funny People
Website www.simonbrodkin.com

Simon Benjamin Brodkin (born 29 September 1977) is an English comedian, performing both on the stand-up circuit and in comedy television series. He is best known for playing a cheerful chav character called Lee Nelson, but also performs as other comedy characters, such as a Liverpudlian footballer called Jason Bent. Performing solo stand-up since 2004, he has also written for and appeared on the television shows Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder in 2009, Lee Nelson's Well Good Show in 2010 and Lee Nelson's Well Funny People in 2013.

Contents

Brodkin is known for taking part in pranks as his characters at public events, heckling public figures such as Sepp Blatter, Donald Trump and Theresa May.

Early life

Brodkin was born in Camden Town, London on 29 September 1977. [2] Brodkin attended the independent University College School, Hampstead, in the London Borough of Camden. [3] Brodkin studied medicine at the University of Manchester, graduating in 2001. He practised medicine in Manchester city hospitals until 2007, when he began performing stand-up comedy full-time. [4]

Career

Stand-up

Brodkin performed his first solo comedy show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2006, titled Simon Brodkin: Everyone But Himself. [5]

In his Lee Nelson stand-up routine, Brodkin's character typically interacts with his audience, telling them about his life, asking them questions, then replying with responses that reflect his world view, his own ignorance or his own stereotypically antisocial attitudes. His act is peppered with slang words.

In character as Lee Nelson, he briefly stood as a candidate in the 2013 South Shields by-election. He withdrew because the BBC would not have been able to broadcast his shows during the electoral campaign due to their code of impartiality. [6]

Brodkin also performs a selection of other characters, [7] including Jason Bent, an unintelligent Premiership footballer with a Merseyside accent. Other characters have included the sleazy and incompetent Dr. Bob.

Brodkin has performed stand-up as himself, touring Troublemaker in 2021 and 2022. [8]

Television

Brodkin began appearing on television in 2003, in a series of shorts entitled From Baghdad To Balham on Channel 4, playing a recently arrived Iraqi asylum seeker, and twice on Absolutely Fabulous on BBC One. [5]

In 2005, Brodkin appeared as Nelson in three episodes of Channel 4's The Morning After Show, alongside fellow guest Bob Mugabe.

In 2007, Brodkin wrote for and appeared on Al Murray's ITV1 prime time sketch show Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder , where he appeared playing his characters of Jason Bent and Lee Nelson, as well as alongside Murray in sketches about mobile phone shop assistants.

In 2008, Brodkin appeared as Dr. Omprakash and Nelson in the BBC Three comedy show The Wall .

In 2011, Brodkin appeared as Lee Nelson in 28 January episode of ITV's Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford and in Heat 3 of Let's Dance for Comic Relief on BBC One. In 2011, Brodkin starred as Clinton Faberge in Channel 4's short-lived comedy strand Another One Bites the Crust. Also in 2011, on 11 November, he appeared as Lee Nelson in BBC One's Live at the Apollo Series seven, episode two, alongside Sean Lock and Ed Byrne.

In 2012, Brodkin returned as Nelson on the judging panel in Heat 4 of Let's Dance for Sport Relief on BBC One, along with Russell Kane and Jo Brand.

In 2013, Brodkin again returned as Nelson in Heat 3 of Let's Dance for Comic Relief on BBC One, dancing with street dance duo Twist and Pulse. He won the "judges' vote", thus performing again in the final. However, he did not win.

In December 2013 Brodkin performed stand-up on John Bishop's Christmas Show on BBC One.

Lee Nelson's Well Good Show

In 2009, Brodkin was commissioned by the BBC to write his own show for BBC Three. [9] [10] Titled Lee Nelson's Well Good Show , it was broadcast from 10 June 2010 on BBC Three in the 10.30pm slot. It features Brodkin in character in a studio setting, but also features television sketches of his other characters. [11] The show was commissioned for a second series, which aired on 25 August 2011.

Reception

Brodkin has won several competitions and awards for his work, including Brighton's Komedia comedy competition and The Writers' Guild Award for Best Newcomer in Edinburgh for his show Everyone But Himself. [5]

In reviewing his Nelson stand-up character in 2009, James Kettle of The Guardian stated that, in comparison to Matt Lucas's aggressive Vicky Pollard, and Catherine Tate's Lauren Cooper, Brodkin's portrayal has "a three-dimensional personality" and is a "gentler, more likeable soul, with a dopily comprehensive lack of self-awareness", and that in playing the 'chav', "no one's done it quite like Simon Brodkin". [12]

Pranks

Many of Brodkin's pranks were featured in a TV programme Britain's Greatest Hoaxer which was shown on Channel 4 on 7 February 2017.

Football

On 16 March 2013, Brodkin, in character as Jason Bent, ran onto the pitch at Goodison Park and attempted to warm up with the Manchester City team ahead of their Premier League match with Everton. [13] He was arrested and charged with pitch encroachment contrary to the Football (Offences) Act 1991. When the case came to court, the judge agreed to the charge being withdrawn and Brodkin was given a six-month conditional caution for the incident. [14]

In 2014, dressed as Jason Bent in a smart suit, he briefly mixed in with the England World Cup squad at Luton Airport before being removed by police. [15]

On 20 July 2015, Brodkin gatecrashed a press conference at the headquarters of the football governing body FIFA in Zürich, Switzerland amidst the organisation's corruption scandal. He walked onto the stage in character as Jason Bent and threw a wad of United States dollar bills worth $600 over the FIFA president Sepp Blatter, claiming that it was part of a bid to bring the 2026 FIFA World Cup to North Korea. [4] Brodkin was promptly led out of the conference by security personnel, and Blatter temporarily postponed the news conference. [16] Brodkin was arrested and charged with trespassing. [17]

Television talent shows

On 8 November 2014, during Stereo Kicks' performance on The X Factor , Brodkin as Nelson invaded the stage pretending to perform alongside them. He was escorted away by the show's floor manager. [18]

In January 2016, Brodkin auditioned on Britain's Got Talent , dressed as a rabbi, and pretended to be an awful rapper named Steven Goldblatt, as a way to prove his opinion that untalented acts do well on the show. He was selected for a Judge's Audition at the Dominion Theatre in London, where he performed a rap about Britain named "Red, White and Blue". Proving his point, even though Brodkin was deliberately not talented, the judges put him through. [19]

Politics

On 24 June 2016, at the re-opening of Donald Trump's Trump Turnberry golf resort, Brodkin hijacked Trump's speech with Nazi golf balls. The US presidential candidate was about to take to the podium at his Turnberry resort when Brodkin interrupted, dispersed the balls amongst the podium, and began giving out balls to the crowd. [20]

On 4 October 2017, Brodkin interrupted Prime Minister Theresa May's speech to the Conservative Party conference, handing her a mocked-up P45 form (given in the UK when a person's employment is terminated) and telling her "Boris asked me to give this to you", at a time when it was much speculated that Boris Johnson, then Foreign Secretary, might seek to replace May as Conservative Party leader (as he later did). He then went over to Johnson and gave him the 'thumbs up' gesture before he was removed from the venue. [21] Brodkin had obtained the appropriate documents to attend the event, which led to calls to revise security measures. [22]

Other

In November 2012, during a signing at HMV on Oxford Street in London, Brodkin performed a prank as Nelson in which he "stole" his own DVD and was chased by an actor dressed as a policeman. A real police community support officer believed it was an actual theft and attempted to restrain Brodkin. [20]

At Glastonbury Festival 2015, Brodkin as Nelson interrupted a performance by Kanye West by running onto the stage and proceeding to join in with the performance. He was removed promptly by security. [23] Brodkin said "[West had] interrupted Taylor Swift at an awards ceremony, saying Beyoncé should have won, so I thought it was legitimate", and that he was disappointed Kanye didn't enter into the spirit. [24]

In March 2016, Brodkin invaded a speech by Volkswagen at the Geneva Motor Show. He was seen dressed as a VW engineer attempting to add a "cheat box" to the car (a reference to the Volkswagen emissions scandal) whilst VW board member Jürgen Stackmann was making a speech. "No-one is going to find out about this one," Brodkin told the audience. He was subsequently removed by security before the speech continued. [25]

On 6 September 2016, Brodkin "renamed" Philip Green's £100m super yacht Lionheart to BHS Destroyer, in reference to the recent collapse of the BHS department stores of which Green was previously the owner. Whilst the boat was moored in Monaco, Brodkin and a small crew hired a small dinghy and, unnoticed by the yacht's crew, sailed out to it. Unfurling a banner reading "BHS Destroyer", he attached it over the yacht's actual name. Brodkin later posted on Twitter: "Good of Sir Philip Green to rename his £100 million yacht to something more appropriate. I was glad to help." [20]

Stand-up DVDs

Personal life

Brodkin is Jewish. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Morris (satirist)</span> English comedian

Christopher J. Morris is an English comedian, radio presenter, actor, and filmmaker. Known for his deadpan, dark humour, surrealism, and controversial subject matter, he has been praised by the British Film Institute for his "uncompromising, moralistic drive".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepp Blatter</span> Swiss football administrator (born 1936)

Joseph Sepp Blatter is a Swiss former football administrator who served as the eighth President of FIFA from 1998 to 2015. He has been banned from participating in FIFA activities since 2015 as a result of the FIFA corruption case made public that year, and will remain banned until 2027.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heckler</span> Verbal harasser

A heckler is a person who harasses and tries to disconcert others with questions, challenges, or gibes. Hecklers are often known to shout discouraging comments at a performance or event, or to interrupt set-piece speeches, with the intent of disturbing performers or participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Munnery</span> British comedian

Simon Munnery is an English comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Serafinowicz</span> English actor and comedian (born 1972)

Peter Szymon Serafinowicz is an English actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. His film roles include the voice of Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), Pete in Shaun of the Dead (2004), Garthan Saal in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), the voice of Big Daddy in Sing (2016) and Sing 2 (2021), and The Sommelier in John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Eldon</span> British actor and comedian

Kevin Eldon is an English actor and comedian. He featured in British comedy television shows of the 1990s including Fist of Fun, This Morning with Richard Not Judy, Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge, I'm Alan Partridge, Big Train, Brass Eye and Jam. In 2013, Eldon appeared in his own BBC sketch series It's Kevin. He has also appeared in minor speaking roles in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Hardee</span> English comedian (1950–2005)

Malcolm Hardee was an English comedian and comedy club proprietor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen K. Amos</span> English comedian

Stephen Kehinde Amos is a British comedian and television personality. A regular on the international comedy circuit, he is known for including his audience members during his shows. He began his career as a compere at the Big Fish comedy clubs in South London, and has been nominated for Chortle's Best Compere Award three times in 2004, 2007 and 2008.

Perry Francis Caravello is an American actor, comedian, and internet personality who is best known as the star of the 2003 movie Windy City Heat and the host of the internet stream Perry Caravello Live.

Ross David Lee is an English comedian, actor, writer, and television presenter. He is best known for his television shows Chute! (2007), Ross Lees Ghoulies (2008), and The Pranker (2011).

<i>Al Murrays Multiple Personality Disorder</i> 2009 British TV series or programme

Al Murray's Multiple Personality Disorder is a British sketch show starring comedian Al Murray. The multi character aspect of the show was a departure from Murray's previous television comedy work, as the sole character The Pub Landlord. The show ran from 27 February to 12 April 2009, airing in the Friday night prime time slot on ITV. STV in Scotland did not broadcast the programme. It was commissioned on 4 June 2008.

<i>Lee Nelsons Well Good Show</i> British television series

Lee Nelson's Well Good Show is a British comedy sketch show, written and presented by Simon Brodkin and produced by Avalon Television for BBC Three. It featured Brodkin hosting a studio based show as his comedy character Lee Nelson, a happy-go-lucky chav, and also featured television sketches of Brodkin's other comedy characters.

James Daniel Smallman is a stand-up comedian, radio presenter, professional wrestling promoter, blogger and voice-over artist. Smallman attended school in Hinckley, and went on to De Montfort University, graduating with a first-class Honours degree in English Literature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guy Williams (comedian)</span> New Zealand comedian and television personality

Guy Malachi Jones Williams is a New Zealand comedian and television personality. Williams was a co-host on satirical news and entertainment television programme Jono and Ben, until the show's end in 2018. In 2019, he began hosting New Zealand Today, a show detailing the lives and events of New Zealand towns and the people who live in them.

Lee Nelson's Well Funny People is a British television comedy series starring Simon Brodkin produced by Avalon for BBC Three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed Bassmaster</span> American YouTuber and television actor

Edwin Rodriguez is known as Ed Bassmaster, an American YouTuber focused on prank comedy and playing many characters. He stars in the CMT reality-TV prank series, The Ed Bassmaster Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Ridley (comedian)</span> English stand-up comedian

Lee Ridley, better known by his stage name the Lost Voice Guy, is an English stand-up comedian. Disabled since early life, and unable to speak, in June 2018 he won the 12th series of Britain's Got Talent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Bratchpiece</span> Scottish comedian

Neil Bratchpiece is a Scottish comedian, actor and writer who initially found fame through his comedy persona as The Wee Man. He rose to prominence in 2007 when he appeared in the YouTube video "Here You " by NEDS Kru which became a viral success. He has made regular stand-up and comedy club appearances, including alongside his brother and father. His performances have included "Comedian Rap Battle" sketches and Insane Championship Wrestling performances. Over several years, Bratchpiece has been an active YouTuber, appearing in character in multiple videos.

<i>Rank the Prank</i> British childrens game show

Rank the Prank is a hidden camera game show show began on CBBC starting on 3 September 2016. In Canada it began on BBC Kids on 30 January 2017. A first look was released on 18 July 2016. It also premiered on Nickelodeon in the United States on 24 October 2016.

The Good Liars is an American political comedy duo consisting of Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler. They have been active since 2011, with their first stunt happening during Occupy Wall Street. Their primary focus is infiltrating conservative rallies and campaign events to interact with, interview, and troll politicians and their supporters, with many of these interactions going viral on social media.

References

  1. ↑ "Simon Benjamin BRODKIN". Companies House . Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  2. ↑ "findmypast.co.uk". search.findmypast.co.uk.
  3. ↑ Burrell, Ian (1 April 2013). "Not laughing anymore? How a well-good stunt landed the joker behind Lee Nelson in court". The Independent . Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  4. 1 2 Wilson, Benji (24 July 2015). "Simon Brodkin: meet the comedian who showered Sepp Blatter with banknotes". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Comedy CV of Simon Brodkin. Comedycv.co.uk. Retrieved on 21 December 2016.
  6. ↑ "Comic blames BBC rules for withdrawing South Shields' MP bid". Chronicle. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  7. ↑ Chortle page for Simon Brodkin. Chortle.co.uk (17 March 2013). Retrieved on 2016-12-21.
  8. ↑ "Simon Brodkin – Comedian, Prankster, Lee Nelson - Simon Brodkin" . Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  9. ↑ "Lee Nelson's Well Good Show". BBC. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  10. ↑ Parker, Robin. (7 July 2009) BBC3 eyes character-based sketch show, article at "Broadcast Now" 7 July, 2009. Broadcastnow.co.uk. Retrieved on 2016-12-21.
  11. ↑ Lee Nelson's Well Good Show British Comedy Guide
  12. ↑ Kettle, James (25 April 2009). "Comedy preview: Simon Brodkin, on tour". The Guardian . Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  13. ↑ Trueman, Matt. "Comedian charged with pitch encroachment at Manchester City game". www.theguardian.com. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Hornby, Mike (3 April 2013). "TV comic Simon Brodkin (aka Lee Nelson aka Jason Bent) cautioned over stunt limbering up on pitch with Manchester City players". The Independent. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  15. ↑ "World Cup 2014: comedian tries to join England team plane". The Guardian. Press Association. 1 June 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
  16. ↑ "UK prankster Simon Brodkin throws money at Fifa's Blatter". BBC News. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
  17. ↑ Smith, Daniel (22 July 2015). "Comedian Simon Brodkin charged by police over Sepp Blatter cash stunt". The Guardian . Retrieved 23 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "Who is Lee Nelson? And his 5 best stunts". The Daily Telegraph. 21 July 2015.
  19. ↑ Taylor, Frances (6 February 2017). "Britain's Got Talent rejects 'fake' claims as comedian Simon Brodkin reveals how he pranked his way on to the show". Radio Times. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  20. 1 2 3 "Who is prankster Lee Nelson (aka Simon Brodkin)? Here are his most controversial stunts". The Daily Telegraph. 4 October 2017.
  21. ↑ "Conservative conference: May handed P45". BBC News. 4 October 2017.
  22. ↑ "Theresa May speech prank prompts security review". BBC News. 4 October 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  23. ↑ Halliday, Josh (28 June 2015). "Kanye West's Glastonbury show disrupted by Lee Nelson". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  24. ↑ Jeffries, Stuart (1 February 2017). "Prankster in chief: why I threw swastika golfballs at Donald Trump". The Guardian.
  25. ↑ "Comedian Simon Brodkin disrupts VW speech at Geneva Motor Show". BBC News. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  26. ↑ Ben, Welch (4 October 2017). "Theresa May conference speech gatecrashed by Jewish comedian Simon Brodkin". The Jewish Chronicle . Retrieved 5 October 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.