Wikipedia

Russell Kane

Russell Kane (born Russell David Anthony Grineau; 19 August 1975)[2][3] is an English writer, comedian, and actor. He has four times been nominated at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards, winning the Best Comedy Show award in 2010. Although known mainly for stand-up comedy, for television, he has presented Big Brother's Big Mouth (2007), I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here - Now (2009-2011), Freak Like Me (2010), Geordie Shore: The Reunion and Britain Unzipped (2012), Live at the Electric (2013), Stupid Man, Smart Phone (2016), and hosted the BBC Radio 4 series Evil Genius in 2018 as well as a television show by the same name on Sky History in 2023.

Russell Kane
Kane in 2019
Born
Russell David Anthony Grineau

(1975-08-19) 19 August 1975 (age 49)
London, England
Occupation(s)Writer, comedian, actor[1]
Years active2004–present
Spouses
Sadie Hasler
​
​
(m. 2010; div. 2011)​
Lindsey Cole
​
(m. 2014)​
Websiterussellkane.co.uk

Early life

Kane was born to David and Julie Grineau in Enfield, North London and brought up in Essex, where he still lives.[2][4] He studied English at Middlesex University and graduated with a degree in Media Writing.[5]

Career

Kane's father had worked as an extra, and he himself took on a couple of youthful acting roles in the early 90s, under the name Russell Grineaux.[6][7]

Turning to comedy, in 2004, Kane won the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year,[1][8] and in the same year he was runner-up to Nick Sun in So You Think You're Funny.[9] In 2005, he joined Ray Peacock, Russell Howard and Reginald D. Hunter on the national Paramount Edinburgh and Beyond tour.[10] He was a roving reporter alongside Annie Mac, for the live music event Guerrilla Gig, which aired on BBC Three in March 2006.[11] In July 2006, he wrote and presented travelogues for the newly launched Five US.[12]

In August 2006, Kane performed his debut comedy show The Theory of Pretension at the Edinburgh Fringe, where he was nominated for a best newcomer Edinburgh Comedy Award.[13] He presented Big Brother's Big Mouth[8] on E4 and Channel 4 in June 2007.[14]

In 2008, Kane was the host of BBC Radio 2's Out to Lunch from series 4 onwards.[14][15] He presented a Sunday afternoon show on the relaunched Q Radio digital radio station.[1] Later the same year, he took his stand-up show Gaping Flaws to Glasgow and the Edinburgh Festival, earning 2008 Best Comedy Show Nominee at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.[16] He also wrote an hour-long play, The Lamentable Tragedie of Yates's Wine Lodge based on his own creation of Fakespeare.[17] On 20 November 2008, Kane performed at the Hammersmith Apollo for the BBC's Live at the Apollo.[16][18]

In 2009, Kane returned to Edinburgh with a stand-up show entitled Human Dressage, which was nominated for 2009 Best Comedy Show Edinburgh Comedy Award for the second time.[19][20] Kane appeared on the presenting team of the 2009 ITV2 spin-off show I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here – Now, which he co-hosted with Laura Whitmore and Joe Swash.[21] Two contestants that year were Gino D'Acampo and Katie Price.[21] He returned to Australia for the show in 2010 and 2011.[8]

In April 2010, while appearing on the Australian TV show Good News Week, Kane made a joke centred on autistic children, prompting an apology from the network and criticism from the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities.[22] Later that year, Kane appeared live in Cardiff, along with his impressionist and comedienne wife Sadie Hasler, who preceded his act.[23] Kane was narrator and presenter Freak Like Me on BBC Three during the winter of 2010.[24]

In August 2011, he appeared for the first time on the BBC Radio Four comedy panel game Just a Minute, which he won.[25] In November 2011, he won a Children in Need edition of Celebrity Mastermind, with the specialist subject "The Life and Novels of Evelyn Waugh".[26] On 5 July 2011 and 27 March 2012, he presented Geordie Shore: The Reunion for MTV.[27]

His debut novel, The Humorist, was published by Simon & Schuster in April 2012.[28] In 2012, he co-presented Britain Unzipped with Greg James on BBC Three, which was renamed Unzipped for series 2.[29] He was the presenter of the BBC Three show Live at the Electric, which ran for three series, and co-hosted the 2013 chat show Staying In with Greg James.[29]

In 2016, Kane presented the BBC Three travel series Stupid Man, Smart Phone.[30]

In January 2018, Kane participated in And They're Off! in aid of Sport Relief.[8]

In March 2018, Kane started hosting the BBC Radio 4 series Evil Genius. This programme is an exploration of famous people in contemporary history.[31]

Awards

Personal life

Kane married fellow comedian Sadie Hasler in 2010. They met while studying at Middlesex University.[35] They divorced nine months later.[36] He married hair and makeup artist and model, Lindsey Cole in 2014.[37][38] They had met when Cole had attended one of his shows and later connected through social media.[39] They have one daughter.[38] Kane mentions he is often mistaken for Nick Grimshaw.[40][41]

In 2015 it was revealed that Kane had been lying about his age, claiming to be five years younger than his true vintage.[42][43][44][45]

Kane has been an ambassador for The Prince's Trust, a charity.[46]

Bibliography

  • The Humorist, 2012 (novel)[47]
  • Son of a Silverback, 2019 (memoir)[48][49]

Stand-up DVDs

  • Smokescreens & Castles Live (7 November 2011)
  • Live (30 November 2015)

References

  1. ^ a b c Barnett, Laura (7 June 2010). "Portrait of the Artist: Russell Kane, comedian". The Guardian.
  2. ^ a b Logan, Brian (18 September 2011). "Russell Kane: 'What am I going to do when I'm not the next big thing?'". The Guardian.
  3. ^ Dessau, Bruce (26 March 2016). "News: The Truth About Russell Kane's Youth". Beyond the Joke.
  4. ^ "My Secret Life: Russell Kane". The Independent. London. 11 December 2010.
  5. ^ "Comedian to tie the knot in Southchurch Hall ceremony". Basildon Canvey Southend Echo. 6 January 2010.
  6. ^ "Screen Two – O Mary this London (1994) Dir. Suri Krishnamma". YouTube.
  7. ^ "The Bill Series 7 Episode 54 (S07E54) Targets". YouTube.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Reddin, Lorelei (14 October 2021). "Russell Kane to play intimate warm up gig at St Mary's". Daily Echo.
  9. ^ "So You Think You're Funny, Finalists & Runners up 1988 – 2022". soyouthinkyourefunny.co.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Peocock & Gamble". peacockandgamble.com. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Guerilla shakes up music television". bbc.co.uk. 10 March 2006.
  12. ^ Wilkes, Neil (29 August 2006). "Russell Kane named "face" of Five US". Digital Spy.
  13. ^ "Russell Kane's Theory Of Pretension". comedy.co.uk. 2006.
  14. ^ a b "Dave's One Night Stand Russell Kane Interview". comedy.co.uk. 2 November 2010.
  15. ^ "Out To Lunch – Production Details". comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  16. ^ a b "Russell Kane 2008 Best Comedy Show Nominee – Gaping Flaws". comedyawards.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  17. ^ "Russell Kane Presents Fakespeare: The Lamentable Tragedie Of Yates's Wine". chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  18. ^ "Live at the Apollo series 4, episode 2". bbc.co.uk. 19 May 2012.
  19. ^ "Russell Kane 2009 Best Comedy Show Nominee – Human Dressage". comedyawards.co.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  20. ^ Logan, Brian (28 August 2009). "Russell Kane: Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh". The Guardian.
  21. ^ a b "Russell Kane in I'm a Celebrity". echo-news.co.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  22. ^ Dunkerley, Susanna (21 April 2010). "Channel 10 apologises for Good News Week autism joke". news.com.au.
  23. ^ "Comedy festival: Russell Kane and Sadie Hasler". walesonline.co.uk. 21 July 2010.
  24. ^ "Freak Like Me". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  25. ^ "Radio 4 Russell Kane on Just A Minute". bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  26. ^ "Comedian specializing in Evelyn Waugh wins BBC Mastermind quiz". evelynwaughsociety.org. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  27. ^ "Geordie Shore Reunion preview". metro.co.uk. 27 March 2012.
  28. ^ Page, Benedicte (11 November 2011). "S&S buys debut from comedian Kane". The Bookseller.
  29. ^ a b "BBC Three – Britain Unzipped". BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
  30. ^ "BBC Three – Stupid Man, Smart Phone Episode Guide". BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  31. ^ "Radio 4 Evil Genius with Russell Kane". BBC iPlayer. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  32. ^ "Edinburgh comedy awards shortlist announced". The Guardian. 23 August 2006.
  33. ^ a b c Thorpe, Vanessa (28 August 2010). "Russell Kane wins Edinburgh Comedy Award". The Guardian.
  34. ^ "Russell Kane to perform Isles of Scilly show". BBC News. 6 September 2014.
  35. ^ "Comedian to tie the knot in Southchurch Hall ceremony". Echo News. 6 January 2010.
  36. ^ Sperling, Daniel (29 December 2011). "Russell Kane uncomfortable with sex: 'I'd rather watch Dog Whisperer'". Digital Spy.
  37. ^ "Lindsey Cole". model mayhem. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  38. ^ a b "Russell Kane says he would have postponed his wedding for a big gig". The Irish News. 22 May 2017.
  39. ^ "Russell Kane: 'I had a year of partying and it was soulless. The sex wasn't even good'". London Evening Standard. 12 June 2013.
  40. ^ "X Factor reignites Russell Kane and Grimmy confusion". BBC News. 31 August 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  41. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Russell Kane: 1 in 2 People Think I'm Nick Grimshaw". Yahoo Finance. 27 November 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  42. ^ "Russell Kane has been lying about his age – but WHY?!". Heat. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  43. ^ Strang, Fay (21 April 2015). "Russell Kane is older than he claims - any ideas of his age?". mirror. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  44. ^ "INTERVIEW: Russell Kane on being 'in denial' about his age, why stand-up is still his passion and being a 'lord'". Warrington Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  45. ^ Strang, Fay; Updated (21 April 2015). "Russell Kane is older than he claims - any ideas of his age?". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  46. ^ Cherrington-Cook, Jayne (18 May 2020). "Russell Kane: The Prince's Trust has put me in the most ridiculous situations". Yahoo Entertainment. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  47. ^ Kane, Russell (21 October 2012). The Humorist. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-0857209252.
  48. ^ Kane, Russell (31 October 2019). Son of Silverback. Penguin. ISBN 9781473554160.
  49. ^ Son of a Silverback. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
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