Dave Spikey

{{Short description|English comedian and actor (born 1951)}} {{Use British English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox comedian | name = Dave Spikey | image = | imagesize = | caption = | birth_name = David Gordon Bramwell<ref name=grobirth/> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1951|10|6}} | birth_place = Farnworth, Bolton, Lancashire, England<ref name=grobirth>GRO Birth Index: Oct/Nov/Dec 1951, Bramwell, David G., Farnworth 10c 142.</ref> | death_date = | death_place = | pseudonym = | medium = Stand-up, television | active = 1990–present | genre = Observational comedy | spouse = Kathleen Kenyon{{citation needed|date=March 2023}} | notable_work = ''That Peter Kay Thing'' (2000)<br />''Phoenix Nights'' (2001–02)<br />''Dead Man Weds'' (2005)<br />''Bullseye (2006)'' | website ={{URL|davespikey.co.uk/}} }}

'''Dave Spikey''' (born '''David Gordon Bramwell''', 6 October 1951)<ref name="grobirth"/> is an English comedian, actor, writer and film producer. He is best known for his stand-up comedy, writing and starring in the British comedy programme ''Phoenix Nights'', presenting ''Bullseye'' and ''Chain Letters'', and serving as team captain for the first four series of ''8 Out of 10 Cats''.

==Biography==

===Early career=== Born in Farnworth, Lancashire, Spikey spent his early career working as a biomedical scientist in the haematology laboratory at Bolton General Hospital. It was during this period in the 1980s that he scripted and performed in a number of amateur pantomimes with a group of like-minded health workers called the Bolton Health Performers.<ref name="dr2017">{{cite web|last1=Fulton|first1=Rick|title=Laughter helped to get me through in times of tragedy, says comic Dave Spikey|url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/laughter-helped-to-get-me-through-in-times-of-tragedy-1036954|website=Daily Record|date=17 September 2009 |access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>

Early in his career Spikey won a talent show called Stairway to the Stars with a routine about juggling on a motorbike, judged by comedian Larry Grayson who took him aside to tell him he had potential and his routine was fantastic. Spikey was inspired to pursue a part-time comedy career while working at Bolton General Hospital.<ref name="lt2017">{{cite web|last1=Anson|first1=John|title=Comedy king Dave Spikey celebrates 30 years as a stand-up with show heading to King George's Hall, Blackburn|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/leisure/features_lancashiretelegraph/15615406.Comedy_king_Dave_Spikey_celebrates_30_years_as_a_stand_up_with_show_heading_to_King_George_s_Hall__Blackburn/|website=Lancashire Telegraph|date=24 October 2017 |access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>

In 1992, Spikey was asked to form a double act with Rick Sykes, purely as a 'one-off' to support a popular musical duo called 'Intaglio'.<ref>[http://www.intaglioproject.com The Intaglio Project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070915200843/http://www.intaglioproject.com/ |date=15 September 2007 }}</ref> Dave and Rick were known as Spikey and Sykey. The double act's most notable success came on Central TV's ''New Faces'' show.

In 1993, Spikey was voted "best up and coming comedian" by the ''Manchester Evening News''.

In 1996, Spikey first met Peter Kay, with whom he would later collaborate, at the North-West Comedian of the Year Awards, which Kay won that year<ref name="yep2017">{{cite web|title=Interview: Dave Spikey|url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/whats-on/theatre/interview-dave-spikey-1-7176439|website=Yorkshire Evening Post|access-date=19 December 2017}}</ref> and Spikey was compèring.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Hogan|first1=Michael|title=Peter Kay: comedy grafter gets back in the driving seat|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2017/apr/08/peter-kay-comedy-grafter-car-share-second-series|website=The Guardian|date=8 April 2017 |access-date=19 December 2017}}</ref>

He was the final host of UK gameshow ''Chain Letters'' in 1997, following on from Jeremy Beadle, Andrew O'Connor, Allan Stewart, Ted Robbins and Vince Henderson.

===Success=== Spikey won the Best Newcomer award at the British Comedy Awards, and then co-wrote and starred in ''Phoenix Nights'' on Channel Four as Jerry St. Clair. In 2003, Spikey released his first DVD, ''The Overnight Success Tour''. 2003 was also the year he won ‘Best Comedy Performance at Leicester Comedy Festival 2003’, an award he describes as “the weirdest trophy I’ve got on my shelf.”<ref name="lm2018">{{cite web|last1=Jones|first1=Becky|title=Phoenix Nights comedian Dave Spikey speaks to us about Juggling on a Motorbike at Leicester Comedy Festival|url=https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/phoenix-nights-comedian-dave-spikey-1143034|website=Leicester Mercury|date=6 February 2018 |access-date=26 April 2018}}</ref>

In late 2004, he wrote the ITV comedy-drama ''Dead Man Weds'' (2005), in which he also co-starred with Johnny Vegas. The drama follows the attempts of the new editor (Spikey) of the local newspaper, ''The Fogburrow Advertiser and News'', to drum up excitement in the area to cover in his paper, to the disdain and disinterest of his lead (and only) reporter (Vegas). Nancy Banks-Smith described the drama as "endearing and cheerful".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Banks-Smith|first1=Nancy|title=The village voice|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jan/13/television.artsfeatures|website=The Guardian|date=13 January 2005 |access-date=26 April 2018}}</ref>

In 2005, Spikey became one of the regular team captains on the comedy panel game, ''8 Out of 10 Cats'', leaving before the 2007 series. That year also saw the release of his second live DVD, ''Living the Dream''.

In 2006, Spikey became the host of a revived version of the darts-based quiz show ''Bullseye''. The show ran for two series on Challenge to generally unfavourable reviews, ''The Guardian'' calling it an "abhorrent reboot".<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dawson|first1=Andy|title=Late risers more likely to die early? Wake me up from this nightmare|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/apr/13/late-risers-die-early-nightmare-late-night-tv-health-night-owls|website=The Guardian|date=13 April 2018 |access-date=26 April 2018}}</ref>

Spikey developed two new projects which were commissioned by the BBC: ''Magnolia'', a sitcom about painters and decorators, and ''Footballers Lives'' – a comedy about a pub football team, neither made it beyond pilots. He was also on the panel for talent show ''When Will I Be Famous?'' He returned to stand-up and live shows again and has regularly released DVDs of his shows. His chosen subject on ''Celebrity Mastermind'' in 2006 was human blood; he won.

In 2010, Spikey was voted into the Channel 4 ''100 Greatest Stand-Ups'' by the British public.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Bryson|first1=Ann|title=The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/100_greatest_stand_ups/episodes/1/2/|website=British Comedy Guide|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>

In 2017, he appeared as a self-obsessed businessman, Mr Gruff, in British romantic comedy film ''Finding Fatimah''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Finding Fatimah official website|url=https://www.findingfatimah.com/|access-date=3 Feb 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=McLaughlin|first1=Katherine|title=Finding Fatimah|url=https://film.list.co.uk/article/90356-finding-fatimah/|website=The List|access-date=21 January 2018}}</ref>

Spikey celebrated 30 years in stand-up with a new retrospective, ''Juggling on a Motorbike'' which began touring in 2017. The title refers to his first live performances which began his career in comedy, a routine which he recreates at the end of his show. The show is largely autobiographical and follows his performances over the past 30 years of stand-up.<ref name="lm2018" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Anson|first1=John|title=Comedy king Dave Spikey celebrates 30 years as a stand-up with show heading to King George's Hall, Blackburn|url=https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/leisure/features_lancashiretelegraph/15615406.Comedy_king_Dave_Spikey_celebrates_30_years_as_a_stand_up_with_show_heading_to_King_George_s_Hall__Blackburn/|website=Lancashire Telegraph|date=24 October 2017 |access-date=26 April 2018}}</ref>

===Other interests=== Spikey was patron of the non-profit radio station Chorley FM (not to be confused with the fictitious radio station made famous by ''That Peter Kay Thing'' and ''Phoenix Nights'').<ref name="chor2017">{{cite web|last1=Day|first1=Julia|title=Laughter stops at Chorley FM|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/sep/14/commercialradio.broadcasting|website=The Guardian|date=14 September 2005 |access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref> The radio station was closed down in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lep.co.uk/business/chorley-fm-surrenders-radio-licence-after-going-off-the-air-1-9940459|title=Chorley FM 'surrenders radio licence' after going off the air|date=16 August 2019 }}</ref>

Spikey's first book, ''He Took My Kidney, Then Broke My Heart'', was published in October 2009 by Michael O'Mara Books. This was followed in 2010 by an autobiography, ''Under the Microscope: My Life'' from the same publisher.

Spikey is a supporter of the League Against Cruel Sports and appeared in a short film for the group in 2013. He has been quoted: "It is shocking to think anyone would want to turn the clock back to a time when chasing animals to exhaustion and encouraging them to be ripped apart by a pack of dogs for sport was legal."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/eight-out-of-ten-want-to-keep-fox-hunting-ban-9025347.html|title= Eight out of ten want to keep fox hunting ban|work=The Independent|first=Jonathan|last=Owen|date=25 December 2013|access-date=26 December 2013}}</ref> He describes himself as a “devout vegetarian and animal lover” as well as being the patron of Pet Rehome, a Bolton-based animal rescue centre.<ref>{{cite web|title=Homepage|url=https://www.petrehome.org|website=Pet Rehome|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>

== Stand-up DVDs == {| class="wikitable" border="1" |- !Title !Released !Notes |- | ''Overnight Success Tour – Live'' | 17 November 2003 | Live at Leeds City Varieties |- | ''Living the Dream – Live'' | 7 November 2005 | Live at Oldham Coliseum |- | ''The Best Medicine Tour – Live'' | 9 November 2009 | Live at Mansfield Palace Theatre |}

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== *[http://www.ukgameshows.com/ukgs/Dave_Spikey UK Gameshows Site] *{{IMDb name|0818730}} *[http://www.liberationfrequency.co.uk/dave-spikey-interview/ When Liberation Frequency met Dave Spikey] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726021450/http://www.liberationfrequency.co.uk/dave-spikey-interview/ |date=26 July 2011 }} *{{British Comedy Guide|people|dave_spikey}} ---- {{s-start}} {{succession box | before=Jim Bowen | title=Host of ''Bullseye'' | years=2006 | after= Freddie Flintoff }} {{succession box | before = Vince Henderson| | title = Host of ''Chain Letters'' | years = 1997 | after = Series ended }} {{s-end}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Spikey, Dave}} Category:1951 births Category:Living people Category:Actors from Farnworth Category:English male comedians Category:English television personalities Category:English television presenters Category:English game show hosts Category:20th-century English comedians Category:21st-century English comedians Category:Comedians from Lancashire