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Mark Watson

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This article is about the comedian and novelist. For other uses, see Mark Watson (disambiguation).

Mark Watson
Watson in 2024
Birth nameMark Andrew Watson
Born (1980-02-13) 13 February 1980 (age 44)
Bristol, England
MediumStand-up, television, radio, author
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of Cambridge (BA)
Years active1999–present
GenresSatire, observational comedy
Subject(s)Everyday life, family, politics, stereotypes, current events
Spouse
Emily Howes
​
(div. 2019)​
Children2
Notable works and roles
Websitewww.markwatsonthecomedian.com Edit this at Wikidata

Mark Andrew Watson (born 13 February 1980)[1] is an English comedian, novelist and producer.

Early life

[edit]

Watson was born in Bristol to a Welsh mother and English father.[2][3] He has younger twin sisters and a brother, Paul. He attended Bristol Grammar School, where he won a "Gabbler of the Year" award.[4] He went on to study English at Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating with first class honours.[5][6] At university he was a member of the Footlights and contemporary of Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key and Dan Stevens.[7] He was part of the revue which was nominated for the Best Newcomer category in the Perrier Comedy Awards at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and also co-directed a revue with Key.

Career

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Comedy

[edit]
Watson at the Edinburgh book launch for Eleven in 2012

Although not brought up in Wales, Watson used to deliver his act with a common Welsh accent which is not quite his own. He adopted it when he started stand-up comedy saying that it made him "more comfortable to be talking in a voice that I didn't quite recognise as my own".[8] He has since reverted to his own accent.

Watson has appeared regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, winning the first ever Panel Prize at the if.comeddies in 2006 and being nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2005 Perrier Comedy Awards. His other awards include the Time Out Critics' Choice Award 2006 and a Barry Award nomination for best show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2006.

Watson has performed several unusual shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and Melbourne Festivals, including marathon shows lasting 24 hours or more. The first of these was performed at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which lasted 24 hours. At the end of the show he proposed to his girlfriend Emily Howes, who accepted. These shows have featured guest appearances from other performers such as Tim Key, Tim Minchin, Adam Hills, Daniel Kitson, David O'Doherty, Brendon Burns and John Dorney as the balladeer.

At the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Watson hosted a literary workshop-cum-interactive comedy show entitled Mark Watson, And His Audience, Write A Novel. The aim was to write, by the end of August, a novel begun from scratch and woven entirely from audience suggestions, with another 2,000 words or so added each day. The novel was not finished within the month.

At the 2007 Fringe, Watson hosted a panel show We Need Answers with Alex Horne and Tim Key. This saw 16 comedians take part in a knock out quiz where all the questions and answers came from text service Any Question Answered. Paul Sinha won the competition, beating Josie Long in the final. We Need Answers returned in 2008 with fewer rounds, Josie Long emerged as winner, beating Sinha in the semi-final and Kristen Schaal in the final.

Watson performed his final 24-hour Fringe show at the 2009 festival along with his "Earth Summit" and his "Edit". The Earth Summit was Watson's version of the Al Gore talk about world pollution and global warming and the Edit was a compilation of Watson's fringe shows to date, made particularly for those who had not seen him perform there. Watson's debut DVD, The Mark Watson Edit, was initially due for release on 15 November 2010.[9] However, Watson was forced to shelve the project and a new DVD recording was released on 28 November 2011, entitled Mark Watson Live.

In 2019, Watson staged a 26.2-hour live show to coincide with the London Marathon, and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 he hosted two 24-hour "Watsonathon" events on the Twitch streaming platform.[10]

Watson often performs gigs in unusual locations including: on a ferry,[11] from a stream,[12] on a train,[13] on the steps outside a theatre,[14] in a vaccination queue,[15] and in drive-in shows during the Covid pandemic.[16]

Live shows

[edit]
Year Show name Venue Notes
2001 Far Too Happy 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Cambridge Footlights revue with Edward Jaspers, Tim Key, Day Macaskill, James Morris and Sophie Winkleman. Perrier Comedy Award nomination.
2004 Stereocomics 2004 Edinburgh Festival Fringe With Rhod Gilbert
Mark Watson's Overambitious 24-Hour Show
2005 50 Years Before Death and the Awful Prospect of Eternity 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Perrier Best Newcomer Award nomination[17]
2005 Years in 2005 Minutes
2006 I'm Worried That I'm Starting To Hate Almost Everyone in the World 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Won if.comeddie award Panel Prize[18]
Mark Watson's Seemingly Impossible 36-Hour Circuit of the World
Mark Watson, And His Audience, Write A Novel
2007 Can I Briefly Talk To You About The Point of Life? 2007 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Followed by UK tour
Mark Watson's 24 Hour Jamboree To Save The Planet
We Need Answers: The Inaugural Festival Challenge Cup Gameshow. With Tim Key and Alex Horne. Later transferred to BBC Four
2008 Mark Watson (And Friends) Take Control of the World in 24 Hours Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2008
All The Thoughts I've Had Since I Was Born 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Followed by UK tour
We Need Answers With Tim Key and Alex Horne
2009 Mark Watson's Earth Summit 2009 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Mark Watson's Last Ever 24-Hour Show
2010 Do I Know You? 2010 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Followed by UK tour
Mark Watson's Unusually Enjoyable Book Launch Marking the launch of his novel Eleven
2011 The Mark Watson Edit Released as a DVD
2012 Mark Watson: The Information 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Mark Watson's Edinborolympics
The Hotel Comedic theatre show written and directed by Mark Watson.[19]
2014 Flaws 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Followed by UK/Australia tour
Mark Watson's Comedywealth Games
2016 Mark Watson's Edinborolympics 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
I'm Not Here Work in progress, followed by tour before returning for 2017 Fringe
2017 Mark Watson's Festival of Bad Ideas 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2018 The Infinite Show 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Followed by UK tour before returning for 2018 Fringe
2019 Mark Watson's Comedy Marathon The Pleasance 26.2 hour charity show supporting Dementia Revolution
How You Can Almost Win 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Work in progress show at 2018 Fringe. Based on his experiences on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls. Followed by UK tour.
2020 Mark Watson's Watsonathon! Livestreamed via Twitch Charity livestream during the COVID-19 pandemic with funds going towards FareShare, The Hospice Income Generator Network, and NextUp Comedy
Mark Watson's Watsonathon 2!
2021 This Can't Be It 2021 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Followed by UK tour
2023 Search 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Followed by UK tour

Television

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A three-episode run of We Need Answers began on BBC Four on 12 February 2009, based on the Edinburgh Fringe show of the same name. As with the live show, Watson co-hosted with Tim Key and Alex Horne. A further 13 episodes were broadcast later in 2009. Guests for the series included Germaine Greer, Michael Rosen and Jilly Goolden.

In 2010 ITV4 commissioned Mark Watson Kicks Off, a sports panel show, hosted by Watson, where each week with three celebrities taking part in numerous rounds including "Beat the Best" where Watson takes on a sporting champion but with a twist and "I'm not a successful sports star but I'm related to someone who is" where the three celebrities ask questions to a guest who is related to a sports star.

In 2011, Watson hosted a pilot for an improvisational comedy show called Improvisation My Dear Mark Watson. The one-off episode was commissioned and broadcast by Dave, who chose not to create a full series. The pilot aired on 9 July.[20]

In 2012, Watson starred with Micky Flanagan and host Mark Dolan as a captain in the Channel 4 panel programme The Mad Bad Ad Show.[21]

Guest appearances

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Watson has appeared as a panellist on shows including Never Mind the Buzzcocks, QI, Who Said That?, Guessable, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Argumental, Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, Would I Lie to You?; and in Dictionary Corner on Countdown (2023).

He has been a contestant on Pointless Celebrities, Richard Osman's House of Games, Taskmaster, and Celebrity Mastermind.

He has performed stand-up on shows including Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow (2009), Channel 4's Comedy Gala (2010), Live at the Apollo (2011), and Tonight at the London Palladium (2017).

In Australia, Watson has been seen on Rove, Good News Week, Spicks and Specks and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, all aired in April 2007.

In 2011, he appeared on New Zealand comedy panel show 7 Days.

Watson has appeared on a number of sports programs, including The Premier League Show (2017-18), BBC Green Sport Awards (2022) and Sport Relief (2020).

Watson appeared as a talking head in Armando Iannucci's spoof documentary series Time Trumpet.

In 2017, he competed in series 5 of Taskmaster against Bob Mortimer, Sally Phillips, Nish Kumar and Aisling Bea, finishing joint second.

Also in 2017, Watson appeared on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls alongside Iwan Thomas, Jordan Stephens, Lucy Mecklenburgh, Melody Thornton, RJ Mitte, Ryan Thomas, Sharron Davies and Shazia Mirza. Watson left on doctors' orders after suffering from severe chest pains and insomnia in the final episode.

In 2021, he appeared on Richard Osman's House of Games alongside Josie Lawrence, Raj Bisram and Laura Whitmore.

Radio

[edit]
Year Title Co-hosts
2007-08 Mark Watson Makes the World Substantially Better (Series 1) Tim Key, Tim Minchin
(Series 2) Tom Basden, Tim Key
2011 Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation[22] Tom Basden, Tim Key
2014- Mark Watson Talks A Bit About Life[23] (Series 1) Tom Basden, Tim Key
(Series 2) Will Adamsdale, Sam Simmons
(Series 3-) Flo & Joan

In August 2009, Watson hosted a three-episode series on BBC Radio 5 Live called 100 Million or Bust, where a panel of guests attempted to spend £100 million on transfers as managers of an English Premier League team.

Watson has made regular appearances on the BBC Radio 5 Live show Fighting Talk.[24][25]

Books

[edit]
Year Title Notes
2004 Bullet Points
2007 A Light-Hearted Look at Murder
2008 Crap at the Environment A non-fiction book which followed his efforts to halve his carbon footprint over the course of one year.
2011 Eleven
2012 The Knot
2015 Dan and Sam A graphic novel with illustrations by Oliver Harud
2015 Hotel Alpha
2016 The Place That Didn't Exist
2020 Contacts
2023 Mortification First released as the audiobook 8 Deaths and Life After Them (2021)
2025 One Minute Away

Other work

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Watson co-runs a production company, Impatient Productions, which produces his own radio shows as well as for others such as Angela Barnes,[26] Britain's Got Talent winner Viggo Venn,[27] Reverend Richard Coles.[28]

Since September 2023, Watson and seven-time World Snooker Champion, Stephen Hendry, co-host the official podcast of the World Snooker Tour, Snooker Club. Each episode features special guests of sports, entertainment, and music personalities.[29]

In December 2021, Watson launched a podcast through his production company with co-host Michael Chakraverty called menkind, discussing masculinity with a weekly guest.[30] There have been 60 episodes to date, and guests have included Tom Daley, Nikesh Shukla, and Jordan Gray.

In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Watson, Tim Key and Alex Horne started a YouTube channel playing a game known as No More Jockeys. The three were given Chortle Legends of Lockdown awards for No More Jockeys as well as their individual work.[31]

In 2009, Watson appeared in adverts for Magners Pear Cider, which became the subject of an extended routine by fellow comic Stewart Lee as part of his 2009, "If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One" live show. In 2010 Watson provided the voice over for a rabbit in an Innocent Smoothies advert. From 2018, Watson appeared in TUI commercials alongside fellow comedian Zoe Lyons on Sky One.[32]

On 25 February, Watson presented the 2009 NME Awards at Brixton Academy.

At the start of the 2009/2010 season, Watson wrote a regular article in the Bristol City official matchday programme Well Red.

In December 2009, Watson's television drama A Child's Christmases in Wales starring Ruth Jones was broadcast as part of the Christmas 2009 season on BBC Four; it was described as peeping into the Christmases of a South Wales family during the 1980s.

Personal life

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Watson proposed to Emily Howes, a fellow novelist, writer-performer and theatre director during a live marathon comedy routine at the Fringe, in front of an audience of 200.[33]

They married in 2004, with Tim Key acting as Watson's best man.[34] Watson and Howes have two children. He is currently in a relationship with comedy producer Lianne Coop; they live in East London.[35]

Watson is a lifelong supporter of Bristol City Football Club.[36]

Stand-up specials

[edit]
  • Mark Watson Live (28 November 2011, DVD)
  • Flaws (2014, DVD)
  • The Infinite Show (2020, Vimeo)[37] / (2024, YouTube)[38]
  • This Can't Be It (2022, Amazon Prime)[39]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Watson, Mark (15 February 2020). "The present, and the future". Mark Watson the Comedian.
  2. ^ "Preview: Mark Watson". WalesOnline. 22 January 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  3. ^ Logan, Brian (15 August 2006). "Mark Watson: The busiest comic in Edinburgh". The Guardian. London.
  4. ^ "On my radar: Mark Watson's cultural highlights". The Guardian. 22 November 2015.
  5. ^ "Congregations of the Regent House on 28, 29, and 30 June 2001". Cambridge University Reporter.
  6. ^ "Interview: Mark Watson". Varsity. 29 October 2012.
  7. ^ "Footlights Alumni: 2000–2009". Footlights. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012.
  8. ^ Monahan, Mark (19 January 2008). "Mark Watson: So, there was this English Welshman..." The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2011.
  9. ^ "Play.com – The Mark Watson Edit". Archived from the original on 15 May 2010.
  10. ^ Bennett, Steve. "Yet another 24 hour show for Mark Watson : News 2020 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  11. ^ "Mark Watson tours only places starting with M or W". Chortle. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Top comedians stand up for precious chalk streams - by holding gig in the River Chess". Bucks Free Press. 23 May 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  13. ^ Broomfield, Emma (26 June 2019). "All aboard the comedy train". The Times. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Mark Watson hosts surprise gig and buys everyone a drink as show axed over Queen's death". The Mirror. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  15. ^ "Live... from the vaccine queue". Chortle. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Mark Watson launches a drive-in tour". Chortle. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
  17. ^ "The Perrier Comedy Award 2005". Archived from the original on 25 December 2006.
  18. ^ "Phil Nichol wins top comedy award". BBC News. 27 August 2006.
  19. ^ "The Hotel Press Release – TheInvisibleDot.com" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 July 2011.
  20. ^ "Improvisation My Dear Mark Watson : Dave". UKTV.
  21. ^ "The Mad Bad Ad Show, coming soon to Channel 4". Channel 4 (Press release). 14 July 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  22. ^ "Mark Watson's Live Address to the Nation". BBC. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  23. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Mark Watson Talks a Bit About Life, Series 1 - Episode guide". BBC.
  24. ^ "Fighting Talk: 10 January 2009". Archived from the original on 25 October 2012.
  25. ^ "Fighting Talk: 19 November 2005".
  26. ^ "Angela Barnes gets Radio 4 stand-up series". British Comedy Guide. 8 June 2015.
  27. ^ "Viggo Venn announces his first tour". Chortle. 15 June 2023.
  28. ^ "Richard Coles announces 2023 tour". British Comedy Guide. 10 May 2023.
  29. ^ "New 'Snooker Club' podcast launches September 20th". 15 September 2023. Archived from the original on 1 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  30. ^ "'Why isn't crying manly?': a comic and a Bake Off star ask what makes a man". The Guardian. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  31. ^ Bennett, Steve. "All hail the Legends Of Lockdown! : News 2021 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  32. ^ "Behind-the-scenes of our Sky One footage". TUI. 21 March 2018.
  33. ^ "Comedian Mark Watson says affair was way of avoiding 'the fact I wasn't special'". The Independent. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  34. ^ Jones, Alice (16 December 2009). "Tim Key: A man of his words". The Independent. London. ISSN 0951-9467. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  35. ^ "The pandemic made you realise how precarious comedy can be". The Guardian. 16 August 2020.
  36. ^ Vittles, Jack (5 June 2017). "Comedian and Bristol City fan Mark Watson talks about the club's guts and Ashton Gate". Bristol Post. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  37. ^ "The Infinite Show". infiniteshow.markwatsonthecomedian.com.
  38. ^ "Mark Watson's Infinite Show". 27 June 2024 – via YouTube.
  39. ^ "Mark Watson's Amazon Prime Show out TODAY | Blue Book Artist Management". 6 May 2022.
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