Chris Addison
Encyclopedia
Chris Addison is an English
stand-up comedian, writer
and actor
. He is known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two of which he later adapted for BBC Radio 4
. In addition to stand-up, in television he plays Ollie in the BBC 2 television satire The Thick of It
and Toby in its spin-off film In the Loop
, and he co-created and starred in the BBC 2 sitcom Lab Rats
. On radio, he previously hosted the weekly comedy news satire show 7 Day Sunday
on BBC Radio 5 Live
from 2009 to 2011.
, an independent school
for boys in Manchester
, followed by the University of Birmingham
, where he studied English literature
.
since 1995. In that year, he won the City Life Comedian of the Year
Award, a stand-up competition in the North West of England.
Addison's first solo show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was in 1998, for which he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Perrier Awards. He continued to bring shows to the Fringe for several years, garnering two Perrier Award nominations — for his 2004 show Civilisation and 2005's Atomicity.
The Department
, along with John Oliver
and Andy Zaltzman
. This ran for fourteen episodes over three series on BBC Radio 4
, ending in 2006.
In August 2005, Radio 4 aired The Ape That Got Lucky
, Addison's adaptation of his 2002 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show of the same name. This programme featured fellow comedians Geoffrey McGivern
, Jo Enright
and Dan Tetsell
. On 8 May 2006, The Ape That Got Lucky won the gold award in the comedy production category at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.
In 2006, Chris Addison recorded Chris Addison's Civilisation, again for Radio 4, based on his Edinburgh Fringe
show of 2004; this again featured McGivern, Enright and Tetsell and was aired in four parts over the summer.
He has been a panellist on three of Radio 4's comedy panel games: Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive
, first appearing in 2006, Just a Minute
, first appearing in 2007, and The Unbelievable Truth
, first appearing in 2009.
Addison hosted a series of the Radio 4 comedy series 4 Stands Up
, which showcases up-coming and established comedy talent. As host, Addison performs a short opening set and introduces the acts, in the style of a compère
at a comedy club
. The first episode aired on 2 April 2009.
On 10 May 2009, Addison hosted the Sunday Night Show
on Absolute Radio in place of fellow stand-up comedian Iain Lee
who was away due to being on his honeymoon.
Chris Addison hosted 7 Day Sunday
, a satirical news show on BBC Radio 5 Live
along with his co-hosts Sarah Millican
and Andy Zaltzman
. The first episode aired in January 2010. Addison presented the second series of the show until February 2011 when he was replaced by Al Murray
.
He is also good friends with Geoff Lloyd
on Absolute Radio and has made a few appearances on Geoff Lloyds Hometime Show.
comedy series Dotcomedy with Gail Porter
. This was a late-night, risque show featuring video clips and other humour derived from the internet.
satirical comedy series The Thick of It
as Oliver "Ollie" Reeder, Junior Advisor (later Special Advisor) to the Secretary of State (Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship). He appeared in all episodes of the first series, as well as the two specials 'Rise of the Nutters' and 'Spinners and Losers'. Chris Addison reprised his role as Ollie when The Thick of It returned for a new series.
Addison also featured in the film adaptation of The Thick of It, entitled In the Loop
, playing Toby, a character very similar to his part in the television original.
, a sitcom starring Addison and co-written with Carl Cooper. Lab Rats featured cast members Jo Enright
, Geoffrey McGivern
and Dan Tetsell
, with whom Addison had worked previously on the radio adaptations of his one-man shows The Ape That Got Lucky and Civilisation.
Lab Rats was a return to the traditional, joke-heavy, studio based sitcom format that has fallen out of fashion in recent times in favour of the single-camera sitcom. The series was not generally well-received by critics and was not renewed for a second series.
eleven times during 2010 and 2011, before becoming a full time panellist in September 2011. As well as appearing on Have I Got News For You
and Would I Lie To You
five times each, and 8 Out of 10 Cats
twice, he appeared in Series 5, Episode 3, of Live at the Apollo. Addison appeared on The Graham Norton Show
on 16 April 2009 promoting In the Loop
.
On 18 April 2010 Addison appeared on The Andrew Marr Show to comment on the week's political issues, including the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland
and The First Election Debate. He has appeared twice on QI
.
Addison is also set to appear as a special guest in an upcoming episode of Horrible Histories
.
column for The Guardian
entitled "Funny Money". On alternate weeks, when the column was not written by Addison, writing duties passed to fellow stand-up Dominic Holland
.
He can be seen in the audience for the television taping of Are You Dave Gorman, from 2003.
Addison has written two books, both published by Hodder and Stoughton: Cautionary Tales for Grown Ups in 2006, followed by It Wasn't Me: Why Everybody is to Blame and You're Not in 2008.
He is currently appearing in Skins
as Professor David Blood, the college director of Roundview College and father of 3rd Generation main character Grace Violet. He is replacing a character played by Victoria Wicks
. On 4 November 2010 Addison hosted the BBC
's Have I Got News For You
, having previously been a guest on the show. In 2011 he appeared in a range of Direct Line
adverts as a Direct Line representative alongside difficult customers, played by fellow comedic performers Alexander Armstrong
, Amelia Bullmore
and Lorna Watson. On 9 April 2011 he was part of the Comedy Takeover on TV channel Dave where he presented and selected the shows.
In 2011 he took part in three shows of the 16-date Uncaged Monkeys tour along with Professor Brian Cox
, Robin Ince
, Ben Goldacre
, Simon Singh
and Dara Ó Briain
. In the summer of 2011 Addison also began filming a new E4 chat show called "Show and Tell".
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
stand-up comedian, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He is known for his lecture-style comedy shows, two of which he later adapted for BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. In addition to stand-up, in television he plays Ollie in the BBC 2 television satire The Thick of It
The Thick of It
The Thick of It is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of modern British government. It was first broadcast on BBC Four in 2005, and has so far completed fourteen half-hour episodes and two special hour-long episodes to coincide with Christmas and Gordon Brown's...
and Toby in its spin-off film In the Loop
In the Loop (film)
In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq...
, and he co-created and starred in the BBC 2 sitcom Lab Rats
Lab Rats
Lab Rats is a 2008 BBC 2 situation comedy set in a university science laboratory. It stars Chris Addison, who has co-written the series with Carl Cooper...
. On radio, he previously hosted the weekly comedy news satire show 7 Day Sunday
7 Day Sunday
7 Day Sunday is a British comedy radio talk show hosted by Chris Addison on BBC Radio 5 Live. Broadcast weekly on Sunday mornings, the show takes an irreverent look at the topical news stories of the past seven days. Addison is joined by regular guests Sarah Millican and Andy Zaltzman, and a fourth...
on BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
from 2009 to 2011.
Education
Addison was educated at Manchester Grammar SchoolManchester Grammar School
The Manchester Grammar School is the largest independent day school for boys in the UK . It is based in Manchester, England...
, an independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
for boys in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, followed by the University of Birmingham
University of Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Birmingham Medical School and Mason Science College . Birmingham was the first Redbrick university to gain a charter and thus...
, where he studied English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
.
Stand-up
Chris Addison has been performing stand-up comedyStand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic art form. Usually, a comedian performs in front of a live audience, speaking directly to them. Their performances are sometimes filmed for later release via DVD, the internet, and television...
since 1995. In that year, he won the City Life Comedian of the Year
City Life Comedian of the Year
The City Life Comedian of the Year competition is held annually in Manchester, and sponsored by the City Life magazine.The competition began in 1990, and has become one of the most prestigious comedy awards in the North West of England, mostly based on the subsequent success of many of its entrants...
Award, a stand-up competition in the North West of England.
Addison's first solo show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe was in 1998, for which he was nominated for Best Newcomer at the Perrier Awards. He continued to bring shows to the Fringe for several years, garnering two Perrier Award nominations — for his 2004 show Civilisation and 2005's Atomicity.
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
- 1997 Appeared as part of The Comedy Zone showcase
- 1998 Debut solo Edinburgh Fringe show, nominated for Perrier Comedy Award (Best Newcomer)
- 1999 Gentleman, Scholar, Acrobat
- 2000 Cakes and Ale
- 20012001 Edinburgh Festival FringeThe 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was the 54th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe ran from 5–27 August 2001 and presented 1462 shows over 176 venues.-Scotsman Fringe First Awards:Week One:*Gagarin Way*Runt*Like Thunder*Bedbound...
Port Out, Starboard Home - 2002 The Ape That Got Lucky (later adaptedThe Ape That Got LuckyThe Ape That Got Lucky was a four-part radio series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2005. Written by Chris Addison and Carl Cooper, it was based around Chris Addison giving a lecture on the evolution of man from "ugly ape" into the all time "Top Species".Addison was supported in this spoof...
for BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
) - 2004 Civilization (nominated for Perrier Comedy Award, later adapted for BBC Radio 4)
- 2005 Atomicity (nominated for Perrier Comedy Award)
Radio
First airing in 2004, Chris Addison co-wrote and co-starred in the political satirePolitical satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
The Department
The Department
The Department is a satirical comedy on BBC Radio 4 about a secret organisation with the power to influence every aspect of your life.Chris Addison, John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman star as Research Team 32, an eccentric three-man think-tank with the brief to brainstorm new ideas on solving society's...
, along with John Oliver
John Oliver (comedian)
John Oliver is a British stand-up comedian, actor, and writer. He is best known for his work on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, for which he won an Emmy in 2009. He also plays a recurring character, Professor Ian Duncan, on the television series Community...
and Andy Zaltzman
Andy Zaltzman
Andrew "Andy" Zaltzman is a British comedian and author who largely focuses on political material. He has worked extensively with John Oliver; their work together includes Political Animal, The Department and The Bugle.-Early life:...
. This ran for fourteen episodes over three series on BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
, ending in 2006.
In August 2005, Radio 4 aired The Ape That Got Lucky
The Ape That Got Lucky
The Ape That Got Lucky was a four-part radio series broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in August 2005. Written by Chris Addison and Carl Cooper, it was based around Chris Addison giving a lecture on the evolution of man from "ugly ape" into the all time "Top Species".Addison was supported in this spoof...
, Addison's adaptation of his 2002 Edinburgh Festival Fringe show of the same name. This programme featured fellow comedians Geoffrey McGivern
Geoffrey McGivern
Geoffrey McGivern is an English actor in film, radio, stage and television. He was born in Balham, South London and grew up in York. There he attended Archbishop Holgate's School, where he was made Head Boy...
, Jo Enright
Jo Enright
Jo Enright is an English stand-up comedian and actress who has appeared in a number of television and radio comedy programmes.-Biography:...
and Dan Tetsell
Dan Tetsell
Dan Tetsell is a comedian and writer for radio, television and stage. He has worked on a number of projects, including The Museum of Everything, That Was Then, This Is Now and Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections....
. On 8 May 2006, The Ape That Got Lucky won the gold award in the comedy production category at the Sony Radio Academy Awards.
In 2006, Chris Addison recorded Chris Addison's Civilisation, again for Radio 4, based on his Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
show of 2004; this again featured McGivern, Enright and Tetsell and was aired in four parts over the summer.
He has been a panellist on three of Radio 4's comedy panel games: Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive
Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive
Armando Iannucci's Charm Offensive is a British radio comedy programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2005 with a second series in 2006, a third in 2007 and a fourth in 2008. Series 2, 3 and 4 of the show were broadcast in the popular Friday evening slot, which it has shared with The...
, first appearing in 2006, Just a Minute
Just a Minute
Just a Minute is a BBC Radio 4 radio comedy panel game chaired by Nicholas Parsons. Its first transmission on Radio 4 was on 22 December 1967, three months after the station's launch. The Radio 4 programme won a Gold Sony Radio Academy Award in 2003....
, first appearing in 2007, and The Unbelievable Truth
The Unbelievable Truth
The Unbelievable Truth is a BBC radio comedy panel game made by Random Entertainment, devised by Graeme Garden and Jon Naismith. It is very similar to the occasional I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue game "Lies, All Lies", which was first played in 1985...
, first appearing in 2009.
Addison hosted a series of the Radio 4 comedy series 4 Stands Up
4 Stands Up
4 Stands Up is a BBC radio comedy show which has run since December 2007. The programme, which is broadcast on Thursdays at 6:30 pm on BBC Radio 4, contains stand up material from three comedy acts each show, with additional material from the show's host...
, which showcases up-coming and established comedy talent. As host, Addison performs a short opening set and introduces the acts, in the style of a compère
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
at a comedy club
Comedy club
A comedy club is a venue, typically a nightclub, bar, or restaurant where people watch or listen to performances, including stand-up comedians, improvisational comedians, impersonators, magicians, ventriloquists and other comedy acts...
. The first episode aired on 2 April 2009.
On 10 May 2009, Addison hosted the Sunday Night Show
Sunday Night Show
The Sunday Night Show with Iain Lee was a Sony Award Silver winning weekly radio show broadcast on Absolute Radio, between 10pm on Sunday to 1am on Monday, hosted by Iain Lee and produced by Eloise Carr, formerly by Dave "Davis" Lambert...
on Absolute Radio in place of fellow stand-up comedian Iain Lee
Iain Lee
Iain Lee is a British comedian, and a television and radio presenter. His career began when he performed stand-up comedy gigs across venues in London. He subsequently became co-presenter of the comedy current affairs show The 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4 and RI:SE...
who was away due to being on his honeymoon.
Chris Addison hosted 7 Day Sunday
7 Day Sunday
7 Day Sunday is a British comedy radio talk show hosted by Chris Addison on BBC Radio 5 Live. Broadcast weekly on Sunday mornings, the show takes an irreverent look at the topical news stories of the past seven days. Addison is joined by regular guests Sarah Millican and Andy Zaltzman, and a fourth...
, a satirical news show on BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
along with his co-hosts Sarah Millican
Sarah Millican
Sarah Millican is an English stand-up comedian. Millican won the if.comedy award for Best Newcomer at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.-Career:...
and Andy Zaltzman
Andy Zaltzman
Andrew "Andy" Zaltzman is a British comedian and author who largely focuses on political material. He has worked extensively with John Oliver; their work together includes Political Animal, The Department and The Bugle.-Early life:...
. The first episode aired in January 2010. Addison presented the second series of the show until February 2011 when he was replaced by Al Murray
Al Murray
Alastair James Hay "Al" Murray , is a British comedian best known for his stand-up persona, The Pub Landlord, a stereotypical xenophobic public house licensee. In 2003, he was listed in The Observer as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy...
.
He is also good friends with Geoff Lloyd
Geoff Lloyd
Geoff Lloyd is a British radio presenter. Lloyd presents Geoff Lloyd's Hometime Show, Monday-Friday, 5pm-8pm on Absolute Radio...
on Absolute Radio and has made a few appearances on Geoff Lloyds Hometime Show.
Dotcomedy
In 2000 Chris Addison co-hosted the short-lived Channel 4Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
comedy series Dotcomedy with Gail Porter
Gail Porter
Gail Porter is a Scottish television presenter.- Life and career :Porter attended Portobello High School. She studied a BTEC HND in Media Production at West Herts College...
. This was a late-night, risque show featuring video clips and other humour derived from the internet.
The Thick of It
Since 2005, Addison has appeared in the BBC televisionBBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
satirical comedy series The Thick of It
The Thick of It
The Thick of It is a British comedy television series that satirises the inner workings of modern British government. It was first broadcast on BBC Four in 2005, and has so far completed fourteen half-hour episodes and two special hour-long episodes to coincide with Christmas and Gordon Brown's...
as Oliver "Ollie" Reeder, Junior Advisor (later Special Advisor) to the Secretary of State (Department of Social Affairs and Citizenship). He appeared in all episodes of the first series, as well as the two specials 'Rise of the Nutters' and 'Spinners and Losers'. Chris Addison reprised his role as Ollie when The Thick of It returned for a new series.
Addison also featured in the film adaptation of The Thick of It, entitled In the Loop
In the Loop (film)
In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq...
, playing Toby, a character very similar to his part in the television original.
Lab Rats
In July 2008, BBC2 aired Lab RatsLab Rats
Lab Rats is a 2008 BBC 2 situation comedy set in a university science laboratory. It stars Chris Addison, who has co-written the series with Carl Cooper...
, a sitcom starring Addison and co-written with Carl Cooper. Lab Rats featured cast members Jo Enright
Jo Enright
Jo Enright is an English stand-up comedian and actress who has appeared in a number of television and radio comedy programmes.-Biography:...
, Geoffrey McGivern
Geoffrey McGivern
Geoffrey McGivern is an English actor in film, radio, stage and television. He was born in Balham, South London and grew up in York. There he attended Archbishop Holgate's School, where he was made Head Boy...
and Dan Tetsell
Dan Tetsell
Dan Tetsell is a comedian and writer for radio, television and stage. He has worked on a number of projects, including The Museum of Everything, That Was Then, This Is Now and Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections....
, with whom Addison had worked previously on the radio adaptations of his one-man shows The Ape That Got Lucky and Civilisation.
Lab Rats was a return to the traditional, joke-heavy, studio based sitcom format that has fallen out of fashion in recent times in favour of the single-camera sitcom. The series was not generally well-received by critics and was not renewed for a second series.
Guest appearances
Addison made appearances as a guest panellist on Mock the WeekMock the Week
Mock the Week is a British topical celebrity panel game hosted by Dara Ó Briain that launched in 2005. The game is influenced by improvised topical stand-up comedy, with several rounds requiring players to deliver answers on unexpected subjects on the spur of the moment.It is made by independent...
eleven times during 2010 and 2011, before becoming a full time panellist in September 2011. As well as appearing on Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
and Would I Lie To You
Would I Lie To You? (TV series)
Would I Lie to You? is a comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for BBC One. It was first broadcast on 16 June 2007.-Format:The show was presented by Angus Deayton in 2007 and 2008, and by Rob Brydon from 2009 onwards...
five times each, and 8 Out of 10 Cats
8 Out of 10 Cats
8 out of 10 Cats is a television comedy panel game made by Zeppotron for Channel 4. It was first broadcast on 3 June 2005. The show is based on statistics and opinion polls, and draws on polls produced by a variety of organizations and new polls commissioned for the programme, carried out by...
twice, he appeared in Series 5, Episode 3, of Live at the Apollo. Addison appeared on The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show
The Graham Norton Show is a British comedy chat show that is broadcast on BBC One in the United Kingdom. It was originally shown on BBC Two from February 2007 to May 2009 until it moved to BBC One from October 2009...
on 16 April 2009 promoting In the Loop
In the Loop (film)
In the Loop is a 2009 British satirical black comedy film directed by Armando Iannucci. It is based on the BBC Television series The Thick of It satirising Anglo-American politics in the 21st century and the Invasion of Iraq...
.
On 18 April 2010 Addison appeared on The Andrew Marr Show to comment on the week's political issues, including the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
and The First Election Debate. He has appeared twice on QI
QI
QI is a British comedy panel game television quiz show created and co-produced by John Lloyd, hosted by Stephen Fry, and featuring permanent panellist Alan Davies. Most of the questions are extremely obscure, making it unlikely that the correct answer will be given...
.
Addison is also set to appear as a special guest in an upcoming episode of Horrible Histories
Horrible Histories (2009 TV series)
Horrible Histories is an award-winning British children's television series based on the Terry Deary book series of the same name. The first series was thirteen episodes long, and was broadcast from 16 April to 9 July 2009 on CBBC on BBC One. A second series, of twelve episodes , aired from 31 May...
.
Other work
From 2003 to 2005 Addison wrote a fortnightly financeFinance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
column for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
entitled "Funny Money". On alternate weeks, when the column was not written by Addison, writing duties passed to fellow stand-up Dominic Holland
Dominic Holland
Dominic Holland is an English comedian, and author. He also performs at corporate functions. He won the Perrier Best Newcomer Award in Edinburgh in 1993.-Appearances:...
.
He can be seen in the audience for the television taping of Are You Dave Gorman, from 2003.
Addison has written two books, both published by Hodder and Stoughton: Cautionary Tales for Grown Ups in 2006, followed by It Wasn't Me: Why Everybody is to Blame and You're Not in 2008.
He is currently appearing in Skins
Skins (TV series)
Skins is a BAFTA award-winning British teen drama that follows a group of teenagers in Bristol, South West England, through the two years of college. The controversial plot line explores issues such as dysfunctional families, mental illness , adolescent sexuality, substance abuse and death...
as Professor David Blood, the college director of Roundview College and father of 3rd Generation main character Grace Violet. He is replacing a character played by Victoria Wicks
Victoria Wicks
Victoria Wicks is a British actress best known for her television work playing Sally Smedley in Drop the Dead Donkey, Mrs Gideon in The Mighty Boosh, Harriet Lawes, the Head of Roundview College in Skins, and for her work with Howard Barker's theatre company, The Wrestling School...
. On 4 November 2010 Addison hosted the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's Have I Got News For You
Have I Got News for You
Have I Got News for You is a British television panel show produced by Hat Trick Productions for the BBC. It is based loosely on the BBC Radio 4 show The News Quiz, and has been broadcast since 1990, currently the BBC's longest-ever running television panel show...
, having previously been a guest on the show. In 2011 he appeared in a range of Direct Line
Direct Line
Direct Line is part of the RBS Insurance division of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group that specialises in selling insurance and other financial services over the phone and internet....
adverts as a Direct Line representative alongside difficult customers, played by fellow comedic performers Alexander Armstrong
Alexander Armstrong (comedian)
Alexander Henry Fenwick Armstrong is a British comedian, actor and television presenter.-Early life and career:Armstrong was born in Rothbury, Northumberland, the youngest of three children, to Henry Angus Armstrong and his wife Emma Virginia Peronnet Thompson-McCausland, daughter of Lucius...
, Amelia Bullmore
Amelia Bullmore
Amelia Bullmore is an English actress and writer. She was born in London and studied drama at the University of Manchester. Bullmore started working as an actor but turned to writing in 1995...
and Lorna Watson. On 9 April 2011 he was part of the Comedy Takeover on TV channel Dave where he presented and selected the shows.
In 2011 he took part in three shows of the 16-date Uncaged Monkeys tour along with Professor Brian Cox
Brian Cox (physicist)
Brian Edward Cox, OBE , is a British particle physicist, a Royal Society University Research Fellow and a professor at the University of Manchester. He is a member of the High Energy Physics group at the University of Manchester, and works on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at...
, Robin Ince
Robin Ince
Robin Ince is an English stand-up comedian, actor and writer. He is best known for presenting the BBC radio show The Infinite Monkey Cage .-Stand-up comedy:...
, Ben Goldacre
Ben Goldacre
Ben Michael Goldacre born 1974 is a British science writer, doctor and psychiatrist. He is the author of The Guardian newspaper's weekly Bad Science column and a book of the same title, published by Fourth Estate in September 2008....
, Simon Singh
Simon Singh
Simon Lehna Singh, MBE is a British author who has specialised in writing about mathematical and scientific topics in an accessible manner....
and Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....
. In the summer of 2011 Addison also began filming a new E4 chat show called "Show and Tell".