Miranda Hart
Encyclopedia
Miranda Katharine Hart Dyke (born 14 December 1972), known professionally as Miranda Hart, is an English
actress, writer and stand-up
comedienne. She writes and stars in the BBC
sitcom Miranda
. She also appeared in French and Saunders
, the BBC television series Hyperdrive
and her semi-autobiographical sitcom Miranda Hart's Joke Shop on BBC Radio 2
.
, Devon
to Royal Navy
officer David Hart Dyke
and Diana Margaret Luce, Hart grew up in Petersfield
, Hampshire
. She was educated at Downe House, Berkshire
, an independent girls' boarding school, where she was a contemporary and friend of the sports presenter Clare Balding
, who was head girl. She graduated with upper second-class honours in politics at the University of the West of England
, followed by training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts
. Despite studying politics, she always wanted to be a comedienne. In 2002, she did a solo show in Edinburgh, and in 2004 she pitched a comedy show to the BBC. At her read-through for BBC executives, Jennifer Saunders
was there, laughing throughout.
While appearing on Frank Skinner's Opinionated
in 2010, she stated that she was from an upper-class background, but hated saying that and did not consider herself upper-class. She added that her family tree has been traced back to the 12th century, and that her aunt and uncle live in a castle that they cannot afford to run.
-based comedy, including an appearance in the Edinburgh and touring show The Sitcom Trials
, Hart has written her own theatre material for the Edinburgh Fringe
. Her one-woman shows include Miranda Hart – Throbs, It's All About Me and Miranda Hart's House Party. She also performed in Alecky Blythe's 2006 play Cruising at the Bush Theatre
.
In 2010 she and six other TV celebrities raised over £
1 million for the charity Sport Relief
by cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End
.
television comedy
sci-fi series
Hyperdrive
, which ran from January 2006 to August 2007. She has also appeared in French & Saunders
, My Family and Other Animals
, Nighty Night
, Absolutely Fabulous
, The Vicar of Dibley
, Lead Balloon
, William and Mary
, Smack the Pony
(for which she wrote and performed in a couple of sketches
and a number of video diaries), Not Going Out
and Stupid!
She appeared in the third series of Comic Relief does Fame Academy
in 2007, and became the second contestant to be voted off the show. In 2009, she appeared in the last ever sketch from French and Saunders
, also in aid of Comic Relief.
Hart appeared in a short film by Tim Plester
World of Wrestling in which she played Klondyke Kate, a wrestler billed as 'hell in boots'. The film was released in late 2007 alongside its companion shorts Blakes Junction 7 and Ant Muzak.
In 2006, she appeared in an episode of Not Going Out
as an acupuncturist. Her performance impressed the producers so much that they wrote a regular role for her in the next series as clumsy cleaner Barbara; a part she continued to play until 2009. However, due to a busy filming schedule, the character did not return for the fourth series, aired in 2011.
In 2007 Miranda played the part of Shelley a Min Cab Driver in Channel 5 Comedy Angelos which ran for 6 episodes
In 2008, she recorded the pilot episode of Miranda
for BBC Two
. The sitcom is based on her semi-autobiographical writing which went on to become a radio series, Miranda Hart's Joke Shop on BBC Radio 2
. On 9 November 2009 Miranda, nominated "one of the top 10 forthcoming TV shows for Autumn 2009" by The Sunday Times
, began transmission on BBC Two
. She appeared as guest host of Have I Got News for You
in October 2009. She also presented a BBC spoof
programme looking back over 2009 called 2009 Unwrapped with Miranda Hart. A similar show looking back over 2010 was also broadcast in December 2010.
She has also appeared twice on Strictly Come Dancing:It Takes Two. She is a fan of the series Strictly Come Dancing.
Miranda Hart has appeared in the TV series Monday Monday
starring Fay Ripley
: Miranda played the role of "Tall Karen". She appeared in a T.V. advert for Alpen.
In the final quarter of 2009, Heather Small
's back catalogue sales increased by 73% as a result of frequent references to her hit single "Proud" in Miranda
'.
In 2010 she appeared in the final of Old Dears Club as snooty receptionist Beverly Gates.
The second series of Miranda
began on BBC2 in November 2010. The series ended with a viewing high of 4.1m and has been re-commissioned by the BBC
for another two series to air in 2011 and 2012. Hart was described in the FT
as "the most original and farcically hilarious female clown since Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
". In February 2011 the BBC announced that the sitcom would move to BBC One
for its third series. The first two series of Miranda were repeated on BBC One in Summer 2011.
A Miranda mini-episode set in the world of Pineapple Dance Studios was filmed and broadcast on 18 March as part of Comic Relief. Miranda Hart also took part in a Red Nose Day edition of MasterChef, which she won. Also for Comic Relief 2011, Hart starred as a judge for the finale of Let's Dance for Comic Relief, alongside Rufus Hound and Louie Spence. She also gave a signed Miranda script to be auctioned in aid of Comic Relief.
In 2012 Miranda will be playing Chummy in Call the Midwife on BBC One.
for her performance in Miranda, and was also nominated for best comedy writing. She and Patricia Hodge
were both nominated for "Best Comedy Actress" awards at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival 2010.
In 2011 she won "Best Comedy Actress" and "People’s Choice Award For The King Or Queen Of Comedy" in the British Comedy Awards
2011, where Miranda also won "Best New British TV Comedy" and was nominated for "Best Sitcom"
In 2011 she was nominated for a BAFTA for Best actress in a comedy role and her hit BBC Two sitcom Miranda
was nominated for the Bafta YouTube choice award, the only award voted for by the public.
in 2008, and went on from there to be developed into the television series Miranda. Hart has also presented comedy specials for the network alongside Jon Holmes
. In October 2011 she attracted criticism after co-hosting the Chris Evans Breakfast Show
with Holmes while Chris Evans was on holiday. The website Digital Spy
reported that some listeners were unhappy with the quality of the programme. The BBC issued a statement in response saying, "Miranda Hart is one of the UK's best-loved comedians and BBC Radio 2 felt it appropriate to bring her warmth to its audience for a week. Jon Holmes is a highly experienced presenter from BBC Radio 6 Music [...] BBC Radio 2 appreciates if their presentation wasn't to everyone's liking, but feels it's important to be able to bring new talent to its output and hopes its audience understands the importance of maintaining a breadth of content on the network."
officer Captain David Hart Dyke
CBE LVO RN
who was commanding officer
of HMS Coventry
when it was sunk by the Argentinians in the 1982 Falklands conflict
, as a result of which he was badly burned trying to escape the stricken warship. His later career saw him serving as Aide-de-Camp
to HM The Queen, 1988-9. He retired from active naval service in 1990 with the rank of Captain (OF-5)
. He used his transcripts to write a book chronicling the events surrounding Coventrys sinking. The work, published in 2007, is titled Four Weeks in May: The Loss of HMS Coventry A Captain's Story. The book formed the basis for BBC2 documentary, Sea of Fire, first shown on BBC2 on 1st June 2007.
Her mother is Diana Margaret Hart Dyke née Luce, the daughter of Sir William Luce
GBE KCMG OBE
(1907-1977), who was the British Governor and Commander in Chief of Aden, 1956-60.
Hart's uncle is The Rt Hon Lord Luce
KG GCVO PC DL
, a former Conservative
MP
and minister, who has since been HM Governor and Commander in Chief of Gibraltar
(1997–2000) and Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household
, 2000-2006.
On her mother's side, her great-grandfather was Vice Admiral
Sir Trevylyan Napier
KCB MVO, who was the Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station (1919-1920), while her great-great-grandfather was Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet
, who was the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
(1901-1920).
Her great-uncle and the brother of her maternal grandfather was Admiral Sir David Luce
GCB DSO & Bar
OBE, who served as First Sea Lord
.
Her great-great-uncle was Major-General
Sir Richard Harman Luce KCMG CB, who served as Member of Parliament
for Derby
from 1924-1929.
Hart's 1st cousin is modern-day plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke
.
Hart has a sister, Alice Louisa Hart Dyke (born 1975).
In her early twenties, Hart had an unsuccessful trial at Queens Park Rangers Ladies.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress, writer and stand-up
Stand-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...
comedienne. She writes and stars in 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...
sitcom Miranda
Miranda (TV series)
Miranda is a BBC television series co-written by and starring comedienne Miranda Hart, which first aired on BBC Two on 9 November 2009. The situation comedy also features Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis, Patricia Hodge, James Holmes and Sally Phillips...
. She also appeared in French and Saunders
French and Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
, the BBC television series Hyperdrive
Hyperdrive (TV series)
Hyperdrive is a British television science fiction sitcom series produced by the BBC created under the working title of "Full Power." BBC2 broadcast two series in 2006 and 2007, A third series is yet to be commissioned and the actor Kevin Eldon has indicated that is unlikely to be...
and her semi-autobiographical sitcom Miranda Hart's Joke Shop on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
.
Early life
Born in TorquayTorquay
Torquay is a town in the unitary authority area of Torbay and ceremonial county of Devon, England. It lies south of Exeter along the A380 on the north of Torbay, north-east of Plymouth and adjoins the neighbouring town of Paignton on the west of the bay. Torquay’s population of 63,998 during the...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
to Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer David Hart Dyke
David Hart Dyke
Captain David Hart Dyke CBE LVO ADC RN is a retired Royal Navy Officer, former Aide-de-Camp to HM The Queen, and former Commanding officer of HMS Coventry, sunk during the Falklands War....
and Diana Margaret Luce, Hart grew up in Petersfield
Petersfield
Petersfield can refer to any of the following places:*Petersfield, Hampshire, a market town in England*Petersfield, Jamaica, a small town in the parish of Westmoreland*Petersfield, Manitoba, in Canada*Petersfield, an area of Cambridge, England...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
. She was educated at Downe House, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, an independent girls' boarding school, where she was a contemporary and friend of the sports presenter Clare Balding
Clare Balding
Clare Balding is a BBC sports presenter, journalist and jockey.-Early life:In 1989 and 1990, Balding was a leading amateur flat jockey and Champion Lady Rider in 1990....
, who was head girl. She graduated with upper second-class honours in politics at the University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
, followed by training at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts
Academy of Live and Recorded Arts
The Academy of Live and Recorded Arts is a British drama school situated on Wandsworth Common, South West London and in Wigan, Greater Manchester making it the only CDS drama school to offer identical training at two separate institutions across The United Kingdom...
. Despite studying politics, she always wanted to be a comedienne. In 2002, she did a solo show in Edinburgh, and in 2004 she pitched a comedy show to the BBC. At her read-through for BBC executives, Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
was there, laughing throughout.
While appearing on Frank Skinner's Opinionated
Frank Skinner's Opinionated
Frank Skinner's Opinionated is a British television comedy talk show hosted by comedian Frank Skinner and produced by Avalon for the BBC. The show focusses on various topics in the previous week's news, with Skinner joined by two celebrity guests, also interacting with the studio audience. Each...
in 2010, she stated that she was from an upper-class background, but hated saying that and did not consider herself upper-class. She added that her family tree has been traced back to the 12th century, and that her aunt and uncle live in a castle that they cannot afford to run.
Live performance
Avoiding the normal stand-up circuit for more characterFictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
-based comedy, including an appearance in the Edinburgh and touring show The Sitcom Trials
The Sitcom Trials
The Sitcom Trials is a stage and TV show devised, produced, and presented by Kev F. Sutherland. Beginning in Bristol in 1999, it showcases new sitcoms and comedy items in a head-to-head format...
, Hart has written her own theatre material for the 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...
. Her one-woman shows include Miranda Hart – Throbs, It's All About Me and Miranda Hart's House Party. She also performed in Alecky Blythe's 2006 play Cruising at the Bush Theatre
Bush Theatre
The Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
.
In 2010 she and six other TV celebrities raised over £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1 million for the charity Sport Relief
Sport Relief
Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world's poorest countries...
by cycling from John O'Groats to Land's End
Land's End
Land's End is a headland and small settlement in west Cornwall, England, within the United Kingdom. It is located on the Penwith peninsula approximately eight miles west-southwest of Penzance....
.
Television and film
Hart starred as Teal in two series of the BBCBBC
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...
television comedy
Television comedy
Television comedy had a presence from the earliest days of broadcasting. Among the earliest BBC television programmes in the 1930s was Starlight, which offered a series of guests from the music hall era — singers and comedians amongst them...
sci-fi series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Hyperdrive
Hyperdrive (TV series)
Hyperdrive is a British television science fiction sitcom series produced by the BBC created under the working title of "Full Power." BBC2 broadcast two series in 2006 and 2007, A third series is yet to be commissioned and the actor Kevin Eldon has indicated that is unlikely to be...
, which ran from January 2006 to August 2007. She has also appeared in French & Saunders
French & Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
, My Family and Other Animals
My Family and Other Animals (film)
My Family And Other Animals is a 2005 film written by Simon Nye and directed by Sheree Folkson. The film is based on the autobiographical book of the same title written by Gerald Durrell, in which he describes a series of anecdotes relating to his family's stay on Corfu from 1935–1939, when he was...
, Nighty Night
Nighty Night
Nighty Night is a British dark comedy sitcom written by and starring Julia Davis. It was first broadcast on 6 January 2004 on BBC Three before moving to BBC2....
, Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
, The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress, Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. It aired from 1994 to 2007...
, Lead Balloon
Lead Balloon
Lead Balloon is a British television series produced by Open Mike Productions for BBC Four. The series was created and is co-written by comedian Jack Dee and...
, William and Mary
William and Mary (TV series)
William and Mary is an ITV Scotland-based romantic comedy drama, starring Martin Clunes as William Shawcross, an undertaker, and Julie Graham as Mary Gilcrest, a midwife. Its title refers to its two principal characters and is a cultural reference to the reign of the English monarchs William and...
, Smack the Pony
Smack the Pony
Smack the Pony is a British sketch comedy show that ran from 1999 until 2003 on Channel 4. Its title was intended to sound like a euphemism for female masturbation; the working title was Spot the Pony. The main performers and writers on the show were Fiona Allen, Doon Mackichan and Sally Phillips...
(for which she wrote and performed in a couple of sketches
Sketch comedy
A sketch comedy consists of a series of short comedy scenes or vignettes, called "sketches," commonly between one and ten minutes long. Such sketches are performed by a group of comic actors or comedians, either on stage or through an audio and/or visual medium such as broadcasting...
and a number of video diaries), Not Going Out
Not Going Out
Not Going Out is a British television sitcom that has aired on BBC One since 2006. Starring Lee Mack, Tim Vine, Sally Bretton, Miranda Hart and Katy Wix, it was initially written by Mack, Andrew Collins, Paul Kerensa, Simon Evans and Peter Tilbury, but now features contributions from other...
and Stupid!
Stupid!
Stupid! was a British television comedy sketch show aimed at children of primary and secondary school age, which was first broadcast on CBBC and subsequently BBC One.-Main characters:...
She appeared in the third series of Comic Relief does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy
Comic Relief Does Fame Academy is a spin-off of the original Fame Academy show where celebrities sing as students of the Academy. The programme was launched in 2003 to help raise money for the charities supported by Comic Relief, with the final of the show occurring on Red Nose Day...
in 2007, and became the second contestant to be voted off the show. In 2009, she appeared in the last ever sketch from French and Saunders
French and Saunders
French and Saunders is a British sketch comedy television show written by and starring comic duo Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. It is also the name by which the performers are known on the occasions when they appear elsewhere as a double act....
, also in aid of Comic Relief.
Hart appeared in a short film by Tim Plester
Tim Plester
Tim Plester is a British playwright and actor who lives and works in London.Plester graduated in 1994 with a BA in theatre at Dartington College of Arts in Devon, and went on to obtain an MA in playwriting studies from Birmingham University in 1997...
World of Wrestling in which she played Klondyke Kate, a wrestler billed as 'hell in boots'. The film was released in late 2007 alongside its companion shorts Blakes Junction 7 and Ant Muzak.
In 2006, she appeared in an episode of Not Going Out
Not Going Out
Not Going Out is a British television sitcom that has aired on BBC One since 2006. Starring Lee Mack, Tim Vine, Sally Bretton, Miranda Hart and Katy Wix, it was initially written by Mack, Andrew Collins, Paul Kerensa, Simon Evans and Peter Tilbury, but now features contributions from other...
as an acupuncturist. Her performance impressed the producers so much that they wrote a regular role for her in the next series as clumsy cleaner Barbara; a part she continued to play until 2009. However, due to a busy filming schedule, the character did not return for the fourth series, aired in 2011.
In 2007 Miranda played the part of Shelley a Min Cab Driver in Channel 5 Comedy Angelos which ran for 6 episodes
In 2008, she recorded the pilot episode of Miranda
Miranda (TV series)
Miranda is a BBC television series co-written by and starring comedienne Miranda Hart, which first aired on BBC Two on 9 November 2009. The situation comedy also features Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis, Patricia Hodge, James Holmes and Sally Phillips...
for BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. The sitcom is based on her semi-autobiographical writing which went on to become a radio series, Miranda Hart's Joke Shop on BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
. On 9 November 2009 Miranda, nominated "one of the top 10 forthcoming TV shows for Autumn 2009" by The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, began transmission on BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
. She appeared as guest host of 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...
in October 2009. She also presented a BBC spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
programme looking back over 2009 called 2009 Unwrapped with Miranda Hart. A similar show looking back over 2010 was also broadcast in December 2010.
She has also appeared twice on Strictly Come Dancing:It Takes Two. She is a fan of the series Strictly Come Dancing.
Miranda Hart has appeared in the TV series Monday Monday
Monday Monday (TV series)
Monday Monday is an ITV comedy drama. It stars Fay Ripley, Jenny Agutter, Neil Stuke, Holly Aird, Morven Christie, Tom Ellis and Miranda Hart.It is set in the head office of a supermarket that has fallen on hard times and had to re-locate its staff from London to Leeds...
starring Fay Ripley
Fay Ripley
Fay Ripley is an English actress and recipe author. Born in Wimbledon, London, Ripley is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama . Her first professional role was in the chorus of a pantomime version of Around the World in 80 Days...
: Miranda played the role of "Tall Karen". She appeared in a T.V. advert for Alpen.
In the final quarter of 2009, Heather Small
Heather Small
Heather Small is a British soul singer, best known for being the lead singer in the Manchester based band M People. Her debut solo album was Proud in 2000...
's back catalogue sales increased by 73% as a result of frequent references to her hit single "Proud" in Miranda
Miranda (TV series)
Miranda is a BBC television series co-written by and starring comedienne Miranda Hart, which first aired on BBC Two on 9 November 2009. The situation comedy also features Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis, Patricia Hodge, James Holmes and Sally Phillips...
'.
In 2010 she appeared in the final of Old Dears Club as snooty receptionist Beverly Gates.
The second series of Miranda
Miranda (TV series)
Miranda is a BBC television series co-written by and starring comedienne Miranda Hart, which first aired on BBC Two on 9 November 2009. The situation comedy also features Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis, Patricia Hodge, James Holmes and Sally Phillips...
began on BBC2 in November 2010. The series ended with a viewing high of 4.1m and has been re-commissioned by 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...
for another two series to air in 2011 and 2012. Hart was described in the FT
Financial Times
The Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
as "the most original and farcically hilarious female clown since Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an International Emmy Award, a British Comedy Award, a Rose d'Or Light Entertainment Festival Award, two Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards, and a Peoples Choice Award.She first came into...
". In February 2011 the BBC announced that the sitcom would move to BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
for its third series. The first two series of Miranda were repeated on BBC One in Summer 2011.
A Miranda mini-episode set in the world of Pineapple Dance Studios was filmed and broadcast on 18 March as part of Comic Relief. Miranda Hart also took part in a Red Nose Day edition of MasterChef, which she won. Also for Comic Relief 2011, Hart starred as a judge for the finale of Let's Dance for Comic Relief, alongside Rufus Hound and Louie Spence. She also gave a signed Miranda script to be auctioned in aid of Comic Relief.
In 2012 Miranda will be playing Chummy in Call the Midwife on BBC One.
Awards
In 2010 she won the Best Comedy Performance award from the Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
for her performance in Miranda, and was also nominated for best comedy writing. She and Patricia Hodge
Patricia Hodge
Patricia Ann Hodge is an English actor.-Early life:The daughter of the Royal Hotel owner/manager Eric and his wife Marion , Hodge attended Wintringham Girls' Grammar School on Weelsby Avenue in Grimsby and then St...
were both nominated for "Best Comedy Actress" awards at the Monte-Carlo TV Festival 2010.
In 2011 she won "Best Comedy Actress" and "People’s Choice Award For The King Or Queen Of Comedy" in the British Comedy Awards
British Comedy Awards
The British Comedy Awards is an annual awards ceremony in the United Kingdom celebrating notable comedians and entertainment performances of the previous year.-History:...
2011, where Miranda also won "Best New British TV Comedy" and was nominated for "Best Sitcom"
In 2011 she was nominated for a BAFTA for Best actress in a comedy role and her hit BBC Two sitcom Miranda
Miranda (TV series)
Miranda is a BBC television series co-written by and starring comedienne Miranda Hart, which first aired on BBC Two on 9 November 2009. The situation comedy also features Sarah Hadland, Tom Ellis, Patricia Hodge, James Holmes and Sally Phillips...
was nominated for the Bafta YouTube choice award, the only award voted for by the public.
Radio
Her semi-autobiographical series Miranda Hart's Joke Shop was aired on BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
in 2008, and went on from there to be developed into the television series Miranda. Hart has also presented comedy specials for the network alongside Jon Holmes
Jon Holmes
Jon Holmes is a seven time Sony award-winning and double Bafta winning British writer, comedian and broadcaster.-Early life:...
. In October 2011 she attracted criticism after co-hosting the Chris Evans Breakfast Show
Chris Evans Breakfast Show
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show is the flagship show on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom. It is presented by Chris Evans from 11 January 2010, when Evans took over from Sir Terry Wogan who ended his stint as Breakfast presenter at the end of 2009...
with Holmes while Chris Evans was on holiday. The website Digital Spy
Digital Spy
Digital Spy is a British entertainment and media news website. According to Alexa Internet traffic statistics, as of February 2011, Digital Spy is the 93rd most popular website in the United Kingdom, with an overall Alexa ranking of 2,088....
reported that some listeners were unhappy with the quality of the programme. The BBC issued a statement in response saying, "Miranda Hart is one of the UK's best-loved comedians and BBC Radio 2 felt it appropriate to bring her warmth to its audience for a week. Jon Holmes is a highly experienced presenter from BBC Radio 6 Music [...] BBC Radio 2 appreciates if their presentation wasn't to everyone's liking, but feels it's important to be able to bring new talent to its output and hopes its audience understands the importance of maintaining a breadth of content on the network."
Personal life and family
Hart's father is retired Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
officer Captain David Hart Dyke
David Hart Dyke
Captain David Hart Dyke CBE LVO ADC RN is a retired Royal Navy Officer, former Aide-de-Camp to HM The Queen, and former Commanding officer of HMS Coventry, sunk during the Falklands War....
CBE LVO RN
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
who was commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of HMS Coventry
HMS Coventry (D118)
HMS Coventry was a Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. Laid down by Cammell Laird and Company, Limited, at Birkenhead on 29 January 1973, she was launched on 21 June 1974 and accepted into service on 20 October 1978 at a cost of £37,900,000.She was sunk by Argentine Air Force A-4 Skyhawks on 25...
when it was sunk by the Argentinians in the 1982 Falklands conflict
Falklands War
The Falklands War , also called the Falklands Conflict or Falklands Crisis, was fought in 1982 between Argentina and the United Kingdom over the disputed Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands...
, as a result of which he was badly burned trying to escape the stricken warship. His later career saw him serving as Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to HM The Queen, 1988-9. He retired from active naval service in 1990 with the rank of Captain (OF-5)
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
. He used his transcripts to write a book chronicling the events surrounding Coventrys sinking. The work, published in 2007, is titled Four Weeks in May: The Loss of HMS Coventry A Captain's Story. The book formed the basis for BBC2 documentary, Sea of Fire, first shown on BBC2 on 1st June 2007.
Her mother is Diana Margaret Hart Dyke née Luce, the daughter of Sir William Luce
Sir William Luce
Sir William Luce GBE KCMG OBE was the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Aden between 1956 and 1960.-Family:Luce married Margaret Napier, daughter of Vice Admiral Sir Trevylyan Napier KCB MVO, who was the Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station . By her he had two children:*Richard...
GBE KCMG OBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1907-1977), who was the British Governor and Commander in Chief of Aden, 1956-60.
Hart's uncle is The Rt Hon Lord Luce
Richard Luce, Baron Luce
Richard Napier Luce, Baron Luce, was Lord Chamberlain to HM The Queen from 2000 to 2006, and was previously Governor of Gibraltar and a Conservative Member of Parliament and Government Minister.-Early career:...
KG GCVO PC DL
Deputy Lieutenant
In the United Kingdom, a Deputy Lieutenant is one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area; an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county....
, a former Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and minister, who has since been HM Governor and Commander in Chief of Gibraltar
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
(1997–2000) and Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household
Lord Chamberlain
The Lord Chamberlain or Lord Chamberlain of the Household is one of the chief officers of the Royal Household in the United Kingdom and is to be distinguished from the Lord Great Chamberlain, one of the Great Officers of State....
, 2000-2006.
On her mother's side, her great-grandfather was Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)
Vice admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century...
Sir Trevylyan Napier
Trevylyan Napier
Vice Admiral Sir Trevylyan Dacres Willes Napier KCB MVO was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station.-Naval career:...
KCB MVO, who was the Commander-in-Chief, America and West Indies Station (1919-1920), while her great-great-grandfather was Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet
Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet
Admiral Sir Michael Culme-Seymour, 3rd Baronet was a senior Royal Navy officer. On 17 September 1880 he became 3rd Baronet, on the death of his father...
, who was the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. Despite the title, the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is usually a full admiral. He is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary office vested in the Sovereign from...
(1901-1920).
Her great-uncle and the brother of her maternal grandfather was Admiral Sir David Luce
David Luce
Admiral Sir John David Luce GCB, DSO & Bar, OBE was First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy. He was the son of Admiral John Luce.-Naval career:David Luce joined the Royal Navy in 1919 and chose to become a submariner....
GCB DSO & Bar
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
OBE, who served as First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
.
Her great-great-uncle was Major-General
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Sir Richard Harman Luce KCMG CB, who served as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Derby
Derby (UK Parliament constituency)
Derby is a former United Kingdom Parliamentary constituency. It was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of England then of the Parliament of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800 and of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 to 1950. It was represented by two Members of...
from 1924-1929.
Hart's 1st cousin is modern-day plant hunter Tom Hart Dyke
Tom Hart Dyke
-External links:*...
.
Hart has a sister, Alice Louisa Hart Dyke (born 1975).
In her early twenties, Hart had an unsuccessful trial at Queens Park Rangers Ladies.
External links
- Miranda Hart's official website
- Miranda Hart on Twitter
- Miranda Hart's agent
- Miranda Hart interview recorded at BAFTA London – June 2011