Sam Nixon
Encyclopedia
Sam Nixon is an English singer
and television presenter. He came third on the Pop Idol
television series in 2003 and is now one half of the duo Sam & Mark, with the other being Mark Rhodes
.
, Barnsley
, England
.
Nixon was originally a catering student from Barnsley College
in South Yorkshire
. He attended Holgate School
, Barnsley
from 1997 to 2002 and is still living in Barnsley.
presented by Pat Sharp
.
Nixon and fellow contestant Rosie Feast didn't manage to answer the final question to win the grand prize.
television series in 2003, he formed a duo with Mark Rhodes
, called Sam & Mark.
Sam & Mark had a #1 UK chart
hit with their cover of The Beatles
tune "With a Little Help from My Friends
". Their second single "The Sun Has Come Your Way" debuted in the UK top 40 at #19, but they were dropped from their record deal after this release.
. He then formed a presentational double-act on the BAFTA winning CBBC
show Level Up
, with Mark Rhodes
, from 3 April 2006 until 1 September 2006. He worked on the children's Saturday morning show, TMi
, on BBC Two
, which started on 17 September 2006. The series finished on 7 February 2007. Sam returned to television at the beginning of the Easter holidays 2007 in a show called Do Something Different
which he presents with Rhodes and Ayesha Asantewaa to attempt to get 1 million children to "try something new". Sam (along with Mark Rhodes) is the presenter of TMi Friday
on the CBBC Channel
.
Sam and Mark are now hosting Sam and Mark's Big Friday Wind-Up, which features mainly trivia, as well as playing a prank on families.
, and also headlined a local mini music festival at Darton
, Barnsley a month later. They continue to perform local gigs as and when Sam's TV schedule allows.
airing on 11 October 2008 and 14 November 2009 and were contestants on a celebrity version of TV show Total Wipeout
which aired on 2 January 2010.
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and television presenter. He came third on the Pop Idol
Pop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
television series in 2003 and is now one half of the duo Sam & Mark, with the other being Mark Rhodes
Mark Rhodes
Mark Thomas Rhodes is an English singer and television presenter.-Career:...
.
Early life
He was born in Monk BrettonMonk Bretton
Monk Bretton is a village in the metropolitan borough of Barnsley in South Yorkshire, England. It lies approximately two miles north-east from Barnsley town centre.- History :...
, Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
, England
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...
.
Nixon was originally a catering student from Barnsley College
Barnsley College
Barnsley College is a further education college just outside the town centre of Barnsley, England. It has several campuses: Eastgate House, the Falcon Centre, the SciTech Centre, Old Mill Lane Site, Construction Centre Site, Bell Vue and the Honeywell Centre...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
. He attended Holgate School
Holgate School (Barnsley)
-Admissions:It was recently awarded the status of Sports College in 2005 for its attention to sporting achievements.-History:Holgate School was originally founded in 1546 in Hemsworth by Robert Holgate, the Archbishop of York. In 1888 it was re-organised and moved to Barnsley, South Yorkshire...
, Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
from 1997 to 2002 and is still living in Barnsley.
First television appearance
Nixon's first television appearance was on popular children's game show Fun HouseFun House (UK game show)
Fun House was a British children's game show produced by Scottish Television that aired on CITV from 24 February 1989 to 1999, which usually aired on Fridays . It was hosted by Pat Sharp, who was also aided by twin cheerleaders, Melanie Grant and Martina Grant...
presented by Pat Sharp
Pat Sharp
Pat Sharp is a British radio and television presenter and disc jockey. In the UK, he is known mainly for his work on the children's television programme Fun House, his former mullet and his radio shows as well as his support of Arsenal...
.
Nixon and fellow contestant Rosie Feast didn't manage to answer the final question to win the grand prize.
Sam & Mark
After coming in third on the Pop IdolPop Idol
Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003...
television series in 2003, he formed a duo with Mark Rhodes
Mark Rhodes
Mark Thomas Rhodes is an English singer and television presenter.-Career:...
, called Sam & Mark.
Sam & Mark had a #1 UK chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
hit with their cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
tune "With a Little Help from My Friends
With a Little Help from My Friends
-Joe Cocker version:Joe Cocker's version was a radical re-arrangement of the original, in a slower, 6/8 meter, using different chords in the middle eight, and a lengthy instrumental introduction...
". Their second single "The Sun Has Come Your Way" debuted in the UK top 40 at #19, but they were dropped from their record deal after this release.
Television presenter
Nixon began a television presenting career, co-hosting Top of the Pops ReloadedTop Of The Pops Reloaded
Top of the Pops: Reloaded is a weekly children's music show broadcast as part of the Saturday morning CBBC schedule on BBC Two. It was based on the show, Top Of The Pops, following on from its predecessor Top of the Pops Saturday....
. He then formed a presentational double-act on the BAFTA winning CBBC
CBBC
CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14...
show Level Up
Level Up
Level Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am...
, with Mark Rhodes
Mark Rhodes
Mark Thomas Rhodes is an English singer and television presenter.-Career:...
, from 3 April 2006 until 1 September 2006. He worked on the children's Saturday morning show, TMi
TMi
Sam & Mark's TMi Friday was a British children's television show that was presented by Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes . It originally aired on Saturday mornings on BBC Two from its launch on 16 September 2006, until the end of its fourth series on 19 December 2009. Sam & Mark were joined by Caroline...
, 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...
, which started on 17 September 2006. The series finished on 7 February 2007. Sam returned to television at the beginning of the Easter holidays 2007 in a show called Do Something Different
Do Something Different
Do Something Different is a show produced and broadcast by CBBC. It is hosted by music duo Sam and Mark. Sam and Mark are aiming to get one million children to try out new things; literally to "do something different", also referred in the programme as 'DSD-ing'. A child who completes a DSD is...
which he presents with Rhodes and Ayesha Asantewaa to attempt to get 1 million children to "try something new". Sam (along with Mark Rhodes) is the presenter of TMi Friday
TMi
Sam & Mark's TMi Friday was a British children's television show that was presented by Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes . It originally aired on Saturday mornings on BBC Two from its launch on 16 September 2006, until the end of its fourth series on 19 December 2009. Sam & Mark were joined by Caroline...
on the CBBC Channel
CBBC Channel
CBBC is a BBC television channel aimed at 6 to 12 year olds. It complements the CBBC programming that continues to air on BBC One and BBC Two. Launched on 11 February 2002, it broadcasts from 7am to 7pm on Freeview, cable, IPTV and digital satellite, occupying the same bandwidth as, but a different...
.
Sam and Mark are now hosting Sam and Mark's Big Friday Wind-Up, which features mainly trivia, as well as playing a prank on families.
Mason (band)
Nixon also performs in a band called Mason. Mason performed their first gig on 2 June 2007 at the "Burn down the Disco" night at The Arches in Barnsley, supported by popular local band MUNICHMunich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, and also headlined a local mini music festival at Darton
Darton
Darton is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley , on the border with West Yorkshire. According to the 2001 UK census, it has a population of approximately 14,927...
, Barnsley a month later. They continue to perform local gigs as and when Sam's TV schedule allows.
Other appearances
Sam and Mark took part in two episodes of Hole in the WallHole in the Wall (UK game show)
Hole in the Wall was a game show that airs on BBC One in the United Kingdom. This game is an adaptation of the Japanese game Brain Wall in which players must contort themselves to fit through cutout holes of varying shapes in a large polystyrene wall moving towards them as they stand in front of a...
airing on 11 October 2008 and 14 November 2009 and were contestants on a celebrity version of TV show Total Wipeout
Total Wipeout
Total Wipeout is a British game show, hosted by Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram, which first aired on 3 January 2009. Each week 20 contestants compete in a series of challenges in an attempt to win £10,000. These challenges are based in large pools of water or mud and generally involve large...
which aired on 2 January 2010.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Fun House | Contestant |
| 2003 | Pop Idol Pop Idol Pop Idol is a British television series which debuted on ITV on 6 October 2001. The show was a talent contest to decide the best new young pop singer in the United Kingdom, based on viewer voting and participation. Two series were broadcast - one in 2001-02 and a second in 2003... |
Contestant, 3rd Place |
| 2004–2006 | Top of the Pops Reloaded Top Of The Pops Reloaded Top of the Pops: Reloaded is a weekly children's music show broadcast as part of the Saturday morning CBBC schedule on BBC Two. It was based on the show, Top Of The Pops, following on from its predecessor Top of the Pops Saturday.... |
Co-presenter |
| 2006 | Level Up Level Up Level Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am... |
Main Presenter |
| 2006–2010 | TMi TMi Sam & Mark's TMi Friday was a British children's television show that was presented by Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes . It originally aired on Saturday mornings on BBC Two from its launch on 16 September 2006, until the end of its fourth series on 19 December 2009. Sam & Mark were joined by Caroline... |
Main Presenter |
| 2007 | Do Something Different Do Something Different Do Something Different is a show produced and broadcast by CBBC. It is hosted by music duo Sam and Mark. Sam and Mark are aiming to get one million children to try out new things; literally to "do something different", also referred in the programme as 'DSD-ing'. A child who completes a DSD is... |
Main presenter |
| 2008 | SMart SMart SMart was a British CBBC television programme based on the subject of art, which began in 1994. The programme was recorded at BBC Television Centre in London, previously it had been recorded in Studio A at BBC Pebble Mill in Birmingham. The format is similar to the Tony Hart programmes Take Hart... |
guest presenter |
| 2008 | Sam and Mark's Guide to Dodging Disaster Sam and Mark's Guide to Dodging Disaster Sam and Mark's Guide to Dodging Disaster is a children's television programme shown on CBBC. The programme features Sam and Mark in non-speaking roles, with Hugh Dennis providing a voice-over. The programme is filmed using chroma key techniques.... |
Main Presenter |
| 2008 | Hole in the Wall (UK game show) Hole in the Wall (UK game show) Hole in the Wall was a game show that airs on BBC One in the United Kingdom. This game is an adaptation of the Japanese game Brain Wall in which players must contort themselves to fit through cutout holes of varying shapes in a large polystyrene wall moving towards them as they stand in front of a... |
Contestant (Mark Rhodes was on the other team (Series 1 Episode 4)) |
| 2009 | Who Wants To Be A Superhero? Who Wants To Be A Superhero? (UK TV series) Who Wants to Be a Superhero? is a UK children's reality show hosted by Sam Nixon, Mark Rhodes and Stan Lee, based on the NBC Universal/Sci Fi Channel series of the same name... |
On BBC Two (January–April 2009) |
| 2009–present | CBBC CBBC CBBC is one of two brand names used for the BBC's children's television strands. Between 1985 and 2002, CBBC was the name given to all the BBC's programmes on TV for children aged under 14... |
Continuity Presenter |
| 2009 | Skate Nation Skate Nation Skate Nation is a British children's television programme presented by Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes broadcast by CBBC on BBC Two in 2009. It was an eleven-part series in which fourteen teams of roller skaters competed for a trip to the World Games in Taiwan... |
Main Presenter |
| 2009 | Hole in the Wall (UK game show) Hole in the Wall (UK game show) Hole in the Wall was a game show that airs on BBC One in the United Kingdom. This game is an adaptation of the Japanese game Brain Wall in which players must contort themselves to fit through cutout holes of varying shapes in a large polystyrene wall moving towards them as they stand in front of a... |
Contestant (Mark Rhodes was on the other team (Series 2 Episode 7) |
| 2010 | Jump Nation | Main Presenter |
| 2010 | BBC News Channel | Entertainment Correspondent/ Anchorman |
| 2010 | Copycats Copycats Copycats is a gameshow on CBBC presented by Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes, which first aired on 23 November 2009. It involves two family teams, each of six contestants, battling against each other in a series of games. Each episode consists of a number of rounds. Three of the rounds are based on... |
Himself |
| 2011 | Comic Relief Comic Relief Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief... Does Glee Club Glee club A glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition... |
Main Presenter |
| 2011- | Big Friday Wind-Up | Main Presenter |
Pop Idol 2 Performances
- Top 50: "Walking In Memphis" by (Marc CohnMarc CohnMarc Craig Cohn is an American folk rock singer-songwriter and musician.- Personal life :Cohn was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He graduated from Beachwood High School in Beachwood, a Cleveland suburb. He then attended Oberlin College....
) - Wildcards: "Over My Shoulder" (Mike + The Mechanics)
- Top 12: "Handbags & Gladrags" (Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
) - Top 10: "True Colours" (Cyndi LauperCyndi LauperCynthia Ann Stephanie "Cyndi" Lauper is an American singer, songwriter, actress and LGBT rights activist. She achieved success in the mid-1980s with the release of the album She's So Unusual and became the first female singer to have four top-five singles released from one album...
) - Top 8: "I Want Love" (Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
) - Top 7: "Blame It On The Boogie" (Jackson 5)
- Top 6: "With A Little Help From My Friends" (The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
) - Top 5: "Mr. Bojangles" (Sammy Davis Jr.)
- Top 4: "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" (Bruce SpringsteenBruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
) - Top 4: "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday" (WizzardWizzardWizzard was a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."-Biography:...
) - Top 3: "Always" (Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
) - Top 3: "Maggie May" (Rod StewartRod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
)
Discography
Singles- With A Little Help From My Friends - Sam & Mark (March 2004)
- The Sun Has Come Your Way - Sam & Mark (May 2004)