Simon Fanshawe
Encyclopedia
Simon Hew Dalrymple Fanshawe (born 26 December 1956, in Devizes
, England
) is a writer
and broadcaster. He contributes frequently to British newspapers, TV and radio. He is also now a consultant and non-executive director of public and private organisations.
He first came to public attention as a stand-up comedian
, winning the prestigious Perrier Award in 1989, and on the television programme That's Life!
.
Since then he has been a very frequent contributor on a variety of subjects from arts to politics in newspapers and on many BBC radio and TV programmes. His BBC Radio 4 profile light-heartedly describes him as a "media tart".
Fanshawe has also been involved in many community/campaigning groups and public bodies - often as a board member. He led the campaign to make Brighton and Hove a city in 2000. He was a founding member of Stonewall
. He was the chairman of the board for the Brighton Festival Fringe
and is on the Board of the Edinburgh Fringe
. He founded and chaired the Economic Strategy body of his home town, The Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership.
He studied law
at the University of Sussex
in Brighton
, England, and is now Chair of the University's governing Council. He lives in the Kemptown
area of Brighton.
In 2006 he made the documentary "The Trouble with Gay Men", shown on BBC Three
.
In 2007 he presented the first programme in the BBC
's Building Britain series, concentrating his attentions the key role of developers in making cities over the last two centuries.
Devizes
Devizes is a market town and civil parish in Wiltshire, England. The town is about southeast of Chippenham and about east of Trowbridge.Devizes serves as a centre for banks, solicitors and shops, with a large open market place where a market is held once a week...
, 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...
) is a 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 broadcaster. He contributes frequently to British newspapers, TV and radio. He is also now a consultant and non-executive director of public and private organisations.
He first came to public attention as a stand-up comedian
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...
, winning the prestigious Perrier Award in 1989, and on the television programme That's Life!
That's Life!
That's Life! was a magazine-style television series on BBC1 between 26 May 1973 and 19 June 1994, presented by Esther Rantzen throughout the entire run, with various changes of co-presenters. The show was generally recorded about an hour prior to transmission, which was originally on Saturday...
.
Since then he has been a very frequent contributor on a variety of subjects from arts to politics in newspapers and on many BBC radio and TV programmes. His BBC Radio 4 profile light-heartedly describes him as a "media tart".
Fanshawe has also been involved in many community/campaigning groups and public bodies - often as a board member. He led the campaign to make Brighton and Hove a city in 2000. He was a founding member of Stonewall
Stonewall (UK)
Stonewall is a lesbian, gay and bisexual rights charity in the United Kingdom named after the Stonewall Inn of Stonewall riots fame. Now the largest gay equality organization not only in the UK but in Europe, it was formed in 1989 by political activists and others lobbying against section 28 of the...
. He was the chairman of the board for the Brighton Festival Fringe
Brighton Festival Fringe
The Brighton Festival Fringe is an open access arts festival held annually in Brighton, England. It is the largest annual arts festival in England.- Introduction :...
and is on the Board of 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...
. He founded and chaired the Economic Strategy body of his home town, The Brighton & Hove Economic Partnership.
He studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at the University of Sussex
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, England, and is now Chair of the University's governing Council. He lives in the Kemptown
Kemptown
Kemptown is a small community running along the King's Cliff to Black Rock in the east of Brighton, East Sussex, England.-History:The area takes its name from Thomas Read Kemp's Kemp Town residential estate of the early 19th Century, but the one-word name now refers to an area larger than the...
area of Brighton.
In 2006 he made the documentary "The Trouble with Gay Men", shown on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
.
In 2007 he presented the first programme 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...
's Building Britain series, concentrating his attentions the key role of developers in making cities over the last two centuries.
Newspapers and magazines
Fanshawe has contributed articles to the following publications:- The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
- The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times (UK)The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
- The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
- Evening StandardEvening StandardThe Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
- Time Out
- PunchPunch (magazine)Punch, or the London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 50s, when it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration...
Radio
Fanshawe has been a presenter or contributor on the following radio programs:- Kaleidoscope
- Sunday Brunch
- Fanshawe on Five
- The Reference Library
- Live From London
- Fanshawe Gets To The Bottom Of...
- Loose EndsLoose Ends (radio)Loose Ends is a British radio programme originally broadcast on Saturday mornings, and then transmitted early Saturday evenings from 1998 by BBC Radio 4. It was hosted by Ned Sherrin until he became ill in late 2006 with a reported throat infection, and later throat cancer...
- The Motion Show
Television
- That's Life!That's Life!That's Life! was a magazine-style television series on BBC1 between 26 May 1973 and 19 June 1994, presented by Esther Rantzen throughout the entire run, with various changes of co-presenters. The show was generally recorded about an hour prior to transmission, which was originally on Saturday...
, a BBC television light entertainment series. A co-presenter, for one series only, in 1990. - Thames Roadshow
- Live from Jongleurs
- The Trouble With Gay Men
External links
- Fanshawe's website
- Official site for The Done Thing
- Blog for The Done Thing
- Biography on BBC Radio 4 site