Stephen K. Amos
Encyclopedia
Stephen Kehinde Amos is a British
stand-up comedian of Nigerian
origin. A regular on the international comedy circuit, he is known for including his audience members during his shows. He began his career as a compere
at the Big Fish comedy clubs in South London, and has been nominated for Chortle's Best Compere Award three times in 2004, 2007 and 2008.
, after making his début in 2001
. During the 2006 Fringe
, he performed the revealing solo show All of Me, in which he publicly acknowledged his own homosexuality
to his audience for the first time. He hosted a chat show on weekends (in addition to his own show), performed as a guest at various extra festival shows such as Spank! and performed daily in Stewart Lee
's production of Eric Bogosian
's play Talk Radio
. Away from the fringe, Amos is a regular performer at The Comedy Store, London
, featuring on the bill several evenings each month as well as various other venues around central London.
Amos appeared in the winning team at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Great Debate in 2006, 2007, & 2008 for the negative team, & in 2009 for the affirmative team. In May 2007, he appeared at the New Zealand International Comedy festival where he won the award for Best International Comedian. He performed at the 2007 class clowns state final in South Australia. During late 2008 and early 2009, he embarked on a UK tour of his show Find the Funny. In the winter of 2009 and 2010 he sold out his second national tour The Feelgood Factor.
As an actor, he performed in both the Edinburgh Fringe & London run of a version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
. His debut DVD was released in November 2009 entitled Find The Funny - Live. His second DVD was released in November 2010 entitled The Feelgood Factor.
In April 2010 Amos hosted The People's Music Awards
in London.
Amos hosted and performed a short set on the main stage at London's Gay Pride parade on 3 June 2010.
Amos performed on the Alternative stage at Reading Festival on the 27th August 2010 and the Leeds Festival on 28 August 2010. He received a standing ovation for both performances.
, Mock The Week
, The Wright Stuff
and And Then You Die
In March 2007, his documentary on homophobia
in the black British
community and Jamaica
, Batty Man, was broadcast by Channel 4
. It won a Royal Television Society Award and was nominated for a BAFTA. He made a guest appearance as Jimi Hendrix
on the third episode of the BBC Three show, Snuff Box
. He has also appeared in Rich Hall
's Cattle Drive, EastEnders
, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
and as a featured performer on BBC One
's Live at the Apollo after Dara Ó Briain
and before Frankie Boyle
. In late 2010 Amos appeared on Live at the Apollo as host and compere.
Amos has the distinction of being one of the few stand up comics chosen to appear at the 2007 Royal Variety Performance
. Amos made an appearance on the gala/comedy gig We Are Most Amused
an ITV1
televised production on 15 November 2008 in celebration of HRH The Prince of Wales' 60th Birthday. The event took place in the New Wimbledon Theatre
.
He hosted a 2007 documentary, Penis Envy
, for the free UK digital TV channel Virgin1, in which he explored men's ongoing insecurities with penis size with the help of actors from Puppetry of the Penis
, naked rugby players and the men willing to experiment with apparent penis enlarging
'treatments'. On a related note, he gently mocks political correctness, in one of his favorite recurring jokes referring to his own penis size: 'some stereotypes I can live with!'.
While in Australia for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
, Amos often appears on Australian television shows such as the improvisational Thank God You're Here
; the music-based panel game show Spicks and Specks; and satirical news-based comedy quiz show Good News Week
.
In 2009 Stephen appeared on Soccer AM
and is a fan of West Ham United.
In 2009 Stephen also appeared on a Children in Need
edition of Mastermind
, answering questions on the band Five Star
.
In 2010 Amos appeared with the England rugby squad playing Nelson Mandela in a comedy sketch for the BBC's Sports Relief.
In 2010 he was a celebrity guest team captain on What Do Kids Know?
along with Rufus Hound
, Joe Swash
and Sara Cox
on Watch
. Stephen guest appeared in Series 2, Episode 7 of the BBC Three
comedy, Coming of Age and as a guest contributor on several episodes of This Week.
In 2010, Amos' own show was launched, a combination of stand-up, sketches, and guest performers (who for the most part had not fully broken into television comedy), simply entitled The Stephen K Amos Show. The show was released on DVD in November 2010.
on BBC 6 Music
on 2 November 2008, and again on 16 August 2009 and 23 November 2009.
Amos also appeared on Nihal's Saturday Afternoon show on BBC Radio One on 30 May 2009.
Amos also snubbed Frank Skinner
on 8 October 2010. Stephen is currently featured in the BBC Radio 4
show The Odd Half Hour which began broadcasting on 16 November 2010.
. His parents came to London from Nigeria in the 1960s. He is also openly gay
.
On Fern Britton's 5 O'clock Show (Channel 4, 19 July 2010), stated that his middle name is Kehinde, which is a Yoruba
name for "second of twins" - Amos has an older twin sister.
He is a celebrity supporter of the British Red Cross
, where he is interested in their work with refugees.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
stand-up comedian of Nigerian
Nigerian British
British Nigerian is a term sometimes used to describe British people of Nigerian descent. Many Nigerians and their British-born descendents live in South London.- History :...
origin. A regular on the international comedy circuit, he is known for including his audience members during his shows. He began his career as a compere
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 the Big Fish comedy clubs in South London, and has been nominated for Chortle's Best Compere Award three times in 2004, 2007 and 2008.
Performances and tours
He has performed stand-up at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe every year since 20032003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was the 56th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe ran from 3–25 August 2003 and presented 1541 shows over 207 venues...
, after making his début in 2001
2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The 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...
. During the 2006 Fringe
2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
-Events:2006 was the first Fringe following the introduction of the new legislation banning smoking indoors. During a photocall at the Assembly Rooms for a play in which he was playing Winston Churchill, the actor Mel Smith lit a cigar, flouting the ban...
, he performed the revealing solo show All of Me, in which he publicly acknowledged his own homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
to his audience for the first time. He hosted a chat show on weekends (in addition to his own show), performed as a guest at various extra festival shows such as Spank! and performed daily in Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee
Stewart Lee is an English stand-up comedian, writer and director known for being one half of the 1990s comedy duo Lee and Herring, and for co-writing and directing the critically acclaimed and controversial stage show Jerry Springer - The Opera...
's production of Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian
Eric Bogosian is an American actor, playwright, monologist, and novelist of Armenian descent.-Personal life:Bogosian, an Armenian-American, was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, the son of Edwina, a hairdresser and instructor, and Henry Bogosian, an accountant. After graduating from Oberlin College,...
's play Talk Radio
Talk Radio (play)
Talk Radio is a 1987 Pulitzer Prize-nominated play written by Eric Bogosian, based on a concept by Bogosian and Tad Savinar. It centers around Barry Champlain, a Cleveland-area shock jock, on the eve of his radio show's national syndication....
. Away from the fringe, Amos is a regular performer at The Comedy Store, London
The Comedy Store, London
The Comedy Store is a comedy club located in Soho, London, England, opened in 1979 by Don Ward and Peter Rosengard.It was named after The Comedy Store club in the United States, which Rosengard had visited the previous year...
, featuring on the bill several evenings each month as well as various other venues around central London.
Amos appeared in the winning team at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's Great Debate in 2006, 2007, & 2008 for the negative team, & in 2009 for the affirmative team. In May 2007, he appeared at the New Zealand International Comedy festival where he won the award for Best International Comedian. He performed at the 2007 class clowns state final in South Australia. During late 2008 and early 2009, he embarked on a UK tour of his show Find the Funny. In the winter of 2009 and 2010 he sold out his second national tour The Feelgood Factor.
As an actor, he performed in both the Edinburgh Fringe & London run of a version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (play)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a play based on Ken Kesey's 1962 novel of the same name. Dale Wasserman's stage adaptation, with music by Teiji Ito, made its Broadway preview on November 12, 1963, its premiere on November 13, and ran until January 25, 1964 for a total of one preview and 82...
. His debut DVD was released in November 2009 entitled Find The Funny - Live. His second DVD was released in November 2010 entitled The Feelgood Factor.
In April 2010 Amos hosted The People's Music Awards
The People's Music Awards
The People’s Music Awards is the first global unsigned music awards. It was founded on 15 September 2008 by Managing Director Dylan Satow. The purpose of the awards is to get unsigned artists to be heard by industry professionals and people through the awards website. The winners of the awards are...
in London.
Amos hosted and performed a short set on the main stage at London's Gay Pride parade on 3 June 2010.
Amos performed on the Alternative stage at Reading Festival on the 27th August 2010 and the Leeds Festival on 28 August 2010. He received a standing ovation for both performances.
Television appearances
In his native UK, Amos has appeared as a guest on panel shows such as Have I Got News For YouHave 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...
, Mock The Week
Mock 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...
, The Wright Stuff
The Wright Stuff
The Wright Stuff is a British television chat show, hosted by Matthew Wright, and currently airing on Channel 5 each weekday morning from 9:15 to 11:10am....
and And Then You Die
And Then You Die (TV series)
And Then You Die was a comedy panel show broadcast on the British TV channel Dave.It was hosted by a puppet called Barrie Stardust who is puppeteered by Dave Chapman....
In March 2007, his documentary on homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
in the black British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
community and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, Batty Man, was broadcast by Channel 4
Channel 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...
. It won a Royal Television Society Award and was nominated for a BAFTA. He made a guest appearance as Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
on the third episode of the BBC Three show, Snuff Box
Snuff Box
Snuff Box is a BBC Three British dark comedy starring and written by Matt Berry and Rich Fulcher with additional material by Nick Gargano. It first aired on Monday 27 February 2006....
. He has also appeared in Rich Hall
Rich Hall
Richard "Rich" Hall is an American comedian, writer and musician.-Early life and career:Hall was born in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He is part Cherokee Indian...
's Cattle Drive, EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
, Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle is a comedy series created by Stewart Lee.The BBC Two series debuted on 16 March 2009, and featured stand-up routines and sketches performed by Simon Munnery, Kevin Eldon and Paul Putner amongst others. Peter Serafinowicz recorded voice-over parts. The series is...
and as a featured performer on 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...
's Live at the Apollo after 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....
and before Frankie Boyle
Frankie Boyle
Francis Martin Patrick "Frankie" Boyle is a British comedian and writer, well known for his pessimistic, often controversial sense of humour...
. In late 2010 Amos appeared on Live at the Apollo as host and compere.
Amos has the distinction of being one of the few stand up comics chosen to appear at the 2007 Royal Variety Performance
Royal Variety Performance
The Royal Variety Performance is a gala evening held annually in the United Kingdom, which is attended by senior members of the British Royal Family, usually the reigning monarch. In more recent years Queen Elizabeth II and The Prince of Wales have alternately attended the performance...
. Amos made an appearance on the gala/comedy gig We Are Most Amused
We Are Most Amused
We Are Most Amused was a gala event held at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 12 November 2008 in honour of the 60th birthday of Charles, Prince of Wales, in aid of The Prince's Trust. Prince Charles attended the event with his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and youngest son Prince Harry.The show...
an ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
televised production on 15 November 2008 in celebration of HRH The Prince of Wales' 60th Birthday. The event took place in the New Wimbledon Theatre
New Wimbledon Theatre
The New Wimbledon Theatre is situated on The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, in the London Borough of Merton. It is a Grade II listed Edwardian theatre built by the theatre lover and entrepreneur, J B Mullholland. Built on the site of a large house with spacious grounds the theatre was designed by...
.
He hosted a 2007 documentary, Penis Envy
....Envy
....Envy is a series of documentaries created for Virgin 1 designed to highlight growing British obsessions.-Season 1:The first season's episodes began airing on 1 October 2007.The original airdates are listed here for each episode....
, for the free UK digital TV channel Virgin1, in which he explored men's ongoing insecurities with penis size with the help of actors from Puppetry of the Penis
Puppetry of the Penis
Puppetry of the Penis is a performance show. The show was initially conceived by Australian Simon Morley as the title of an art calendar, showcasing 12 of his favourite penis installations...
, naked rugby players and the men willing to experiment with apparent penis enlarging
Penis enlargement
Penis enlargement procedures are techniques alleged to make the human penis increase in girth, length, or hardness. Often, in the course of advertising fraudulent products, the distinction between temporary enlargement, i.e...
'treatments'. On a related note, he gently mocks political correctness, in one of his favorite recurring jokes referring to his own penis size: 'some stereotypes I can live with!'.
While in Australia for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival
Melbourne International Comedy Festival
The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is the third-largest international comedy festival in the world and the largest cultural event in Australia. Established in 1987, it takes place annually in Melbourne over four weeks in April typically opening on or around April Fool's Day...
, Amos often appears on Australian television shows such as the improvisational Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
; the music-based panel game show Spicks and Specks; and satirical news-based comedy quiz show Good News Week
Good News Week
Good News Week is an Australian satirical panel game show hosted by Paul McDermott that initially aired from 19 April 1996 to 27 May 2000, and resumed on 11 February 2008 to 9 May 2011. The show aired first on ABC TV before it was bought by Network Ten in 1999...
.
In 2009 Stephen appeared on Soccer AM
Soccer AM
Soccer AM is a British Saturday-morning football-based comedy/talk show, predominantly based around the Premier League...
and is a fan of West Ham United.
In 2009 Stephen also appeared on a Children in Need
Children in Need
Children in Need is an annual British charity appeal organised by the BBC. Since 1980 it has raised over £500 million. The highlight of the Children in Need appeal is an annual telethon, held in November. A teddy bear named "Pudsey Bear" fronts the campaign, while Terry Wogan is a long...
edition of Mastermind
Mastermind (TV series)
Mastermind is a British quiz show, well known for its challenging questions, intimidating setting and air of seriousness.Devised by Bill Wright, the basic format of Mastermind has never changed — four and in later contests five contestants face two rounds, one on a specialised subject of the...
, answering questions on the band Five Star
Five Star
Five Star are a British pop / R&B group, formed in 1983. Comprising siblings Stedman, Lorraine, Denise, Doris and Delroy Pearson, they were known for their flamboyant image, matching costumes and heavily choreographed dance routines...
.
In 2010 Amos appeared with the England rugby squad playing Nelson Mandela in a comedy sketch for the BBC's Sports Relief.
In 2010 he was a celebrity guest team captain on What Do Kids Know?
What Do Kids Know?
What Do Kids Know? Is a brand new family entertainment show exclusive to Watch, where celebrities and children celebrate the humour and bewilderment of Britain's generation gap. Hosted by Rufus Hound with resident team captains Joe Swash and Sara Cox. It has similarities to Small Talk...
along with Rufus Hound
Rufus Hound
Rufus Hound is a British comedian and presenter. He is also the winner of 2010 "Let's Dance for Comic Relief".-Career:...
, Joe Swash
Joe Swash
Joseph Adam Swash is an English actor and presenter. He once played Mickey Miller in the British television soap opera EastEnders. He is the older brother of Shana Swash, who played his on-screen younger sister Demi Miller until July 2006. He also won the TV reality show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me...
and Sara Cox
Sara Cox
Sara Cox , known as "Coxy", is an English TV presenter and radio DJ, most well known for presenting the breakfast show on BBC Radio 1 between 2000 and 2003...
on Watch
Watch (TV channel)
Watch is a general entertainment channel broadcasting in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as part of the UKTV network. The channel launched on 7 October 2008 on satellite through Sky and on cable primarily through Virgin Media.-History:...
. Stephen guest appeared in Series 2, Episode 7 of the 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...
comedy, Coming of Age and as a guest contributor on several episodes of This Week.
In 2010, Amos' own show was launched, a combination of stand-up, sketches, and guest performers (who for the most part had not fully broken into television comedy), simply entitled The Stephen K Amos Show. The show was released on DVD in November 2010.
Radio appearances
Amos appeared on The Jon Richardson ShowThe Jon Richardson Show
The Jon Richardson Show was a weekly radio show on BBC 6 Music, which was created due to the departure of Russell Howard from The Russell Howard Show, which Jon Richardson co-hosted with Russell. The show was broadcast on Sundays 10am - 1pm...
on BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music
BBC 6 Music is one of the BBC's digital radio stations, was launched on 11 March 2002 and originally codenamed Network Y. It was the first national music radio station to be launched by the BBC in 32 years....
on 2 November 2008, and again on 16 August 2009 and 23 November 2009.
Amos also appeared on Nihal's Saturday Afternoon show on BBC Radio One on 30 May 2009.
Amos also snubbed Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner
Frank Skinner is a British writer, comedian and actor. He is best known for his television presenting, often alongside David Baddiel, with whom he also collaborated for the football song "Three Lions."He is a radio presenter on the Saturday morning slot on Absolute Radio.-Youth and early career...
on 8 October 2010. Stephen is currently featured in the 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...
show The Odd Half Hour which began broadcasting on 16 November 2010.
Personal life
Amos, one of 8 children, lives in south-west LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His parents came to London from Nigeria in the 1960s. He is also openly gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
.
On Fern Britton's 5 O'clock Show (Channel 4, 19 July 2010), stated that his middle name is Kehinde, which is a Yoruba
Yoruba language
Yorùbá is a Niger–Congo language spoken in West Africa by approximately 20 million speakers. The native tongue of the Yoruba people, it is spoken, among other languages, in Nigeria, Benin, and Togo and in communities in other parts of Africa, Europe and the Americas...
name for "second of twins" - Amos has an older twin sister.
He is a celebrity supporter of the British Red Cross
British Red Cross
The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom branch of the worldwide impartial humanitarian organisation the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with over 31,000 volunteers and 2,600 staff. At the heart of their work...
, where he is interested in their work with refugees.
Stand-Up DVDs
- Find the Funny (23 November 2009)
- The Feel Good Factor (15 November 2010)