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Tom Chambers (actor)
Encyclopedia
Tom Chambers is a British actor, known for his role as Sam Strachan
in the BBC
medical drama
Holby City
. He also won the sixth season of Strictly Come Dancing
with his partner Camilla Dallerup
.
in Derbyshire. Chambers was educated at Repton School
.
In December 2000, he had a near death experience when the British Airways
flight on which he was travelling from London to Nairobi
was disrupted in a hijack attempt. Paul Mukonyi, a 27-year old mental patient from Kenya, burst into the cockpit of the Boeing 747. As the cockpit crew fought to restrain Mukonyi, the auto-pilot became disengaged in the struggle, the jumbo was knocked off course and it plunged about 19,000 feet (5,700 metres) with 398 passengers on board. The pilots recovered control of the aircraft and all passengers landed safely. Chambers described this as "the most terrifying experience of my life". It was this flight that caused him to seek out his teenage sweetheart, Clare Harding, and propose. Chambers married Clare in October 2008 in Derbyshire, having to change the date due to his commitments in Strictly Come Dancing. Tom announced on his Twitter page on New Year's Eve 2010 that he was expecting a child with Clare in May 2011. "We are indeed expecting a little Chambers around 24th May next year :)) very excited parents in the making we are... X"
In 2008, Chambers took part in the Great Walk to Beijing which was organised by singer Olivia Newton-John
in aid of breast cancer
awareness and research.
and Guildford School of Acting
. He has starred opposite Matthew Rhys
and Kate Ashfield
in the British film Fakers
.
Tom's interest in dance led him to recreate the sequence from the 1937 RKO film A Damsel in Distress
in which Fred Astaire
tap dances with a drum kit. The video was sent to casting directors and led to Tom gaining a part in Holby City. A video of the performance was posted on YouTube prior to Tom's appearance on the BBC TV pro-celebrity dance show Strictly Come Dancing. He later uploaded a video diary of his rehearsals for the recording. On leaving Holby City they honoured him with a montage of his three years work.
In May 2009, it was announced by Denise Welch
on Loose Women
that Tom would be joining the fifth series of BBC drama, Waterloo Road
as new Executive Head Teacher, Max Tyler.
He currently narrates the series The Real A&E broadcast on Sky1 Daily. Chambers will star in the stage version tour of Top Hat, beginning in November 2011.
of Strictly Come Dancing
, paired with professional dancer Camilla Dallerup
. The pair opened the series by performing the Cha-Cha-Cha
in Week 1, and scored 28 points. After being top of the leaderboard twice in the series (joint first place with Lisa Snowdon
in Week 5, and joint first with Snowdon and Cherie Lunghi
in week 8), Chambers made it to the semi-finals of the competition, seeing off his apparent biggest challenger Austin Healey
with whom he shared a friendly rivalry. It was here, however, that Chambers' participation looked most in doubt, as he finished bottom of the leaderboard. However, he was reprieved when it became apparent that a tie between the other two couples at the top of the leaderboard meant that there was no way for him to be saved from the dance-off, leading the BBC to put all three couples through to the final. In the final, Chambers beat Lisa Snowdon into third place, before competing head to head with Rachel Stevens
in the final round, where his showdance with Dallerup was massively praised by the judges. It was announced that Chambers and Dallerup had gained the most public votes and won the show, making Chambers the third male winner of Strictly Come Dancing. It was Dallerup's first win on the show, despite competing in all six series. On Christmas Day 2008, Chambers returned to partner Dallerup in the Christmas special; however, they came second from bottom of the leaderboard and were not voted into the final two by the studio audience. Chambers and Dallerup have since appeared on the Strictly Come Dancing
tour in early 2009 dancing the Quickstep
and the Samba.
Drama Waterloo Road
. His first episode was the opener of the 20 part 5th Series which first aired the week commencing 25 October 2009. In the show he plays the Executive headmaster Max Tyler who is brought in to oversee the merger of Waterloo Road and local private school
John Fosters. His distorted personality is progressively revealed, which climaxes in episode 5.10 where his true colours are finally revealed (when he hits a student)to the relief of the large majority of the school community, which results in his suspension.
Sam Strachan
Samuel Noel "Sam" Strachan is a fictional character in the BBC medical drama Holby City, portrayed by actor Tom Chambers. The character first appeared on-screen on 3 January 2006, in episode "Mother Love" - series 8, episode 12 of the 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...
medical drama
Medical drama
A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the...
Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
. He also won the sixth season of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
with his partner Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup is a British-based Danish ballroom dancer, dance teacher and model.-Dance career:Dallerup started dancing at the age of two and a half when her mother took her to her first class in Aalborg. She won the Danish Junior Championships at the age of 12...
.
Personal life
Tom Chambers was born and raised in a small village called Darley DaleDarley Dale
Darley Dale, also known simply as Darley, is a town in Derbyshire, England, with a population of around 6,000 people. It lies north of Matlock, on the River Derwent and the A6 road.- History :...
in Derbyshire. Chambers was educated at Repton School
Repton School
Repton School, founded in 1557, is a co-educational English independent school for both day and boarding pupils, in the British public school tradition, located in the village of Repton, in Derbyshire, in the Midlands area of England...
.
In December 2000, he had a near death experience when the British Airways
British Airways
British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
flight on which he was travelling from London to Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
was disrupted in a hijack attempt. Paul Mukonyi, a 27-year old mental patient from Kenya, burst into the cockpit of the Boeing 747. As the cockpit crew fought to restrain Mukonyi, the auto-pilot became disengaged in the struggle, the jumbo was knocked off course and it plunged about 19,000 feet (5,700 metres) with 398 passengers on board. The pilots recovered control of the aircraft and all passengers landed safely. Chambers described this as "the most terrifying experience of my life". It was this flight that caused him to seek out his teenage sweetheart, Clare Harding, and propose. Chambers married Clare in October 2008 in Derbyshire, having to change the date due to his commitments in Strictly Come Dancing. Tom announced on his Twitter page on New Year's Eve 2010 that he was expecting a child with Clare in May 2011. "We are indeed expecting a little Chambers around 24th May next year :)) very excited parents in the making we are... X"
In 2008, Chambers took part in the Great Walk to Beijing which was organised by singer Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John
Olivia Newton-John AO, OBE is a singer and actress. She is a four-time Grammy award winner who has amassed five No. 1 and ten other Top Ten Billboard Hot 100 singles and two No. 1 Billboard 200 solo albums. Eleven of her singles and 14 of her albums have been certified gold by the RIAA...
in aid of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
awareness and research.
Professional career
Chambers attended the National Youth Music TheatreNational Youth Music Theatre
The National Youth Music Theatre or NYMT is a UK organisation for young people in the field of musical theatre, based in London. It runs acting auditions, workshops, and musical theatre productions...
and Guildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting is a drama school located in Guildford, Surrey, England. It is an affiliate of the University of Surrey and is an accredited member of the National Council for Drama Training and The Conference of Drama Schools.-Overview:...
. He has starred opposite Matthew Rhys
Matthew Rhys
Matthew Rhys Evans , known professionally as Matthew Rhys, is a Welsh actor, best known as Kevin Walker on the U.S. ABC family drama Brothers & Sisters, and as Dylan Thomas in The Edge of Love.-Early life:...
and Kate Ashfield
Kate Ashfield
Kate Ashfield is a British actress, best known for her award-winning roles as Jody in the Anglo-German film Late Night Shopping, as Sadie MacGregor in the British film This Little Life and as Liz in the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead.-Biography:Ashfield was born in Oldham, Lancashire, England...
in the British film Fakers
Fakers
Fakers is a 2004 British film directed by Richard Janes and starring Matthew Rhys as con-man with a big debt to pay off to wanna-be crime lord Art Malik. It was produced by Richard Janes Claire Bee and Todd Kleparski, three graduates from Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication...
.
Tom's interest in dance led him to recreate the sequence from the 1937 RKO film A Damsel in Distress
A Damsel in Distress (film)
A Damsel in Distress is a 1937 English-themed Hollywood musical comedy film starring Fred Astaire, Joan Fontaine, George Burns, and Gracie Allen. With a screenplay by P. G...
in which Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
tap dances with a drum kit. The video was sent to casting directors and led to Tom gaining a part in Holby City. A video of the performance was posted on YouTube prior to Tom's appearance on the BBC TV pro-celebrity dance show Strictly Come Dancing. He later uploaded a video diary of his rehearsals for the recording. On leaving Holby City they honoured him with a montage of his three years work.
In May 2009, it was announced by Denise Welch
Denise Welch
Jacqueline Denise Healy is an English actress, dancer and television presenter.-Early life:Denise Welch was born in Ebchester, County Durham, to father Vin and mother Ann and has a younger sister Debbie...
on Loose Women
Loose Women
Loose Women is a British lunchtime television programme, first broadcast in 1999 on ITV. It consists of a panel of four women who interview celebrities and discuss topical issues, ranging from daily politics and current affairs, to celebrity gossip...
that Tom would be joining the fifth series of BBC drama, Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road (TV series)
Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
as new Executive Head Teacher, Max Tyler.
He currently narrates the series The Real A&E broadcast on Sky1 Daily. Chambers will star in the stage version tour of Top Hat, beginning in November 2011.
Strictly Come Dancing
Chambers competed in and won the 2008 seriesStrictly Come Dancing (Series 6)
The sixth series of Strictly Come Dancing began on BBC One on 20 September 2008, with Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly returning as presenters, and Craig Revel Horwood, Arlene Phillips, Len Goodman and Bruno Tonioli returning as judges....
of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, paired with professional dancer Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup is a British-based Danish ballroom dancer, dance teacher and model.-Dance career:Dallerup started dancing at the age of two and a half when her mother took her to her first class in Aalborg. She won the Danish Junior Championships at the age of 12...
. The pair opened the series by performing the Cha-Cha-Cha
Cha-cha-cha (dance)
The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953...
in Week 1, and scored 28 points. After being top of the leaderboard twice in the series (joint first place with Lisa Snowdon
Lisa Snowdon
Lisa Snowdon is an English fashion model, television personality and presenter. She was the host of the reality television show Britain's Next Top Model from 2006 until 2009...
in Week 5, and joint first with Snowdon and Cherie Lunghi
Cherie Lunghi
Cherie M. Lunghi is an English film, television and theatre actress. She is probably best known for her role as Guinevere in the 1981 film Excalibur, as football manageress Gabriella Benson in the 1990s television series The Manageress and for starring in a series of adverts for Kenco coffee. She...
in week 8), Chambers made it to the semi-finals of the competition, seeing off his apparent biggest challenger Austin Healey
Austin Healey
Austin Sean Healey is a former English rugby union player, who played as a utility back for Leicester Tigers, and has represented the England national rugby union team and the British Lions....
with whom he shared a friendly rivalry. It was here, however, that Chambers' participation looked most in doubt, as he finished bottom of the leaderboard. However, he was reprieved when it became apparent that a tie between the other two couples at the top of the leaderboard meant that there was no way for him to be saved from the dance-off, leading the BBC to put all three couples through to the final. In the final, Chambers beat Lisa Snowdon into third place, before competing head to head with Rachel Stevens
Rachel Stevens
Rachel Lauren Stevens is an English singer-songwriter, actress, presenter, dancer, television personality and model. She is a former member of the successful pop group S Club, and launched a solo recording career in 2003, releasing seven singles and two albums in the UK between 2003 and 2005...
in the final round, where his showdance with Dallerup was massively praised by the judges. It was announced that Chambers and Dallerup had gained the most public votes and won the show, making Chambers the third male winner of Strictly Come Dancing. It was Dallerup's first win on the show, despite competing in all six series. On Christmas Day 2008, Chambers returned to partner Dallerup in the Christmas special; however, they came second from bottom of the leaderboard and were not voted into the final two by the studio audience. Chambers and Dallerup have since appeared on the Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
tour in early 2009 dancing the Quickstep
Quickstep
The quickstep is a light-hearted member of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal and informal events...
and the Samba.
| Week # | Dance/Song | Judges' scores | Result | ||||
| Horwood | Phillips | Goodman | Tonioli | Total | |||
| 1 | Cha-cha-cha Cha-cha-cha (dance) The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953... /Nowhere to Run |
6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 28 | Safe |
| 3 | Jive Jive (dance) In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance... /Black and Gold Black and Gold (song) "Black and Gold" is the lead single from Sam Sparro's eponymous first album. The song has been remixed by Max Sanna and Steve Pitron, Paul Epworth, Al Usher, Kings of the Universe, Kromatik and Russ Chimes. The original version of the single was made available on iTunes on 23 March 2008, with the... |
7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 33 | Safe |
| 5 | American Smooth/Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Joint First Place/Safe |
| 6 | Viennese Waltz Viennese Waltz Viennese Waltz is the genre of a ballroom dance. At least three different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in ballroom dancing, danced to the music of Viennese Waltz.What is now called... /Can't Help Falling in Love with You |
7 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 32 | Safe |
| 7 | Paso doble/I Just Died In Your Arms | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 34 | Safe |
| 8 | Quickstep Quickstep The quickstep is a light-hearted member of the standard ballroom dances. The movement of the dance is fast and powerfully flowing and sprinkled with syncopations. The upbeat melodies that quickstep is danced to make it suitable for both formal and informal events... /A Town Called Malice |
9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Joint First Place/Safe |
| 9 | Salsa Salsa (dance) Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle... /Pa Goza Con Fruko |
8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| 10 | Tango Tango (dance) Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after.... /Please Mr. Brown |
9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 36 | Safe |
| 11 | Waltz Waltz The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance in time, performed primarily in closed position.- History :There are several references to a sliding or gliding dance,- a waltz, from the 16th century including the representations of the printer H.S. Beheim... /Moon River Moon River "Moon River" is a song composed by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini in 1961, for whom it won that year's Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was originally sung in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's by Audrey Hepburn, although it has been covered by many other artists... |
7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 35 | Safe |
| Samba/Mr. Melody | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | ||
| Q-Final | Foxtrot/Here You Come Again | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Safe |
| Rumba Rumba (dance) Rumba is a dance term with two quite different meanings.In some contexts, "rumba" is used as shorthand for Afro-Cuban rumba, a group of dances related to the rumba genre of Afro-Cuban music. The most common Afro-Cuban rumba is the guaguancó... /You Needed Me You Needed Me "You Needed Me" became the second single for Irish Boyband Boyzone from their album By Request. The single became number #1 on the UK Singles Chart, beating the debut solo single of Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, outselling her by just 700 copies... |
9 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 34 | ||
| S-Final | Jive Jive (dance) In Ballroom dancing, Jive is a dance style in 4/4 time that originated in the United States from African-Americans in the early 1930s. It was originally presented to the public as 'Jive' in 1934 by Cab Calloway. It is a lively and uninhibited variation of the Jitterbug, a form of Swing dance... /Waterloo |
8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 33 | Last Place/Safe |
| Argentine Tango Argentine Tango Argentine tango is a musical genre of simple quadruple metre and binary musical form, and the social dance that accompanies it. Its lyrics and music are marked by nostalgia, expressed through melodic instruments including the bandoneon. Originated at the ending of the 19th century in the suburbs of... /Por Una Cabeza Por una Cabeza "Por una cabeza", meaning "by a head [of a horse]" in Spanish, is one of the most famous and popular tango songs by Carlos Gardel and Alfredo Le Pera , written in 1935. Alfredo Le Pera was a Brazilian from São Paulo, the fourth most Italian-influenced area in Brazil, and also the birthplace of... |
8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 34 | ||
| Final | Foxtrot/Here You Come Again | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 35 | Last Place/Winners |
| Salsa Salsa (dance) Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle... /Pa Goza Con Fruko |
9 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 38 | ||
| Christmas Special 2008 | Foxtrot/Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through... |
9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 37 |
Waterloo Road
In May 2009 Chambers joined the cast 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...
Drama Waterloo Road
Waterloo Road (TV series)
Waterloo Road is an award-winning British television drama series, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 9 March 2006. Set in a troubled comprehensive school in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, the series focuses on the lives of the school's teacher and students, and confronts social...
. His first episode was the opener of the 20 part 5th Series which first aired the week commencing 25 October 2009. In the show he plays the Executive headmaster Max Tyler who is brought in to oversee the merger of Waterloo Road and local private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
John Fosters. His distorted personality is progressively revealed, which climaxes in episode 5.10 where his true colours are finally revealed (when he hits a student)to the relief of the large majority of the school community, which results in his suspension.