Jason Manford
Personal details
  • Born:
    • Birthday: 1981-05-26
    • Born Place: Salford, Greater Manchester, England

Jason Manford

Jason John Manford is an English stand-up comedian, actor, singer, writer, and television/radio presenter, born on May 26, 1981, in Salford, Greater Manchester. His comedy career began unexpectedly in 1999 at the age of 17 when, while working as a glass collector at the Buzz Comedy Club, he stepped in as a last-minute replacement for a missing act. Six gigs later, he was crowned the City Life North West Comedian of the Year, quickly establishing himself on the UK circuit with his observational humour and approachable, family-friendly style, influenced by comedians like Billy Connolly and Eric Morecambe. He achieved national prominence as a Team Captain on the popular Channel 4 panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats from 2007 to 2010. Manford's television career is extensive, including appearances on Live at the Apollo, QI, and hosting his own shows such as the quiz show Unbeatable (BBC One), the game show Bigheads (ITV), and as a judge on the talent show Starstruck (ITV). He also co-hosted The One Show (BBC One) and was the runner-up ("Hedgehog") in the first series of The Masked Singer (ITV). Beyond comedy and presenting, he is an accomplished actor, receiving an RTS Best Actor nomination for his role as Marty in the BBC drama Ordinary Lies (2015) and starring in Scarborough (BBC One) and, more recently, Waterloo Road (BBC One). A significant part of his career is in musical theatre. Following his win on the singing competition Born to Shine, Manford has starred in major West End and UK touring productions, including Sweeney Todd, Mel Brooks' The Producers (as Leo Bloom), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Curtains. He has also released a Top 10 album of musical theatre covers, A Different Stage (2017). His stand-up tours have been hugely successful, with recorded specials including Live at the Manchester Apollo, Live 2011, and Muddle Class. Manford is also a popular radio host, presenting an award-winning Sunday morning show on Absolute Radio, and has been a frequent host of the Olivier Awards and the Royal Variety Performance.

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