Before They Were Famous

Good Game Guides - Articles

Contents

Introduction

Fame. It's a fickle mistress. One minute you're the host of a popular ITV game show and the next you're doing panto in Godalming. But this Good Game Guide takes a view of the opposite side of the mountain. The North Face. The way up. For many wannabees, being a contestant on a high profile game show is a chance to be noticed by an agent, the newspapers or just have an extra 15 minutes of fame.

So we bring you our guide to celebrities who were on game shows before they were famous:

Actors/Presenters/Broadcasters

  • Nicholas Crane, presenter of BBC2's "Map Man" and "Coast", was on the Oxford University team in the 1982 series of Now Get Out of That. He also once turned up to do a demonstration for the contestants on Survival Challenge which, not coincidentally, was hosted by his cousin Richard.
  • Miriam Margolyes (actress) appeared on an early series of University Challenge and claims to have been the first person to say the f-word on British telly, after getting a starter question wrong.
  • Not forgetting Janice Long who first appeared on 3-2-1 with her husband in 1978, later becoming a DJ for Radio 1.

Comedians

  • Arguably Steve Coogan came to fame partly due to his Krypton Factor observation round comedy skits.
  • Perrier-nominated comedian Daniel Kitson was a contestant on Blockbusters.

Sports stars

  • Chris Rawlinson, top sprint-hurdler, made it to the last eight in the 1995 series of Gladiators. Kelly Holmes, double-gold Olympian and last line of Britain's war defences, was scheduled to be a con-ten-derrrr a year before. However, due to a sporting commitment, she had to pull out.

Music

  • Folk singer June Tabor captained the St. Hugh's College, Oxford team on University Challenge in 1968.
  • Jon Marsh, mainman of 90s pop-dance combo The Beloved ("The Sun Rising", "Sweet Harmony") was a Countdown octochamp in 1987 and made it to the semifinals where he lost to the eventual series champion.

Politics/News/Writers

  • Moira Stuart, the BBC newsreader who was originally an actor, was an Argond on The Adventure Game.
  • Other University Challenge alumni include David Mellor, Clive James, John Simpson, Malcolm Rifkind and Sebastian Faulks.
  • Andrew Collins (pundit and 6 Music DJ) appeared with his family on Telly Addicts.
  • The late newspaper columnist and presenter John Diamond was a contestant on Countdown in 1986, winning two games.

Members of the public

  • Teenager Janice Nichols became something of a phenomenon thanks to her catchphrase "Oi'll give it five", delivered in a broad Brummie accent, on Thank Your Lucky Stars.
  • Before appearing as a Housemate on Big Brother 4 and becoming one of Sky's Brainiac team, Jon Tickle appeared on Blockbusters.

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