Jasper Carrott

Born in Acocks Green, Birmingham, he started his own folk club at 16 called "The Boggery" in Solihull, where he would perform folk songs as well as MC. Before long, his banter with the audience overtook the actual songs and he became known more as a comedian than a singer. He had a surprise UK top 5 chart hit in 1975 with a novelty record called "Funky Moped". The B-Side to this single was an obscene monologue parodying the animated children's TV series The Magic Roundabout. His break into television was with Carrott's Lib, a Saturday night comedy show broadcast live on the BBC. This was followed by a string of different shows, most notably Carrott's Commercial Breakdown, which broadcast weird and wonderful adverts from around the world, and the sketch and stand-up shows Carrott Confidential, 24 Carrott Gold, The Jasper Carrott Trials and Canned Carrott, some of which also gave TV exposure to the comedy partnership of Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis.

Canned Carrott also featured a regular police drama spoof called The Detectives, co-starring Robert Powell, which was spun off into its own series. He also starred in the sitcom All About Me. In 2004 he hosted several sell out shows at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham featuring classic routines from his career. He is a proud supporter and director of Birmingham City and was made an OBE in 2002. The University of Birmingham awarded him a honorary doctorate in 2004.