Tom Watt (actor)
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This article is about British sports pundit and actor Tom Watt. For the Ice Hockey executive (former NHL coach), see Tom Watt.
Tom Watt (born 14 February 1956 in Wanstead, East London) is an English radio presenter, journalist and actor. He is widely remembered for his role as Lofty Holloway in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, but is now one of Britain's leading football journalists.
His first television role was in the comedy series Never the Twain in 1981, but his big break came in 1985 when he was cast as an original cast member of the fledgling BBC soap opera EastEnders. He played Lofty Holloway, the weedy, asthmatic barman of The Queen Vic from the show's inception til 1988.
After quitting EastEnders Watt combined acting with his second passion, football, when he became a sports journalist. He has presented for Channel 4, Radio 1, Radio 3, Radio 5, talkSPORT, and cable TV. He also writes a column in The Observer doing match reports and features. As well as the column, he has authored two acclaimed books about football (The End and A Passion for the Game), which he also covers for BBC Radio and a London cable television station.
Other acting credits have included roles in the BBC drama South of the Border, a South London detective show; the role of Norman in the 1990 film for ITV called And The Nightingale Sang, which was a love story set during the war; Boon 1992, with Michael Elphick; as well as a minor role in the 1992 film Patriot Games, among others. As well as television and film he has had countless theatre and stage roles. Most notably, he starred in the one-man show Fever Pitch, based on the Nick Hornby novel of the same name.
He was also heavily involved in the children's sports show for Channel 4, called Rookies; producing, directing and presenting the show.
Watt has even tried his hand at singing. He recorded a version of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues", which featured the UK band New Order. However the single failed to set the charts alight, managing to reach number 67 in th UK singles chart before dropping straight out of the chart completely.
Watt was the ghost-writer for the David Beckham autobiography, My Side, which won a special prize at the British Book Awards and is the fastest-selling biography or autobiography of all time.
Watt continues to act regularly on television and stage and presents a regular slot on BBC radio.
[edit] Trivia
- Watt was once romanticaly involved with his EastEnder cast-mate Anita Dobson, who played Angie Watts.
- He is an avid supporter of Arsenal football club.
- He is a committed Labour Party member and speaks for left-wing causes.
