Bobby Davro
Bobby Davro | |
---|---|
Birth name | Robert Christopher Nankeville |
Born |
Middlesex, England | 13 September 1958
Medium | Comedian, actor, impressionist |
Years active | 1981–present |
Genres | Stand-up |
Bobby Davro (born Robert Christopher Nankeville; 13 September 1958)[1] is an English actor and comedian best known for his work as an impressionist.
He made his television debut in 1981, but it wasn't until 1983 that he made his television breakthrough at Live from Her Majesty's followed by appearances on the television show, Who Do You Do?.
Between 2007 and 2008, Davro played Vinnie Monks in the BBC One soap EastEnders, participated in Dancing on Ice in 2010 and took part in Your Face Sounds Familiar in 2013.
Career
Davro appeared on a variety of television shows, mostly with ITV, throughout the 80s and 90s. Davro's popularity was at its highest during the mid 80s with his own Saturday night ITV shows; Bobby Davro on the Box, Bobby Davro's TV Annual and Bobby Davro's TV Weekly. He also made appearances on the popular comedy impressions sketch show Copy Cats. Davro went on to make two more shows with ITV; Davro's Sketch Pad and Davro in 1990, but by this time the comedian's brand of humour was proving to be less popular with audiences as ratings for his shows declined.
The 90s saw Davro switching channels to the BBC, appearing on television shows such as Public Enemy Number One and the talent show The Heat Is On. During the filming of Public Enemy Number One, Davro suffered a broken nose when some stocks he was placed in toppled over and caused him to fall face-first onto the studio's concrete floor. This incident was not televised but was used in a BBC safety video.[2]
Davro made another attempt at the comedy sketch show format which proved successful for him in the 80s, on the short lived show Rock with Laughter. He also made appearances on Run the Risk, which featured on Saturday mornings kids' show Live & Kicking. Davro returned to UK TV screens in May 1997, as host of Yorkshire Television's Winner Takes All for 65 episodes which was produced for Challenge TV.
Live Performances
- In 2005, he appeared in Birmingham, as an act for Jasper Carrott's Rock With Laughter, alongside performers such as, Bill Bailey, Jasper Carrott, Lenny Henry, Bonnie Tyler, Tammy Palmer and the Lord of the Dance troupe.
- In 2005 and 2006, he performed on stage in Aladdin with Melinda Messenger and John Rhys Davies in Woking, Surrey.
- Davro performed in Jack and the Beanstalk at the Orchard Theatre in Dartford in 2010 and 2011
- In 2011 he performed at the Derngate Theatre Northampton in Aladdin.
- In 2012 he returned to the Derngate Theatre in the production of Cinderella alongside Denise Welch.
- In 2013, he co-starred in the pantomime of Robin Hood at the Theatre Royal Plymouth alongside Lee Mead and Nigel Havers.
- In 2015, he co-starred in the Easter pantomime of Beauty and the Beast at various venues, alongside Dani Harmer and Lee Latchford-Evans.
EastEnders
In August 2007, Davro joined the cast of the popular BBC One soap opera EastEnders, playing Vinnie Monks, a love interest for Shirley Carter. The character first appeared on screen in October.[3] He left in Autumn 2008 to "pursue other avenues".
Guest appearances
In 2006, Davro made a special guest appearance as a judge on Channel 5's All Star Talent Show.
On 20 September 2009, Davro appeared in a new series of the Channel 4 programme Come Dine with Me. This was a celebrity episode in which he appeared with EastEnders actress Laila Morse who plays the part of Big Mo, DJ Dane Bowers and former The Word presenter Dani Behr. Davro came second place.[4]
Dancing on Ice
In January 2010, he took part in the ITV skating show Dancing on Ice and was paired with newcomer Molly Moenkhoff. He began the show as an outsider at 66/1 to be the outright winner and made his first and only competitive appearance along with the other male celebrities in week 2. Following a poor performance he was the first male celebrity to be eliminated after a dance-off against actor Gary Lucy.[5]
Your Face Sounds Familiar
In 2013, Davro along with other celebrities took part in the ITV entertainment series Your Face Sounds Familiar. He was eliminated in the fifth week. His chosen charity for the series was Kids 'n' Cancer.[6]
Week | Portraying | Song | Judges' scores | Result | ||||
Julian Clary | Emma Bunton | Guest Judge | Bonus Points | Total | ||||
1 | Sir Tom Jones | "Sex Bomb" | 8 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 24 | Not in Top 3 |
2 | Mick Jagger | "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | Runner-up |
3 | Ozzy Osbourne | "Paranoid" | 9 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 27 | Not in Top 3 |
4 | Tammy Wynette | "Stand by Your Man" | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 25 | Not in Top 3 |
5 | Paul McCartney | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | 8 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 28 | Eliminated |
Personal life
Davro's father, Bill Nankeville, was a runner; a British national mile and 1500m champion, world record holder, and represented Great Britain in two Olympic Games.[7] In 2003 Davro was one of the contestants in the Channel 4 reality TV show The Games, in which 10 celebrities competed against each other, by doing Olympic style events.
Charity
Davro is a supporter of the UK charity Kids 'n' Cancer.[8]
References
- ↑ Researcha.co.uk - UK Company and Company Director Reports
- ↑ https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TxYBpZ70y70
- ↑ "Davro to appear in Albert Square". BBC.co.uk. 8 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
- ↑ Bobby Davro appears in Celebrity Come Dine with Me.
- ↑ "Bobby Davro skates off Dancing on Ice". BBC News. 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2010-01-25.
- ↑ http://www.itv.com/yourfacesoundsfamiliar/celebrities/bobby-davro/
- ↑ "BBC - EastEnders - Characters & Cast - Bobby Davro". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ↑ http://www.kidsncancer.org.uk/?p=866
External links
|