The Kumars at No. 42
BBC Two (ended 2006)
Cast & Crew
EDIT
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Meera Syal
Sushila Kumar
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Sanjeev Bhaskar
Sanjeev Kumar
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Indira Joshi
Madhuri Kumar
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Vincent Ebrahim
Ashwin Kumar
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Wendy Richard
Herself
She was awarded the M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in the 2000 Birthday Honours List for her services to television drama. Contributed a few lines on a number 1 hit single in the UK chart, entitled "Come Outside" featuring Michael Sarne. [May 1962] Attended the Royal Masonic School as a schoolgirl. She and her fellow co-stars from the series, Are You Being Served? are all great friends and she remains very close with John Inman, Mollie Sugden, and Trevor Bannister.moreless -
Stephen Fry
Himself
Stephen Fry is a British television actor and much more. He has performed in plays, movies, audio books and on radio, as well as directed plays, movies, and documentaries. For all of the above he worked as a writer and also wrote television scripts and treatments. His books include several novels and assorted non-fiction including his autobiography. He wrote for opera librettos, songs, newspapers and similar media and he is known as a comedian, host, and presenter. By numerous publications and polls, he has been named as one of Britain's favourite entertainers.
Stephen John Fry was born on 24 August 1957 in Hampstead, London, England, UK, to Marianne and Alan Fry, a physicist and inventor, and grew up in the countryside of Norfolk, England. He has one older brother, Roger, and a younger sister, Jo. In his childhood and teen years he got into trouble in various boarding schools, along the way discovering that he was gay He spent three month in Pucklechurch Prison for using stolen credit cards, until he studied hard enough to gain a scholarship to Cambridge University. He joined the famed drama club where he met and befriended fellow actors Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, and others. In 1996, he met his domestic partner Daniel Cohen with whom he lives in London.moreless -
Patrick Stewart
Himself
Patrick Stewart was born in Mirfield, Yorkshire, on July 13, 1940. His father was a career soldier; his mother worked in industrial weaving. Because Mirfield, a river valley settlement of some 12,000 people, had a rich culture for a provincial town of its size, Stewart's stage experience started early. His involvement was encouraged when, at the age of twelve while in secondary school, he enrolled in an eight-day drama course, where he met some professional people who were very influential in his life. Thereafter, his participation in local amateur dramatics increased steadily, even after he quit school at fifteen to work as a reporter. However, his employer resented his dedication to the local theater and finally, after a little more than a year of Stewart's less than dedicated reporting, he issued Stewart an ultimatum forcing him to choose between acting and journalism. Although it was a very good job, Stewart quit and, out of spite, became determined to prove himself as a professional actor. To save money for training, he worked for a year as a furniture salesman; then, after consulting the professionals he had met, he enrolled in the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 1957 at age seventeen. He spent two years there, learning his craft and losing his accent. Stewart speaks of almost living a "double life" during this period, for while he spoke with Received Pronunciation professionally, he continued speaking with his native Yorkshire accent and dialect with family and friends. After leaving school, Stewart was never out of work, despite a warning from an instructor who told him that his baldness would make him a young character actor rather than a juvenile lead. In fact, Stewart was able to land jobs by convincing directors that with a toupee he could play both, doubling his range and serving as "two actors for the price of one." His professional stage debut was at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln, in August of 1959, playing Morgan in a stage adaptation of Treasure Island. Now an internationally respected actor known for successfully bridging the gap between the theatrical world of the Shakespearean stage and contemporary film and television, Patrick Stewart continues to demonstrate his versatility with a wide range of upcoming projects.moreless -
Belinda Carlisle
Herself
Belinda Carlisle pursued a solo career after leaving the Go-Go's in 1984. As her solo career progressed, Carlisle removed any of the rough edges remaining in her style, transforming from a new wave rocker to a polished adult contemporary pop singer. The change was evident on her first album, 1986's Belinda. Featuring the number three hit single "Mad About You," the record went gold and established her as a viable hitmaker. The following year, Carlisle released Heaven on Earth, her greatest solo success. Continuing the immaculately produced mainstream pop of Belinda, the record featured the number one title track, the number two single "I Get Weak" and the Top Ten ballad "Circle in the Sand." Runaway Horses, released in 1989, was another successful album, spawning the hit singles "Leave a Light On" and "Summer Rain," yet it showed signs that her audience was shrinking. That suspicion was confirmed by the dismal performance of 1991's Live Your Life Be Free, which failed to make the charts. Real, released in 1993, didn't revive Carlisle's career and she subsequently joined the re-formed Go-Go's in 1994. The Go-Go's reunion was short-lived, even though it was widely praised. Carlisle returned to solo recording in 1996 with A Woman and a Man, which failed to gain much attention. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guidemoreless -
Donny Osmond
Himself
Donald (Donny) Clark Osmond was born December 9, 1957 as the seventh of nine children to Olive and George Osmond. He has seven brothers and one sister.
Donny got his first taste of stardom at the age of five. He and his brothers formed a group which would be known as the Osmond Brothers. They promised to be the next Jackson Five. They did extremely well on the charts and in 1972, Donny decided to fly solo. He released mega-hits such as Puppy Love and became a major teen heartthrob.
In 1974, he teamed up with his younger sister, Marie, to co-host The Mike Douglas Show. It was such a hit that the pair was offered their own show. They have since worked together on other shows, concerts and records, as well as doing some things by themselves.
In 1978, Donny married his wife, Debra. They have five sons, Don Jr., Jeremy, Brandon, Christopher and Joshua.moreless -
Mark Owen
Himself
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Jerry Hall
Herself
Jerry Hall lived in a small town in Texas and moved to Mesquite, Texas in 1958 before becoming a major model of the 70's. Most of the 70's she dated famous rocker Bryan Ferry. She was engaged to him but they split during the late 70's. On 21st November 1990 she married Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones. They had 4 children, Elizabeth Scarlett Jagger, James Leroy Jagger, Georgia May Ayeesha Jagger, and Gabriel Luke Beaureguard Jagger. The relationship was very unstable and both Jerry and Mick cheated on eachother. Finally they agreed on an annulment on 13th August 1999. Meanwhile Jerry still kept working even past 40. She started to act in famous movies like Batman, Bus Stop, and the Graduate. She starred as the infamous Ms. Vivianne Scarlett in the show Cluedo (Clue to Americans) Dated: Guy Dellal Paul Allen George Waudmoreless -
Anne Robinson
Herself
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June Whitfield
Herself
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Minnie Driver
Herself
Minnie Driver was born in London, England, but raised in Barbados. She was educated in Paris and Grenoble finishing schools. She was introduced to the US in the film Circle of Friends opposite Chris O'Donnell. Minnie has done and continues to be in numerous films. Her demand in films peaked after her performance as Skylar in Good Will Hunting opposite Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. That role also earned her a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination. Since her introduction into mainstream films, Minnie has dated several big name Hollywood men including: Matt Damon, John Cusack and Josh Brolin. With her feet firmly in place in the world of films, Minnie returns to television series acting for the first time since the mid 1990's. She has been gaining popularity with her recurring role on Will & Grace playing Karen's nemesis, Lorraine Finster from 2003 to 2004. As of 2007, Minnie has the lead role in "The Riches."moreless -
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Charlotte Church
Herself
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Helena Bonham Carter
Herself
Helena Bonham Carter There are a lot of Bonham Carters, and they have been prominent in English life and well-connected since Victorian times, at least. Helena is the daughter of the Hon. Raymond Bonham Carter, a retired banker who is now seriously disabled by an unsuccessful brain operation, and his half-Spanish wife, born Elena Propper de Callejon, a psychotherapist. Helena has two brothers - one of them is Dr Graeme Bonham-Carter, a research scientist at the Geological Survey of Canada. Helena's father is the son of the late Lady Violet Bonham Carter, Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury, who was herself the daughter of Herbert Asquith, Earl of Oxford and Asquith, a Liberal politician who served as Britain's prime minister from 1908 to 1916. Helena's uncle Mark Bonham Carter was also created a Life Peer under the title of Lord Bonham Carter. Among Helena's many relations, several have worked 'in the business'. The actors Crispin Bonham Carter and Rosie Bonham Carter, and the photographer and director Philip Bonham Carter are all her cousins, while the director Anthony Asquith was a great-uncle. Helena grew up in London, where she went to Hampstead High School for Girls and later to Westminster School. She's been acting since prep-school, but it wasnt until she appeared in the film A Room With A View she really got noticed. She hoped to get into Cambridge University, but was turned down for a place there. She then concentrated on her acting career, which was already going strong. A long string of parts in costume dramas slowly led on to some more up-to-date roles, and in 1997 she received a nomination for an Academy Award (Best Actress) for The Wings of The Dove. Since then she's had multiple roles in movies, and in between she's also managed to get some TV appearances; A Hazard Of Hearts (1983) being her first. She also had a guest apearance in the series Miami Vice (1987) among others. Between 1994 and 1999 Helena lived with the actor Kenneth Branagh. In the summer of 2000, Helena had a short realationship with Steve Martin. In November 2001 her engagement to director Tim Burton was announced. They now have a son together, Billy Ray, born in October 2003.moreless -
Richard E. Grant
Himself
Born and raised in Swaziland, Richard E. Grant wears a watch on both wrists. One belongs to his late father and is set to Swaziland time. He has a younger brother, Stuart, who is an accountant in South Africa. Richard's father, Henrik, was Minister of Education in Swaziland. His mother and father divorced when Richard was 11, following her affair. Richard studied drama at Cape Town University where he co-founded the Troupe Theatre Company. He moved to London in 1982 and worked in theatre until he got his big break with the cult hit Withnail and I in 1986. Since then, Richard has appeared in over 60 movies, with some of Hollywood's leading directors and actors. He's also written two books, and appeared in many theatre productions. Richard married Joan Washington, a dialect coach, in 1986, giving Richard a step-son, Tom. The same year their first child Tiffany died within 30 minutes of birth. In 1989, they had a second child, Olivia, who was healthy.moreless -
Lulu
Herself
Lulu was born Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie, on November 3rd, 1948, the eldest of a family of four, in Lennox Castle, Lennoxtown, Glasgow - the daughter of a local butcher. She started singing almost immediately. She made her first public appearance singing at the tender age of 4 at a Coronation Party - "From then on, I used to go in for talent competitions on my own," she adds. At Whitehall School in Glasgow, she was always in trouble for singing during lessons. At the age of 14, Lulu joined a local group - The Gleneagles - and started playing club engagements in and around Glasgow and Edinburgh. Each Sunday evening, the group with Lulu in tow as lead singer, played at The Lindella Club - a Glasgow discotheque, for a pound a night each. On one particular cold Glaswegian evening at The Lindella, Lulu was discovered singing by Marion Massey, who later became her manager and mentor ... and who guided her to stardom. Says Lulu: "When I was fourteen, I was very lucky. I was discovered - to use a terrible term - by a person who was absolutely sincere. Since I was five, people had been coming up to me saying: 'Stick with me, baby, and I'll make you a star'. In fact, nobody ever did anything for me. Then Marion came along". And Marion takes up the story: "She (Lulu) looked so peculiar that first time I saw her. Her hair was in curlers underneath a fur beret. She had a terrible cold, was very pale and wore three jumpers. But I was very intrigued by her. It wasn't her singing; there was something tremendously magnetic about this girl. I knew she had the makings of a great star." She was right ... and set about proving it. Marion Massey signed Lulu and her group to a management contract and took them to London to record. But first she decided the time was right to change her protegee's name, and came up with the perfect answer: Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie became Lulu. The group's name changed, too, from The Gleneagles to The Luvvers. In actual fact, Columbia (EMI) turned down Lulu and The Luvvers, the first record company they approached for a deal, but no matter. Within weeks, they were signed up by Decca and made their first single, 'Shout', a raw version of the old Isley Brothers US hit 1959, which Lulu had enthused over when she heard Alex Harvey singing it several months before. Lulu's own handling of the song moved one eminent rock journalist to write: "It is still probably the best rock 'n' roll performance by a woman in the history of British pop" When it was released in the spring of 1964, it became a smash hit and launched Lulu on the road to stardom. 'Shout' went on to take the British Singles Chart by storm and finally reached No.7. What followed next, through 1964 and 1965, was an outstanding assult on the world's hit parades by the newly acclaimed singing star, with a succession of classic singles: 'Here Comes The Night', 'Leave A Little Love' and 'Try To Understand' (all British Single Chart Hits). She consolidated her success with a string of top television and radio appearances, and concert engagements all over the country. It paid dividends, too. By the end of 1965, she was voted 'Britain's Most Promising Newcomer In Showbusiness' by the highly influential rock newspaper Melody Maker. It was the first of many honours. 1966 proved a memorable year in Lulu's career, although it was the year that finally saw her parting company from her backing and the Luvvers. Besides a hectic round of TV and radio concert tours; with The Hollies to Poland - to become the first British girl singing star - ever to perform behind the Tron Curtain - followed by a lenghy British tour with Roy Orbison and The Walker Brothers. She also switched record labels, too, from Decca to Columbia - ironically the company that turned her down two years before - and joined forces with producer Mickie and Herman's Hermits. Lulu also finished the year on another high note, when she starred in the pantomime 'Babes In The Wood' at the Wimbledon Theatre and won rave reviews from the press. However, the undoubted highlight of that year came in the spring, when she signed to star in her first movie - playing the part of cheeky 'Barbara Pegg' - in 'To Sir With Love', alongside Sidney Poitier. She was great, too, and once again was acclaimed by the Press for her performance when the movie was released in April 1967, and later on went to break box-office records all over America. She completely justified the faith put into her by the film's writer, producer and director James Clavell, who said at the time: "This girl has a naturalness, a straightforward quality coupled with a really exciting personality, A very important movie quality indeed". If 1966 proved a major turning point in Lulu's career, then the following year certainly consolidated all her success, and established a marvellous pattern. She enjoyed three major hit singles - 'The Boat That I Row', 'Let's Pretend' and 'Love Loves To Love Love' - and also signed for her first BBC Television series called 'Three Of A Kind' (with Mike Yarwood and Ray Fell). In the summer, she embarked on a massive tour of America, appearing on such top-rating programmes as 'The Ed Sullivan Show', 'David Frost Show', ' Johnny Carson Show', and many many more. Back in Britain, she appeared in concert in London with the Monkees, then at the height of their outstanding careers, -and stopped the show. Then in November, she was chosen to appear in The Royal Variety Show at the celebrated London Palladium, one of the highest personal accolades in British showbusiness. That's not all. 'To Sir With Love' shot to the very top og the American Singles Chart to give Lulu a unique distinction in International showbusiness. She was the only non-American female singer ever to have topped the US Singles Chart for five weeks, and at that time only one of five British female singers to have topped the chart. Lulu joined this elite band in 1967 when 'To Sir With Love' - the title song from her debut movie appearance - was released as a single... and within weeks, it was sitting at the very pinnacle of the US Chart. The record sold a million copies. In all, the record-making single went on to sell nearly 4,000,000 copies worldwide. It was a remarkable feat for the lovely green-eyed singing star: it was the first time in recording history that a US hit by a British artist was never given a domestic release, even though it was a No 1, but then, Lulu has been breaking records and making International showbusiness history ever since.moreless -
Graham Norton
Himself
Your "favourite shiny Irish poof", as Graham Norton describes himself, was not always heading for a career in comedy. He forfeited his place at Cork University for a flight for freedom to San Francisco where he lived in a commune. The experience led him to the conclusion that acting was the life for him and he enrolled in the prestigious Central School of Drama in London. Despite his desire to become a serious actor, it was soon clear that Graham's future lay in making people laugh. He performed his one-man shows at the Edinburgh Festival from 1992 to 1997 when he was nominated for a Perrier award. This led to him being offered a stand-in position on the Jack Docherty Show, five weeks later he was voted Best Newcomer at the British Comedy Awards (for which Docherty was also nominated). Channel 4 soon offered him his own chat show and So Graham Norton was born. It was a magnificent mess of the camp, the obscene and the hilarious and led to it being snapped up by BBC America and in turn, a US version being born to further cheers and laughter across the pond. The lure of a 5 million GBP contract brought Graham into Auntie's clutches where he is being touted a the man to revive the Saturday night schedules. A task many have tried to grapple with but which none have, as yet, got a firm grip on. Perhaps he will do.moreless -
Jonathan Ross
Himself
Jonathan Stephen Ross was born in 1960 in London, one of six children. He started out as a researcher on Channel 4 but soon made his name as the presenter on The Last Resort. He moved to radio in the 80s but continued to work prolifically on Television as a presenter, chat show host, comedy game show panellist and compere of the British Comedy Awards. In 1999 Jonathan got his dream job when he took over the BBC's main film review show from Barry Norman, and in June 2005 he received an OBE for services to broadcasting. Jonathan has been married to writer Jane Goldman since 1988, and has three children (Betty, Harvey, and Honey).moreless -
Warren Clarke
Himself
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Emma Bunton
Herself
Emma Lee Bunton was born on January 21, 1976 to Pauline and Trevor. Her parents split when she was 11 and she ended up living with her mum. She first got on stage when she was three and entered a beauty contest. She was on-stage for many things since, but didn't get her real big break until she joined the Spice Girls. She was the fifth member replacing the original fifth member Michelle Stephenson who had left the group. When the girls broke up, she continued on her solo career which has been going quite well.moreless -
Ronan Keating
Himself
Ronan is an Irish pop singer. He became one of Europe's most endearing stars as the leader of the Irish boy band Boyzone. He joined them after being groomed by Louis Walsh when he turned 16; and later briefly co-managed fellow Irish boy band Westlife. Although Boyzone never officially disbanded, they have not released a single since 1999 and he has continued with his own solo career, clocking up a total of 14 top 10 singles, as well as three Number one albums in addition to his previous success with the group.moreless -
Rachel Stevens
Herself
We've all seen the pictures. Those awful paparazzi shots of celebs dressed in preposterous clothes. But it's not a fate that should worry S Club 7's Rachel. You could say she's one of those "throw something on and look like a million dollars" kind of people. Then again, that should come as no surprise, considering her background in fashion and modeling. At 15, she was plucked from over 5000 hopefuls to win a modelling competition. "That led to some modelling work," explains the softly spoken Rachel, "and then I went to the London School of Fashion to study the fashion business. After getting my diploma, I moved into fashion PR." It may be an unconventional path into music and TV, but Rachel also loved singing, dancing and acting from the age of five. The modelling just came along first. Unsurprisingly, the subject of shopping is a favourite of Rachel's. "I love going shopping. Shopping for clothes, shopping for make-up. I could shop all the time." But although she may be feminine, don't overlook Rachel's steely side. "I'm strong-minded. I know what I want," she smiles sweetly. She admits to being a fiery person.moreless -
Boy George
Himself
George Alan O'Dowd, aka Boy George, is a popular gender-bending musican from the 80s, born June 14th 1961, in Bexley, Kent. George is most well-known for his work in the band Culture Club, but is currently a DJ. George sang briefly in the 80's New Wave band Bow Wow Wow, under the name Lieutenant Lush. Unfortunately, Boy's presence in the band caused friction, most notably with singer Annabella Lwin. After Bow Wow Wow, George decided to form his own band, with DJ Mikey Craig on bass. Eventually, John Moss, and Ron Hay joined the band as well. 1982 saw George's band release their first album, "Kissing to Be Clever". Because of George's eccentric manner of dress and androgynous looks, he became a celebrity worldwide and a favourite for MTV. Unfortunately, by 1983, the band was in trouble, because of George's affair with drummer Jon, which was becoming more difficult to keep secret from the public. Once the relationship was over, it became more and more difficult for George and Jon to work as a musical team, and resulted in George's heroin addiction. Due to many factors, 1984's "Waking Up With the House on Fire" failed to be popular. After a slight comeback in 1986 with "From Luxury to Heartache", Culture Club broke up, because of the antagonistic relationship between George and the drummer, and George's addictions. After George quit heroin and Culture Club had disbanded, he started a solo career, with 1987's "Sold". George scored several hits, including 1992's "The Crying Game", but failed to reach the success generated from Culture Club. In 1998, Culture Club reformed for a reunion tour, and recorded the album "Don't Mind If I Do". The band has again disbanded, with Boy George concentrating on his DJ career. Boy George Partial Discography: 1987's "Sold", 1989's "High Hat", 1992's "Spin Dazzle", 1995's "Cheapness and Beauty", 1999's "Galaxy Mix", and 2004's "Taboo".moreless -
Barbara Windsor
Herself
Barbara Windsor is a very popular film and television actress, most famous for her roles in many of the "Carry On" films in the 1960s and 1970s and in recent years in the role of Peggy Mitchell, the matriarch of "The Queen Vic" pub on the long running BBC soap Eastenders.moreless -
Johnny Vaughan
Himself
Johnny Vaughan is an English television personality and writer. He began his career on the Channel 4 show Moviewatch in 1993. He then went on to host The Big Breakfast from 1997 until the show ended in 2001. After several failed shows on the BBC Johnny moved to radio in April 2004 when he replaced Chris Tarrent on Capital 95.8 Breakfast show. He also writes a movie review column for.moreless -
Martin Kemp
Himself
He played bass in the 1980s pop group Spandau Ballet.
During the early 1990's he had a brain tumor removed and a metal plate that was put in place. -
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