Jon Richardson

Richardson was born in 1982{{Cite web |last=Guide |first=British Comedy |title=Jon Richardson |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/people/jon_richardson/ |website=British Comedy Guide}} in Lancaster, England, where he was also brought up.{{Cite web|url=https://www.beyondradio.co.uk/news/local-news/lancaster-funnyman-jon-richardson-celebrates-40th-birthday-with-a-pub-quiz-in-morecambe/|title=Lancaster funnyman Jon Richardson celebrates 40th birthday with a pub quiz in Morecambe|website=Beyond Radio|date=27 September 2022 |access-date=17 September 2024|quote=Lancaster comedian Jon Richardson spent his 40th birthday this week doing a quiz at a Morecambe pub.}}{{cite news |last1=Bryning |first1=Louise |title=Sold out: Tickets for Lancaster comedian Jon Richardson's return gig in aid of hospice snapped up 'quicker than ever' |url=https://www.lancasterguardian.co.uk/news/national/sold-out-tickets-for-lancaster-comedian-jon-richardsons-return-gig-in-aid-of-hospice-snapped-up-quicker-than-ever-4233919 |access-date=22 September 2023 |date=27 July 2023|quote=the 40-year-old comedian is a former pupil of Ryelands Primary School}} He attended Ryelands Primary School and Lancaster Royal Grammar School.{{cite web |url=http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/news/local/night-of-laughs-for-hospice-appeal-1-5834807 |title=Night of laughs for hospice appeal |website=The Visitor |date=8 July 2013 |access-date=9 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413154658/http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/news/local/night-of-laughs-for-hospice-appeal-1-5834807 |archive-date=13 April 2014 |url-status=live }} He left the University of Bristol after taking Hispanic Studies for a year and a half, and subsequently spent some time working as a chef. He then decided to pursue a career in comedy, and lived with fellow comedians Russell Howard, Mark Olver and John Robins for a year in Bristol.{{cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/jon-richardson-a-little-bit-ocd |title=A Little Bit OCD |website=Channel 4 |access-date=2 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130314073355/http://www.channel4.com/programmes/jon-richardson-a-little-bit-ocd |archive-date=14 March 2013 |url-status=live }}

Richardson entered and won his heat of the BBC New Talent Comedy Search in May 2003. He also reached the semi-finals of the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition in 2004.{{cite web |first=Alex |last=Petty |url=http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/newactcomp/pastyears.htm |title=Laughing Horse New Act of the Year |website=Laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk |access-date=20 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226054635/http://www.laughinghorsecomedy.co.uk/newactcomp/pastyears.htm |archive-date=26 February 2012 |url-status=live }} Quickly developing throughout 2004, he was one of six acts to reach the final of the J2O Last Laugh Comedy Search. He marked the end of his first year in comedy with a performance at the Criterion Theatre in London's West End. Judges Jasper Carrott and Dave Spikey were both "extremely impressed" with Richardson's performance.

In 2006, Richardson appeared in The Comedy Zone at the Edinburgh Festival. He also completed a 60-date British and Irish tour with Alan Carr, and made an appearance on Paramount's The Comedy Store. In 2007, Spatula Pad (Richardson's first solo show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe) earned him a Best Newcomer nomination at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.{{cite web |url=http://www.comedyawards.co.uk/best-newcomer |title=Best Newcomer 2009 |website=Edinburgh Comedy Awards |access-date=8 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806085127/http://www.comedyawards.co.uk/best-newcomer |archive-date=6 August 2018 |url-status=live }} Richardson won the 2008 Chortle Award for Best Breakthrough Act,{{cite web |url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/features_static/awards/chortle.php |title=The UK Comedy Guide |website=Chortle |access-date=8 May 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100504211721/http://www.chortle.co.uk/features_static/awards/chortle.php |archive-date=4 May 2010 |url-status=live }} and performed Dogmatic (his second solo show) at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He later took this show around the country in his first solo tour. He appeared as a team captain in Simon Mayo's 2008 series Act Your Age on BBC Radio 4.

Richardson co-hosted a Sunday-morning radio show on BBC Radio 6 Music with fellow comedian and friend Russell Howard, and after Howard left, he continued to present the show himself until 7 March 2010. In early 2009, Richardson's show This Guy at Night was nominated for the Edinburgh Comedy Awards main prize.{{cite web |url=http://www.comedyawards.co.uk/2009_shortlist.asp |title=2009 Shortlist |website=Edinburgh Comedy Awards |date=29 August 2009 |access-date=8 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918201350/http://www.comedyawards.co.uk/2009_shortlist.asp |archive-date=18 September 2009 |df=dmy-all }} That year, he appeared on the BBC music quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. He also appeared on Have I Got News for You in December 2009 and October 2010, and was a guest on David Mitchell's The Bubble.

Richardson appeared on the BBC Radio 5 Live show Fighting Talk in February 2010. He was curator of The Museum of Curiosity for its third series. On 21 March 2010, he presented a BBC Three programme about compulsions and strange habits, entitled Different Like Me. Richardson has performed at comedy festivals in Leeds, Guildford, and Bristol, and has headlined university gigs for Off the Kerb and Avalon. He has also compèred in the French Alps, headlined in Barcelona, and performed a one-man show in Greece. In 2010 he also performed at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.{{cite web |url=http://www.2uptop.com/news/The-Jon-Richardson-Interview/ |title=The Jon Richardson Interview |website=2-UpTop |date=April 2010 |access-date=9 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413154613/http://www.2uptop.com/news/The-Jon-Richardson-Interview/ |archive-date=13 April 2014 |url-status=dead }}

Starting with the 11th series of Channel 4's panel show 8 Out of 10 Cats, Richardson took over from Jason Manford as a team captain. Filming for the series began in June 2011. It's Not Me, It's You!, Richardson's first book, was published during the same month. Later in 2011, he became a regular comic on the Channel 4 show Stand Up for the Week, which was hosted by Kevin Bridges during its second series. Upon Bridges's departure, Richardson took over as host, a role he left after series 4 in 2012. Since January 2012, he has also been a regular on Channel 4's 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown.

Richardson presented a 2012 documentary entitled A Little Bit OCD, in which he studied the lives of people diagnosed with OCD and worried that he might have the same condition; he was indeed revealed to exhibit symptoms of OCD, but did not show signs of the accompanying dysfunction. The show won the 2013 Mind Award in the documentary category.{{cite web |url=http://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/scott-mills-announces-winners-at-20th-mind-media-awards,-sponsored-by-virgin-money-giving/ |title=Scott Mills announces winners at 20th Mind Media Awards, sponsored by Virgin Money Giving |website=Mind |date=5 November 2013 |access-date=24 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235032/http://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/scott-mills-announces-winners-at-20th-mind-media-awards,-sponsored-by-virgin-money-giving/ |archive-date=2 December 2013 |url-status=live }}

On 19 November 2012, Richardson released his first stand up DVD, Funny Magnet. The performance was recorded at the Apollo Theatre in Hammersmith on 9 September 2012. The DVD also features Richardson's set from Live at the Apollo and audio commentary with his then-housemate, comedian Matt Forde. In December 2012, Channel 4 broadcast The Real Man's Road Trip: Sean & Jon Go West,{{Cite web |url=http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-real-mans-road-trip-sean-jon-go-west |title=The Real Man's Road Trip – Sean and Jon Go West |website=Channel 4 |access-date=17 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326214450/http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-real-mans-road-trip-sean-jon-go-west |archive-date=26 March 2013 |url-status=live }} a two-part series in which Richardson and his 8 Out of 10 Cats colleague Sean Lock travelled to Louisiana to experience the local culture and lifestyle. The show was filmed in September 2012.

Richardson began Work in Progress shows in late 2013, and in 2014 took his new show Nidiot on the road culminating in a DVD of the same name.{{cite web |url=http://jonrichardsoncomedy.com/2014/12/01/nidiot-dvd-available-now/ |title=Nidiot DVD available now |website=jonrichardsoncomedy.com |date=1 December 2014 |access-date=30 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020023641/http://jonrichardsoncomedy.com/2014/12/01/nidiot-dvd-available-now/ |archive-date=20 October 2016 |url-status=live}} In August 2013 he headlined the comedy stage at the V Festival. Appearing on Radio 5's Fighting Talk on 11 January 2014, Richardson said his worst ever gig was a couple of months previously at Doncaster Dome. He claimed the initial smattering of applause quickly reduced through his time on stage.BBC Radio 5, Fighting Talk, 11 January 2014

Richardson has presented two series of the Dave panel show Jon Richardson: Ultimate Worrier,{{When|date=June 2025}} in which he and his guests discuss their worries.

In 2020, Richardson appeared in the mockumentary sitcom Meet the Richardsons for UKTV's Dave and presented Channel Hopping With Jon Richardson on Comedy Central. The former is a documentary-style sitcom written by Richardson's wife Lucy Beaumont with Tim Reid, in which Lucy has to deal with an exaggerated version of Richardson's character,{{cite web|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/5355/jon_richardson_and_lucy_beaumont_sitcom/|title=Dave orders sitcom starring Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont|publisher=British Comedy Guide|date=11 June 2019|access-date=8 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707230452/https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/5355/jon_richardson_and_lucy_beaumont_sitcom/|archive-date=7 July 2019|url-status=live}} whilst the latter is a weird TV clips show in the style of Clive James on Television, but with Richardson presenting and two other guests discussing the clips each week.{{Cite web|date=2020-09-23|title=News: Comedy Central Shows For Jon Richardson And Sara Pascoe|url=https://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/9406/richardson-sara-pascoe|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Beyond The Joke|language=en}}{{Cite web|last1=Kanter|first1=Jake|date=2020-09-23|title=Comedy Central UK Greenlights 'Guessable' & 'Channel Hopping With Jon Richardson'|url=https://deadline.com/2020/09/comedy-central-uk-orders-guessable-channel-hopping-with-jon-richardson-1234582620/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=Deadline|language=en-US}}{{Cite web|last=Bennett|first=Steve|title=Jon Richardson to host Comedy Central clip show : News 2020 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide|url=http://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2020/09/23/46951/jon_richardson_to_host_comedy_central_clip_show|access-date=2021-08-12|website=www.chortle.co.uk|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Channel Hopping With Jon Richardson - Comedy Central Comedy|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/channel-hopping-with-jon-richardson/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB}}{{Cite web|date=2020-09-23|title=Comedy Central orders Channel Hopping With Jon Richardson|url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/5950/jon-richardsons-new-tv-show/|access-date=2021-08-12|website=British Comedy Guide|language=en-GB}} In 2020 Richardson also launched the podcast Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts with co-hosts Mark Stevenson and Ed Gillespie to discuss systemic societal problems and their solutions. The podcast has received overwhelming positive reviews.{{Cite web|title=Jon Richardson and the Futurenauts - How To Survive The Future on Apple Podcasts|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/jon-richardson-futurenauts-how-to-survive-future/id1508061420|access-date=2021-01-05|website=Apple Podcasts|language=en-gb}} The Arts Desk remarked "without making light of [the subject matter], Richardson and Co find the funny."{{Cite web|date=2020-12-07|title=Comedy podcasts round-up 1: from home and abroad|url=https://theartsdesk.com/comedy/comedy-podcasts-round-1-home-and-abroad|access-date=2021-01-05|website=theartsdesk.com|language=en}} Since 2020, Richardson has also co-hosted the Down the Dog podcast with Matt Forde.{{Cite web |last=Forrest |first=Jo |date=2023-08-16 |title=Jon Richardson and Matt Ford head 'Down The Dog' |url=https://www.totalntertainment.com/comedy/jon-richardson-and-matt-ford-head-down-the-dog/ |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=TotalNtertainment |language=en-GB}}

In January 2023, Richardson and Beaumont launched Jon & Lucy's Odd Couples - a panel show featuring celebrity couples answering questions about their private lives and performing various tasks to test their relationships. The show was first announced in 2022 with an order of 6 hour-long episodes.{{cite web |title=Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont seek the perfect celebrity couples |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2022/05/17/50807/jon_richardson_and_lucy_beaumont_seek_the_perfect_celebrity_couples |website=Chortle |date=17 May 2022 |access-date=23 January 2023}}{{cite web |last1=Richardson |first1=Jay |title=Channel 4 orders Jon And Lucy's Perfect Couples panel show |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/tv/news/6868/the-richardsons-land-channel-4-panel-show/ |website=British Comedy Guide |date=17 May 2022 |access-date=23 January 2023}}

In June 2023, Richardson was made an honorary member of Sheffield F.C. after he visited the club to film for Meet the Richardsons, along with Adrian Chiles and Matt Forde.{{Cite web |last=Cumber |first=Robert |date=7 June 2023 |title=Sheffield FC: Comedian Jon Richardson visits world's oldest football club to film TV show Meet the Richardsons |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/sheffield-fc-comedian-jon-richardson-visits-worlds-oldest-football-club-to-film-tv-show-meet-the-richardsons-4172267 |access-date=15 September 2023 |website=The Star}} On 13 August 2024, it was announced that Richardson would return to radio in September that same year to present a Saturday-morning show on Absolute Radio.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-13 |title=Absolute Radio signs Jon Richardson for weekend show |url=https://radiotoday.co.uk/2024/08/absolute-radio-signs-jon-richardson-for-weekend-show/ |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=RadioToday |language=en-GB}} In April 2025, the BBC confirmed that Richardson would join the cast of the school-based drama series Waterloo Road for its sixteenth series.{{cite web |title=Jon Richardson swaps comedy circuit for the classroom as he joins the cast of BBC Waterloo Road |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2025/jon-richardson-waterloo-road |website=BBC Press Office|date=1 April 2025}}

Richardson lived in Swindon for seven years,{{cite web |url=http://www.gigglebeats.co.uk/2012/11/jon-richardson-nothing-i-say-deserves-repeating-in-posterity/ |title=Jon Richardson: "Nothing I say deserves repeating in posterity" |website=Giggle Beats |first=Peter |last=Dixon |date=11 November 2012 |access-date=9 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413142535/http://www.gigglebeats.co.uk/2012/11/jon-richardson-nothing-i-say-deserves-repeating-in-posterity/ |archive-date=13 April 2014 |url-status=live }} then in Surbiton, London, with fellow comedians Matt Forde and Danny Buckler. He also lived with comedians John Robins and Russell Howard. In a 2012 interview with Woman magazine, he mentioned he had bought a house in the Lake District for his mother.{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152278449810562&set=o.2260900000&type=3&theater |title=Jon Richardson Appreciation Society |website=Facebook |date=24 November 2012 |access-date=2 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130302161350/http://www.facebook.com/photo.php |archive-date=2 March 2013 |url-status=live }} He is a vegan{{cite news | url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/jon-richardson-and-lucy-beaumont-this-country-is-in-a-really-bad-state-and-there-is-no-point-in-pretending-that-it-isnt-39821850.html | title=Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont: 'This country is in a really bad state and there is no point in pretending that it isn't' | newspaper=Belfasttelegraph }} and supporter of Leeds United. In July 2019 Richardson mentioned on Saturday Kitchen that he had moved across to Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, from Lancashire.Jon Richardson BBC1 Saturday Kitchen Live, 06/07/2019

He married comedian Lucy Beaumont in April 2015; the pair were introduced by the mutual friend and comedian Roisin Conaty and dated for about two years prior to marriage. They have a daughter born in September 2016.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/sep/13/jon-richardson-grows-up-ocd |title=Jon Richardson: 'I didn't have any sex, I didn't do any drugs' |first=James |last=Kettle |newspaper=The Guardian |date=13 September 2014 |access-date=11 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202112946/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2014/sep/13/jon-richardson-grows-up-ocd |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=http://podbay.fm/show/821623813/e/1429965395 |title=Elis James and John Robins XFM Podcast, Episode 63 |date=25 April 2015 |website=XFM |access-date=25 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160909035156/http://podbay.fm/show/821623813/e/1429965395 |archive-date=9 September 2016 |url-status=live }} Richardson and Beaumont announced their separation in April 2024.{{cite web |title=Post by @RonJichardson |url=https://twitter.com/RonJichardson/status/1778786063449801040 |website=X |access-date=12 April 2024}}{{Cite web |title=Comedians Jon Richardson and Lucy Beaumont announce divorce |url=https://news.sky.com/story/comedians-jon-richardson-and-lucy-beaumont-announce-divorce-13113585 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Sky News |language=en}}

Richardson has explored whether he has obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), concluding that he instead has obsessive–compulsive personality disorder (OCPD);{{cite web | url=https://news.sky.com/story/jon-richardson-learning-about-ocd-has-been-life-changing-11564243 | title=Jon Richardson on worrying, being a dad, and OCD }} the difference is that OCD is a type of mental disorder, whereas OCPD is a type of personality disorder.{{Cite web |last=Felton |first=Amber |editor-last=Bhandari |editor-first=Smitha |title=OCD vs. OCPD: What's the Difference? |url=https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/ocd-vs-ocpd-whats-the-difference |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250422073711/https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/ocd-vs-ocpd-whats-the-difference |archive-date=22 April 2025 |access-date=9 June 2025 |website=WebMD |language=en}} His exploration of his obsessive–compulsive behaviour was the subject of his Edinburgh Festival Fringe show Spatula Pad.{{cite web |url=http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/news/jon-richardson-returns-to-morecambe-winter-gardens-for-lancaster-hospice-1-7966005 |title=Jon Richardson returns to Morecambe Winter Gardens for Lancaster hospice |first=Gemma |last=Sherlock |newspaper=The Visitor |date=15 July 2016 |access-date=10 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110164632/http://www.thevisitor.co.uk/news/jon-richardson-returns-to-morecambe-winter-gardens-for-lancaster-hospice-1-7966005 |archive-date=10 January 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=http://jonrichardsoncomedy.com/bio/|title=Bio-Jon Richardson|access-date=10 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223161406/http://jonrichardsoncomedy.com/bio/|archive-date=23 December 2016|url-status=live}} In 2018, Richardson told Radio Times that he had been to counselling for six months, calling it "an immensely positive step". Saying "I wish I'd done it sooner", Richardson said "acknowledging there's a problem is the best thing" and recommended counselling to "anyone who's even mildly upset about anything".{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-05-16/what-does-jon-richardson-worry-about/|title=What does Jon Richardson worry about?|work=Radio Times|last=Taylor|first=Frances|date=16 May 2018|access-date=5 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180905175913/https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-05-16/what-does-jon-richardson-worry-about/|archive-date=5 September 2018|url-status=live}}

Richardson was an outspoken critic of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership of the Labour Party and, under Keir Starmer's leadership, participated in a political advert for the party in the run up to the 2024 general election in the UK.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaejKZWUWqY |title=The Big Short: Rishi Sunak 🛁 |date=2024-06-03 |last=Labour Party |access-date=2024-06-07 |via=YouTube}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/jon-richardson-labour-advert-naked-b2555990.html |title=Naked Jon Richardson takes swipe at Rishi Sunak in new Labour election advert |date=2024-06-03 |language=en |access-date=2024-06-20 |via=www.independent.co.uk}}

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Official website|http://jonrichardsoncomedy.com/}}
• {{IMDb name|2763922|Jon Richardson}}
• [https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/feb/13/control-freak-love-jon-richardson 2010 personal column in The Guardian]

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Category:1982 births

Category:Living people

Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol

Category:English radio DJs

Category:Comedians from Lancashire

Category:English male comedians

Category:English male writers

Category:English satirists

Category:English stand-up comedians

Category:People educated at Lancaster Royal Grammar School

Category:Writers from Lancaster, Lancashire

Category:People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Category:21st-century English comedians

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)