Kelly Monteith
{{short description|American comedian (1942–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kelly Monteith
| birth_name = Kelly Norton Monteith
| birth_date = {{birth date|1942|10|17}}
| birth_place = St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|01|01|1942|10|17}}
| death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| occupation = Comedian, actor, writer, producer
| years_active = 1976–2020
| television = The Kelly Monteith Show
Kelly Monteith
| spouse = Caroline R. Alexander (divorced)
| children = 2
}}
Kelly Norton Monteith (October 17, 1942 – January 1, 2023){{Cite news |date=2023-01-03 |title=Kelly Monteith: US comic who had own UK show dies at 80 |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-64152056 |access-date=2023-01-03}} was an American comedian, actor, writer and producer. He was best known for writing and starring in the BBC comedy show Kelly Monteith.{{cite web | url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba191b943 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211006091740/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2ba191b943 | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 6, 2021 | title=Kelly Monteith | work=BFI | accessdate=2021-10-06}}
Early life
Kelly Norton Monteith{{Cite web |title=Public Records |url=https://ourpublicrecords.org/public-records/ |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=Public Records Search |language=en-US}} was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 17, 1942.
Career
During the early 1970s, Monteith performed as a guest comedian on various talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Late Show with David Letterman.{{Cite web |last=Tartaglione |first=Nancy |date=2023-01-04 |title=Kelly Monteith Dies: Comedian & TV Host Known For Self-Titled BBC Series Was 80 |url=https://deadline.com/2023/01/kelly-monteith-dead-comedian-tv-host-bbc-1235211002/ |access-date=2023-01-04 |website=Deadline}}
In 1976, Monteith had a short-lived variety show on CBS, The Kelly Monteith Show. After successful guest appearances on British talk shows, he was offered his own series by the BBC. In 1979, Kelly Monteith was broadcast, and ran for six seasons. It was noted for often breaking the fourth wall by showing Monteith in his dressing room before and after a scene. Kelly Monteith won the Silver Rose for the BBC at the Montreux Television Festival in Switzerland during the series' run. In the United States the BBC series was rerun on the fledgling Arts and Entertainment Network.
In 1983, Monteith performed at the Royal Variety Performance, before a nation-wide tour.{{Cite web |last=Nozari |first=Aisha |title=Kelly Monteith dead: Comedian dies aged 80 |date=January 3, 2023 |url=https://metro.co.uk/2023/01/03/kelly-monteith-dead-comedian-dies-aged-80-18030846/ |access-date=2023-01-03}}
From 2014 to 2020, Monteith co-hosted Brit Flix with Kelly, Paul and Two-Buck Chuck.
In 2015, Monteith and Paul Bland were awarded the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award for Best Television Anchor/Host by the Los Angeles Press Club.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-03 |title=BBC comedy legend Kelly Monteith has died |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/kelly-monteith-death-bbc-b2255254.html |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=The Independent |language=en}}
From 2019 to 2020, Monteith worked again with The Anglophile Channel in Kelly Monteith's BBC Memories. The series looked back at Monteith's groundbreaking BBC series, Kelly Monteith.
Personal life
Monteith resided in Los Angeles, California.{{Cite web |title=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/kelly.monteith.90 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=www.facebook.com}}
In February 2021, Monteith suffered two strokes that left him with aphasia. He was hospitalized for two months at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.{{Cite web |last=Bennett |first=Steve |title=Kelly Monteith dies at 80 : News 2023 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2023/01/02/52333/kelly_monteith_dies_at_80 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=www.chortle.co.uk |language=en}}
On January 1, 2023, Monteith died at his home in Los Angeles, at the age of 80. His death was announced on January 2 in a social media statement by The Anglophile Channel, a LA-based production company he worked with in later years.{{Cite web |date=2023-01-02 |title=Comedian Kelly Monteith Has Died |url=https://www.beyondthejoke.co.uk/content/12968/kelly-monteith |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=Beyond The Joke |language=en}} He is survived by his two children with Caroline Alexander.{{Cite web |last=Anglophile Channel |first=The |date=January 3, 2023 |title=We miss you so much, Kelly. We will always love you. Rest In Peace.❤️ #KellyMonteith |url=https://twitter.com/anglophiletv/status/1609989593201512448 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=Twitter |language=en}} Monteith's Kelly Monteith co-star Lisa Vanderpump led tributes on social media.{{Cite web |last=Vanderpump |first=Lisa |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Such sadness to hear this! #RIP Kelly Monteith…we had so much fun together. |url=https://twitter.com/lisavanderpump/status/1610160797937987584 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=Twitter |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Anglophile Channel |first=The |date=January 3, 2023 |title=From Kelly's BBC series costar @LisaVanderpump. ❤️ #KellyMonteith @BBC |url=https://twitter.com/anglophiletv/status/1610189459466915840 |access-date=2023-01-03 |website=Twitter |language=en}} Many comedians, including Bennett Arron,{{Cite web |last=Arron |first=Bennett |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Kelly Monteith has passed away! A few years ago I said in an interview that, along with Morecambe and Wise, Tommy Cooper and my father, he was one of my favourite comedians. He heard about it, got in contact and thanked me. It's sad that many won't know of him. #RIPKellyMonteith |url=https://twitter.com/bennettarron/status/1609879613978681344?s=46&t=N6J1F_Rp_PvR4H19NX3Feg |access-date=January 3, 2023 |website=Twitter}} Al Murray{{Cite web |last=Murray |first=Al |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Kelly Monteith! Loved him. |url=https://twitter.com/almurray/status/1609957233185497088?s=46&t=N6J1F_Rp_PvR4H19NX3Feg |access-date=January 3, 2023 |website=Twitter}} and John Wing Jr.{{Cite web |last=Wing |first=John |date=January 3, 2023 |title=Kelly Monteith, 1942-2023. He was a wonderful comedian and a really wonderful human being. I'm glad he's at rest, since the last 18 months were a real struggle. I know he never stopped fighting. R.I.P. Comedian. |url=https://twitter.com/johnwing5/status/1610127009178611712?s=46&t=N6J1F_Rp_PvR4H19NX3Feg |access-date=January 3, 2023 |website=Twitter}} also paid tribute.
Filmography
= Film and television =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Notes |
| 1976
|The Kelly Monteith Show | |
| 1980
|No Holds Barred |Host |
| 1979–1982
|3 episodes |
| 1979–1984
|Kelly Monteith |36 episodes |
| 1985
|Kelly Monteith in One | |
| 1985
|New Love, American Style |1 episode |
| 1987
|Isabel's Honeymoon Hotel |1 episode |
| 1988
|Mr. Ebbel |
| 1990
|Hollywood Boulevard II |Zwing Zwiner |
| 1991
|1 episode |
| 1991
|The Joe Longthorne Show |4 episodes |
| 2004
|A Lousy 10 Grand |Ted |
| 2009
|Fuel |Scout |
| 2015
|Too Hip for the Room |Jake |
| 2019
|64th Man |Podcast series; Old Michael |
| 2019
|The Real Geezers of Beverly Hills, Adjacent |6 episodes |
= As writer =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Notes |
| 1976
|The Kelly Monteith Show |1 episode |
| 1980
|No Holds Barred |1 episode |
| 1979–1984
|Kelly Monteith |36 episodes |
| 1985
|Kelly Monteith in One |2 episodes |
| 1990
|1 episode |
| 2004
|A Lousy 10 Grand | |
| 2015
|Too Hip for the Room |Co-writer |
| 2019
|The Real Geezers of Beverly Hills, Adjacent |6 episodes |
| 2019–2020
|Kelly Monteith's BBC Memories |20 episodes |
= As producer =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Notes |
| 2015
|Too Hip for the Room | |
| 2019
|The Real Geezers of Beverly Hills, Adjacent |6 episodes |
| 2014–2020
|Brit Flix with Kelly, Paul and (Two Buck) Chuck |23 episodes |
| 2019–2020
|Kelly Monteith's BBC Memories |21 episodes |
Discography
In 1984, Lettuce Be Cool, a non-music comedy album by Monteith was released in the United Kingdom by Chrysalis Records — CHR 1436.{{Citation |title=Kelly Monteith - Lettuce Be Cool |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/9464730-Kelly-Monteith-Lettuce-Be-Cool |language=en |access-date=2023-01-03}} The album is available to purchase on Vinyl.