Mark Watson

Watson was born in Bristol to a Welsh mother and English father.{{cite news |url=http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/southwalesecho/features/tm_headline=preview--mark-watson&method=full&objectid=18514312&siteid=50082-name_page.html |title=Preview: Mark Watson |work=WalesOnline |date=22 January 2007 |access-date=9 August 2013}}{{cite news| url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/features/story/0,,1844662,00.html | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Brian | last=Logan | title=Mark Watson: The busiest comic in Edinburgh | date=15 August 2006}} He has younger twin sisters and a brother, Paul. He attended Bristol Grammar School, where he won a "Gabbler of the Year" award.{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2015/nov/22/on-my-radar-mark-watson-michel-houellebecq-superbob-tame-impala|title=On my radar: Mark Watson's cultural highlights|date=22 November 2015|website=The Guardian}} He went on to study English at Queens' College, Cambridge, graduating with first class honours.{{cite news|title=Congregations of the Regent House on 28, 29, and 30 June 2001|url=https://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/reporter/2000-01/weekly/5852/37.html|publisher=Cambridge University Reporter}}{{cite news|title=Interview: Mark Watson|url=https://www.varsity.co.uk/culture/5047|publisher=Varsity|date=29 October 2012}} At university he was a member of the Footlights and contemporary of Stefan Golaszewski, Tim Key and Dan Stevens.{{cite web|title=Footlights Alumni: 2000–2009 |url=http://footlights.org/alumni-archive?name=2000-2009 |publisher=Footlights |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015035210/http://footlights.org/alumni-archive?name=2000-2009 |archive-date=15 October 2012 }} He was part of the revue which was nominated for the Best Newcomer category in the Perrier Comedy Awards at the 2001 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and also co-directed a revue with Key.

File:Mark Watson Eleven Book Launch (cropped).jpg

Although not brought up in Wales, Watson used to deliver his act with a common Welsh accent which is not quite his own. He adopted it when he started stand-up comedy saying that it made him "more comfortable to be talking in a voice that I didn't quite recognise as my own".{{cite news |last=Monahan |first=Mark |date=19 January 2008 |title=Mark Watson: So, there was this English Welshman... |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/comedy/3670604/Mark-Watson-So-there-was-this-English-Welshman.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418071507/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/comedy/3670604/Mark-Watson-So-there-was-this-English-Welshman.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2010 |access-date=29 November 2011|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |url-access=subscription}} He has since reverted to his own accent.

Watson has appeared regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, winning the first ever Panel Prize at the if.comeddies in 2006 and being nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2005 Perrier Comedy Awards. His other awards include the Time Out Critics' Choice Award 2006 and a Barry Award nomination for best show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival 2006.

Watson has performed several unusual shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and Melbourne Festivals, including marathon shows lasting 24 hours or more. The first of these was performed at the 2004 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, which lasted 24 hours. At the end of the show he proposed to his girlfriend Emily Howes, who accepted. These shows have featured guest appearances from other performers such as Tim Minchin, Adam Hills, Daniel Kitson, David O'Doherty, Sarah Millican,{{cite news |last=Jones |first=Alice |date=26 February 2015 |title=The curious case of the comedian and the 27-hour gig |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/news/the-curious-case-of-the-comedian-and-the-27hour-gig-10072550.html |access-date=28 January 2025 |newspaper=The Independent}} Gillian Anderson,{{cite news |date=13 April 2020 |title=Mark Watson to stage another 24-hour show |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2020/04/13/45864/mark_watson_to_stage_another_24-hour_show |access-date=28 January 2025 |work=chortle.co.uk}} and John Dorney as the balladeer.

At the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe Watson hosted a literary workshop-cum-interactive comedy show entitled Mark Watson, And His Audience, Write A Novel. The aim was to write, by the end of August, a novel begun from scratch and woven entirely from audience suggestions, with another 2,000 words or so added each day. The novel was not finished within the month.

At the 2007 Fringe, Watson hosted a panel show We Need Answers with Alex Horne and Tim Key. This saw 16 comedians take part in a knock out quiz where all the questions and answers came from text service Any Question Answered. Paul Sinha won the competition, beating Josie Long in the final. We Need Answers returned in 2008 with fewer rounds, Josie Long emerged as winner, beating Sinha in the semi-final and Kristen Schaal in the final.

Watson performed his final 24-hour Fringe show at the 2009 festival along with his "Earth Summit" and his "Edit". The Earth Summit was Watson's version of the Al Gore talk about world pollution and global warming and the Edit was a compilation of Watson's fringe shows to date, made particularly for those who had not seen him perform there. Watson's debut DVD, The Mark Watson Edit, was initially due for release on 15 November 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/13525282/The-Mark-Watson-Edit/Product.html|title=Play.com – The Mark Watson Edit|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515154006/http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/13525282/The-Mark-Watson-Edit/Product.html|archive-date=15 May 2010}} However, Watson was forced to shelve the project and a new DVD recording was released on 28 November 2011, entitled Mark Watson Live.

In 2019, Watson staged a 26.2-hour live show to coincide with the London Marathon, and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 he hosted two 24-hour "Watsonathon" events on the Twitch streaming platform.{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Steve |title=Yet another 24 hour show for Mark Watson : News 2020 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2020/10/21/47157/yet_another_24_hour_show_for_mark_watson |access-date=28 January 2022 |work=chortle.co.uk}}

Watson often performs gigs in unusual locations including: on a ferry,{{cite news |title=Mark Watson tours only places starting with M or W |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2017/02/15/26880/mark-watson-tours-only-places-starting-with-m-or-w |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=Chortle |date=15 February 2017}} from a stream,{{cite news |title=Top comedians stand up for precious chalk streams - by holding gig in the River Chess |url=https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/19320395.top-comedians-stand-precious-chalk-streams---holding-gig-river-chess/ |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=Bucks Free Press |date=23 May 2021}} on a train,{{cite news |last1=Broomfield |first1=Emma |title=All aboard the comedy train |url=https://www.thetimes.com/static/virgin-trains-comedian-mark-watson-comedy-gig-train/ |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=The Times |date=26 June 2019}} on the steps outside a theatre,{{cite news |title=Mark Watson hosts surprise gig and buys everyone a drink as show axed over Queen's death |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/mark-watson-hosts-surprise-gig-27970227 |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=The Mirror |date=12 September 2022}} in a vaccination queue,{{cite news |title=Live... from the vaccine queue |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2021/04/01/48134/live..._from_the_vaccine_queue |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=Chortle |date=1 April 2021}} and in drive-in shows during the Covid pandemic.{{cite news |title=Mark Watson launches a drive-in tour |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2020/06/10/46284/mark_watson_launches_a_drive-in_tour |access-date=8 August 2024 |work=Chortle |date=10 June 2020}}

A three-episode run of We Need Answers began on BBC Four on 12 February 2009, based on the Edinburgh Fringe show of the same name. As with the live show, Watson co-hosted with Tim Key and Alex Horne. A further 13 episodes were broadcast later in 2009. Guests for the series included Germaine Greer, Michael Rosen and Jilly Goolden.

In 2010 ITV4 commissioned Mark Watson Kicks Off, a sports panel show, hosted by Watson, where each week with three celebrities taking part in numerous rounds including "Beat the Best" where Watson takes on a sporting champion but with a twist and "I'm not a successful sports star but I'm related to someone who is" where the three celebrities ask questions to a guest who is related to a sports star.

In 2011, Watson hosted a pilot for an improvisational comedy show called Improvisation My Dear Mark Watson. The one-off episode was commissioned and broadcast by Dave, who chose not to create a full series. The pilot aired on 9 July.{{cite web

|url=http://uktv.co.uk/dave/series/tvseries/256313

|title=Improvisation My Dear Mark Watson : Dave |publisher=UKTV

}}

In 2012, Watson starred with Micky Flanagan and host Mark Dolan as a captain in the Channel 4 panel programme The Mad Bad Ad Show.{{cite press release|url=https://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/the-mad-bad-ad-show-coming-soon-to-channel-4 |title=The Mad Bad Ad Show, coming soon to Channel 4 |website=Channel 4 |date=14 July 2011 |access-date=9 August 2013}}

Watson has appeared as a panellist on shows including Never Mind the Buzzcocks, QI, Who Said That?, Guessable, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Argumental, Have I Got News For You, Mock The Week, Would I Lie to You?; and in Dictionary Corner on Countdown (2023).

He has been a contestant on Pointless Celebrities, Richard Osman's House of Games, Taskmaster, and Celebrity Mastermind.

He has performed stand-up on shows including Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow (2009), Channel 4's Comedy Gala (2010), Live at the Apollo (2011), and Tonight at the London Palladium (2017).

In Australia, Watson has been seen on Rove, Good News Week, Spicks and Specks and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, all aired in April 2007.

In 2011, he appeared on New Zealand comedy panel show 7 Days.

Watson has appeared on a number of sports programs, including The Premier League Show (2017-18), BBC Green Sport Awards (2022) and Sport Relief (2020).

Watson appeared as a talking head in Armando Iannucci's spoof documentary series Time Trumpet.

In 2017, he competed in series 5 of Taskmaster against Bob Mortimer, Sally Phillips, Nish Kumar and Aisling Bea, finishing joint second.

Also in 2017, Watson appeared on Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls alongside Iwan Thomas, Jordan Stephens, Lucy Mecklenburgh, Melody Thornton, RJ Mitte, Ryan Thomas, Sharron Davies and Shazia Mirza. Watson left on doctors' orders after suffering from severe chest pains and insomnia in the final episode.

In 2021, he appeared on Richard Osman's House of Games alongside Josie Lawrence, Raj Bisram and Laura Whitmore.

In August 2009, Watson hosted a three-episode series on BBC Radio 5 Live called 100 Million or Bust, where a panel of guests attempted to spend £100 million on transfers as managers of an English Premier League team.

Watson has made regular appearances on the BBC Radio 5 Live show Fighting Talk.{{Cite web|url=http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/antonmccoy/fightingtalk/2009-01-10_Murray_Brady,Rawling,Watt,Watson.mp3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025114356/http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/antonmccoy/fightingtalk/2009-01-10_Murray_Brady%2CRawling%2CWatt%2CWatson.mp3|url-status=dead|title=Fighting Talk: 10 January 2009|archive-date=25 October 2012}}{{Cite web|url=http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/antonmccoy/fightingtalk/2005-11-19_OConnell_Rawling,Kelner,Watson(D),Mills_-Watson_and_Rawling_fight.mp3|title=Fighting Talk: 19 November 2005}}

Watson co-runs a production company, Impatient Productions, which produces his own radio shows as well as for others such as Angela Barnes,{{cite web |title=Angela Barnes gets Radio 4 stand-up series |date=8 June 2015 |publisher=British Comedy Guide |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/radio/news/1827/angela_barnes_stand_up_series_on_radio_4/}} Britain's Got Talent winner Viggo Venn,{{cite web |title=Viggo Venn announces his first tour |date=15 June 2023 |publisher=Chortle |url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2023/06/15/53334/viggo_venn_announces_his_first_tour/}} Reverend Richard Coles.{{cite web |title=Richard Coles announces 2023 tour |date=10 May 2023 |publisher=British Comedy Guide |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/7324/rev-richard-coles-borderline-national-trinket-tour/}}

Since September 2023, Watson and seven-time World Snooker Champion, Stephen Hendry, co-host the official podcast of the World Snooker Tour, Snooker Club. Each episode features special guests of sports, entertainment, and music personalities.{{cite web |title=New 'Snooker Club' podcast launches September 20th |url=https://www.wst.tv/news/2023/september/15/new-snooker-club-podcast-launches-september-20th/ |date=15 September 2023 |access-date=1 April 2024 |archive-date=1 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240401070410/https://www.wst.tv/news/2023/september/15/new-snooker-club-podcast-launches-september-20th/ |url-status=live}}

In December 2021, Watson launched a podcast through his production company with co-host Michael Chakraverty called menkind, discussing masculinity with a weekly guest.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title='Why isn't crying manly?': a comic and a Bake Off star ask what makes a man|url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jan/25/michael-chakraverty-mark-watson-menkind-podcast|access-date=2021-09-28|website=The Guardian}} There have been 60 episodes to date, and guests have included Tom Daley, Nikesh Shukla, and Jordan Gray.

In 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, Watson, Tim Key and Alex Horne started a YouTube channel playing a game known as No More Jockeys. The three were given Chortle Legends of Lockdown awards for No More Jockeys as well as their individual work.{{Cite web|last=Bennett|first=Steve|title=All hail the Legends Of Lockdown! : News 2021 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide|url=https://www.chortle.co.uk/news/2021/03/22/48058/munya_chawawa_is_our_final_legend_of_lockdown|access-date=2021-10-25|website=chortle.co.uk}}

In 2009, Watson appeared in adverts for Magners Pear Cider, which became the subject of an extended routine by fellow comic Stewart Lee as part of his 2009, "If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One" live show. In 2010 Watson provided the voice over for a rabbit in an Innocent Smoothies advert. From 2018, Watson appeared in TUI commercials alongside fellow comedian Zoe Lyons on Sky One.{{cite web |date=21 March 2018 |title=Behind-the-scenes of our Sky One footage |publisher=TUI |url=https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/discover/video/behind-the-scenes-sky-footage}}

On 25 February, Watson presented the 2009 NME Awards at Brixton Academy.

At the start of the 2009/2010 season, Watson wrote a regular article in the Bristol City official matchday programme Well Red.

In December 2009, Watson's television drama A Child's Christmases in Wales starring Ruth Jones was broadcast as part of the Christmas 2009 season on BBC Four; it was described as peeping into the Christmases of a South Wales family during the 1980s.

Watson proposed to Emily Howes, a fellow novelist, writer-performer and theatre director during a live marathon comedy routine at the Fringe, in front of an audience of 200.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-22 |title=Comedian Mark Watson says affair was way of avoiding 'the fact I wasn't special' |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/mark-watson-marriage-affair-divorce-b2397085.html |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=The Independent}}

They married in 2004, with Tim Key acting as Watson's best man.{{Cite news |first=Alice |last=Jones |title=Tim Key: A man of his words |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/features/tim-key-a-man-of-his-words-1841773.html |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=16 December 2009 |access-date=26 February 2018 |issn=0951-9467}} Watson and Howes have two children. He is currently in a relationship with comedy producer Lianne Coop; they live in East London.{{cite web |date=16 August 2020 |title=The pandemic made you realise how precarious comedy can be |work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/aug/16/mark-watson-the-pandemic-makes-you-realise-how-precarious-comedy-can-be}}

Watson is a lifelong supporter of Bristol City Football Club.{{Cite news |last=Vittles |first=Jack |date=5 June 2017 |title=Comedian and Bristol City fan Mark Watson talks about the club's guts and Ashton Gate |url=https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/comedian-bristol-city-fan-mark-92024 |newspaper=Bristol Post |access-date=26 February 2018 }}

• Mark Watson Live (28 November 2011, DVD)
• Flaws (2014, DVD)
• The Infinite Show (2020, Vimeo){{cite web |url=http://infiniteshow.markwatsonthecomedian.com/ |title=The Infinite Show |website=infiniteshow.markwatsonthecomedian.com}} / (2024, YouTube){{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ_ow1TV8Vo |title=Mark Watson's Infinite Show |via=YouTube|date=27 June 2024 }}
• This Can't Be It (2022, Amazon Prime){{cite web | url=https://bluebookam.com/news/mark-watsons-amazon-prime-show-out-today/ | title=Mark Watson's Amazon Prime Show out TODAY | Blue Book Artist Management | date=6 May 2022 }}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website}}
• {{IMDb name|2152234|Mark Watson}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Edinburgh Comedy Award winners}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Mark}}

Category:1980 births

Category:English male comedians

Category:21st-century English novelists

Category:Living people

Category:Writers from Bristol

Category:People educated at Bristol Grammar School

Category:Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge

Category:English people of Welsh descent

Category:English male novelists

Category:21st-century English comedians

Category:21st-century English male writers

Category:English stand-up comedians

Category:Comedians from Bristol