Lee Hurst


Lee Hurst is an English comedian.
Hurst was a regular panellist on the comedy sports quiz They Think It's All Over from 1995 to 1997.
In 2003, he considered standing as a candidate in the 2004 London mayoral election. One of the factors behind his decision was a proposed redevelopment, which would have seen his comedy club demolished.
Hurst has a severe form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, a condition which causes acute back and joint pain.

Career

Hurst took up comedy after being employed in a number of jobs after leaving school, including working for a building society, the Department of Health and Social Security, and as a telephone engineer for BT. He made his first appearance on stage at the Donmar Warehouse and later said that, at the time, "I only had four jokes and they were really crap but I told the first one and got a huge laugh. I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'This is all right'".
In February 2009 Hurst pleaded guilty to criminal damage after smashing an audience member’s mobile phone at a comedy show in Guildford in September 2008. Hurst said that he did it out of anger, claiming that his shows regularly appear on websites such as YouTube.

Television work

''They Think It's All Over''

Hurst got a break when he became the warm-up act for Have I Got News for You and producer Harry Thompson gave him the opportunity to appear on the show as a guest.
Hurst first became known to television viewers as a regular team member on the BBC Two comedy sports quiz They Think It's All Over. He appeared alongside David Gower in 42 episodes over the first six series, from the first episode on 14 September 1995 until 1997.
He reduced his TV appearances to allow more time for running his comedy club, Lee Hurst's Backyard Comedy Club. He returned for two appearances as a guest on They Think It's All Over towards the end of its run for series 17 in 2004, and for the 2011 Comic Relief 24 Hour Panel People.

Other television credits

Hurst's other TV credits include presenting Shark Tank, Salvage Squad and The Warehouse, and guest appearances on That's Showbusiness, The Stand Up Show and Have I Got News for You. He has also appeared as a regular panellist on Don't Give Up Your Day Job. He also fronted ITV's short-lived revival of the entertainment show Saturday Live.
Hurst was the creator of Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment, which ran for five series on Five between 1997 and 2000.

Politics

During the 1990s Hurst espoused left-wing politics: he refused to be interviewed by newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch, was a critic of the Blair government, and in one interview, stated that he stopped attending a back support group which helped him with his ankylosing spondylitis after he found out that it was run as a charity, explaining that "I believe it should be provided by the State through taxation. I'd be very hypocritical if I used their facilities when I won't do medical charity benefits".
According to comments made by Hurst on his Twitter account in 2014, he is a supporter of the UK Independence Party.
He is a supporter of Brexit and an advocate for free speech, criticising the banning of Tommy Robinson by Twitter and alleging double standards by the media over Robinson's contempt of court hearings and Peter Hain's use of parliamentary privilege. He is also critical of identity politics and left-wing politics generally, the UN, feminism and Sadiq Khan.

Stand-up videos