Jim Smallman
| Jim Smallman | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Daniel Smallman |
| Born |
May 11, 1978 Leicester |
| Medium | Stand-up |
| Nationality | English |
| Years active | 2005 – present |
| Website | www.jimsmallman.com |
Jim Smallman (born 11 May 1978 in Leicestershire, England) is a stand-up comedian, radio presenter, professional wrestling promoter, blogger and voice-over artist.[1] Smallman attended school in Hinckley, and went on to De Montfort University, graduating with a first-class Honours degree in English Literature.
Career
Smallman first entered into comedy at the age of 27, whilst working at the head office of Next plc. He attended a 12-week comedy workshop to help him with his nerves whilst giving presentations, which led to his decision to engage in comedy on a professional level.
In 2006 Smallman was a finalist in the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year competition. He was also a finalist in the Leicester Mercury/Equity New Comedian of the Year 2007.[2]
In 2009 his first hour-long show, The Boy Next Door Gone Wrong, was nominated for the Best Debut Show at the Leicester Comedy Festival. The show drew on past experiences with alcoholism and an addiction to painkillers. In 2010 he picked up two awards at the Hollywood Fringe Festival: Best International Show and Best Comedy performance, both for The Boy Next Door Gone Wrong. He also became the Saturday morning presenter at BBC Radio Leicester.[3]
In 2011, Jim took his second full-length show 'Tattooligan' to the Edinburgh Fringe. As a publicity stunt he had the show title tattooed across his stomach, and for the year was a columnist for Skin Deep magazine. In 2012 he made his first appearance on BBC Radio 5 Live's Fighting Talk, before taking his third full-length show 'Let's Be Friends' to the Edinburgh Fringe. In both 2011 and 2012 Smallman performed at The Gilded Balloon. 'Tattooligan' was filmed as a DVD / digital download in September 2011 in Leicester.[4]
Since 2013, Smallman has voiced the National Geographic Channel UK series Car SOS.
2013 saw further appearances on Fighting Talk, plus a weekly news review slot called 'All the Small Things" on XFM, while Smallman also supported Mick Foley on his stand-up comedy tour. His 2015 show "My Girls", about Smallman's wife and daughter, was nominated for best new show at the Dave Leicester Comedy Festival[5] and will have a full run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Smallman also runs a football blog called The Football Neutral.[6]
Wrestling
Smallman is heavily involved in professional wrestling, and is the co-founder and ring announcer of PROGRESS Wrestling.[7] He also previously hosted a weekly wrestling magazine show called 'The Slam' which aired on Sports Tonight Live.[8] In 2013 he supported both Mick Foley and William Regal on their stand-up tours of the UK.
Personal life
Smallman is a reformed alcoholic and drug addict, and since the age of 20 has been straight edge. He lives in North Wales with his wife, and has a daughter from a previous relationship (born 2003). He is a keen football and basketball fan, supporting Leicester City and the Portland Trail Blazers. Smallman is heavily tattooed, with several of his designs representing publicity stunts, including a portrait of Northern Irish comedian Martin Mor on his shoulder as the result of a lost bet. He also has designs representing his love of video games and trainers as well as portraits of Mick Foley and Ron Burgundy.[9]
Television appearances
- Midlands Today – BBC, 2009
- The Big Questions – BBC1, 2010
- The Slam – Sports Tonight, 2012
- Talking Balls – Sports Tonight, 2011–12
- Car SOS – National Geographic Channel, 2013–present (narrator)
- Console Yourself - Ginx TV, 2014
- TransWorld Sport - Channel 4, 2014
- BBC News - BBC News 24, 2015
Radio
- BBC Radio Leicester – 2009–11, presenter
- Live at the Boat Show, BBC Radio 4 Extra – 2011, host
- Fighting Talk, BBC Radio 5 Live – 2012–present, guest
- The Jo Good Show, XFM – 2013–2014, contributor
- The Unequal Past, BBC Radio 4 - 2015, presenter[10]
References
- ↑ "Jim Smallman". lipservice.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ↑ "Stuff About Me". jimsmallman.com. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
- ↑ "Jim Smallman". BBC. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- ↑ "Tattooligan". jimsmallman.com. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ↑ https://twitter.com/DavesLeicsFest/status/570206677548400640
- ↑ http://thefootballneutral.com
- ↑ "Ask Jim! Your Questions Answered By Progress Co-owner!". Progress Wrestling. 2 June 2013. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- ↑ "WWE Raw, Impact Wrestling and The Brooklyn Brawler discussed on The Slam". Youtube. Sports Tonight Live. 18 January 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ↑ "Jim Smallman – Ron Burgundy Tattoo". Youtube. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ↑ "The Unequal Past". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 23 October 2015.