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Tom Binns

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Tom Binns
Binns as hospital radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury, Glastonbury Festival, 2019
Born
Christopher Thomas Binns

1970 (age 53–54)
Sheffield, United Kingdom
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • writer

Christopher Thomas Binns (born 1970) is a British comedian best known for his character of Hospital Radio DJ Ivan Brackenbury. He has made multiple TV and radio appearances. In 2023, Binns was convicted of possession of child pornography.

Career

Binns was nominated at the Edinburgh Festival for the Edinburgh Comedy Award 2007 for his hospital radio DJ character Ivan Brackenbury. He has been twice nominated for the Adelaide Fringe Comedy Award, in 2010 and 2011. He was voted a Foster's Comedy God in 2010. He also was nominated for a Chortle Award in 2011 and was also named in a list of their 50 Most Memorable Gigs of the decade. He won the Best International Act at the 2013 New Zealand International Comedy Festival and was nominated for Best Comedy Show at FringeWorld, Perth in 2015 and 2016.[1]

He appears in the BBC MI5 drama Spooks (Episode 6 Series 6),[2] Series 3 of the IT Crowd on Channel 4,[3] in Knowing Me Knowing Yule with Alan Partridge, and, in character as Ivan Brackenbury, on The Jason Byrne Show. In 2017, he appeared in the comedy movie Eaten by Lions.

As Ian D Montfort he had a BBC Radio 2 series called Ian D Montfort is Unbelievable, broadcast in February 2013.[4]

Besides writing comedy for television and radio, Binns has appeared on other television shows, such as RI:SE, Bullrun, Oblivion and as a writer on Trigger Happy TV, for which he earned "best comedy moment" and "TV moment of 2001" awards. His first television appearances were Friday Night Armistice (BBC2) and Lee and Herring's Fist of Fun, and has gone on to further appear in the Channel 4-based late night sports talk show Under the Moon, with Danny Kelly where he regularly referenced his love of Sunderland AFC. He has also had stage appearances at the Bloomsbury Theatre and Garrick Theatre.

Binns has worked on Radio 1, Virgin, BRMB and GLR, Talksport UK, Hallam FM and Key 103, appearing either as himself or as hospital radio character Ivan Brackenbury.[5]

Binns is the co-writer of BBC 1's Hospital People, part of the BBC's Comedy Playhouse, in which he plays the five lead characters Ivan Brackenbury, Ian D Montfort, Susan Mitchell, Terry Boyle and Father Kenny.[6]

He has written the book How to Get Famous - A Cynical Guide.

Controversies

In 1999, London-based radio station Xfm was fined £50,000 by the Radio Authority following complaints regarding the use of coarse sexual innuendo when discussing a bestial pornography video with a listener during the Tom Binns Breakfast Show.[7] Parent company Capital Radio decided not to sack Binns but in a meeting shortly after the fine was issued, the Radio Authority made it clear to Capital Radio that this would negatively affect the decision to renew the XFM licence.

In December 2009, Binns was fired from BRMB by its owners Orion Media after he cut short the Queen's Christmas Message.[8] The Message was played into his show in error instead of the expected two-minute news bulletin. Binns joked, "Two words: bore-ring". He then went on to joke that the British monarchy can't be as good for tourism as some people claim because "the French executed theirs and people still visit France" and played a George Michael record with the link "from one queen to another".[9][10]

Criminal charges

Binns admitted five counts of making and one of possessing indecent images of children when he appeared in court on 21 November 2022.[11] He was found possessing over 35,000 indecent images of children, including 104 Category A, 411 Category B and 34,946 Category C indecent images. On 17 August 2023, he was given a combined 10-month sentence, suspended for 15 months after it was ruled this incident was a result of COVID-19 and medication he was taking at that period of time.[12]

Filmography

Film

Television

Live shows

  • 2007: Ivan Brackenbury's Hospital Radio Roadshow
  • 2008: Ivan Brackenbury's Christmas Show
  • 2009: Ivan Brackenbury's Disease Hour
  • 2010: Ivan Brackenbury's Hospital Radio Remix
  • 2010: Ian D Montfort: Touching the Dead[13]
  • 2011: Ian D Montfort: Spirit Comedium
  • 2012: Ian D Montfort: Unbelievable
  • 2012: Tom Binns does Ivan Brackenbury and others
  • 2013: Ian D Montfort: Psychic Fayre
  • 2014: Ian D Montfort: Midday Seance
  • 2014: Tom Binns has not been himself
  • 2015: Ian D Montfort: Under Sciencey Conditions
  • 2015: Tom Binns: The Club Sets

Radio

  • Fist of Fun on BBC Radio 1
  • Digital Update on BBC Radio 1
  • The Ivan Brackenbury Show on BBC Radio 2
  • The Jason Byrne Show on BBC Radio 2
  • 99p Challenge on BBC Radio 4
  • Ian D Montfort is Unbelievable on BBC Radio 2

Awards and accolades

Binns has received several accolades:

  • Melody Maker readers voted his show best of the year in 1999.
  • More magazine readers voted him as the 25th sexiest man in the world 2002.
  • Nominee for the Edinburgh Comedy Award at the Edinburgh Festival 2007
  • Nominee for Best Established Comedian at the Adelaide Fringe 2010 and 2011
  • Voted Foster Comedy God in 2010 (Top Ten most popular Edinburgh Comedy Award Winners)
  • Chortle Award Nominee 2011 Best Character Comic
  • Best International Act New Zealand International Comedy Festival 2013
  • Best Comedy Show Nomination 2014 and 2015
  • Best Act award winner at the Midlands Comedy Awards 2015.[14][15]

References

  1. ^ "Tom Binns: The Psychic Comedium support from Ivan Brackenbury". The Leadmill. 2 April 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  2. ^ "BBC – Spooks – Series 6, Episode 6 Credits". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  3. ^ Tramps Like Us, retrieved 1 August 2019
  4. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Ian D Montfort Is: Unbelievable". BBC. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Making a career out of a sick joke". The Daily Telegraph. 26 January 2008. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  6. ^ "BBC - Production has begun on new comedy series Hospital People, with guest stars including Russell Brand and Sally Phillips - Media Centre". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Record fines for radio stations". BBC News. 14 December 1999. Retrieved 1 February 2007. – Article describing the nature of complaints against Tom Binns on Xfm
  8. ^ Plunkett, John (29 December 2009). "Radio DJ sacked for interrupting Queen's Christmas speech". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Tom Binned over Queen's speech gag". Chortle. 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
  10. ^ "Sacked BRMB DJ Tom Binns thanks public for support". Birmingham Mail. 1 January 2010.
  11. ^ "Tom Binns admits possessing indecent images of children". Chortle.
  12. ^ "TV comedian sentenced over indecent images of children". BBC News. 17 August 2023.
  13. ^ Williams, Holly (2010). "Interview: Ian D Montford". Spoonfed. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  14. ^ "News: Midlands Comedy Awards Results Announced". Beyond The Joke. 20 January 2016. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Midlands Bankers". Chortle. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
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