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'{{Short description|British DJ and TV presenter}} {{Infobox person | name = Mark Lamarr | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = Mark Jones | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|1|7|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Swindon]], [[Wiltshire]], England | occupation = Comedian, radio DJ, television presenter }} '''Mark Lamarr''' (born '''Mark Jones'''; 7 January 1967) is an English comedian, writer, radio DJ, and television presenter. He was a team captain on ''[[Shooting Stars (TV series)|Shooting Stars]]'' from 1995 to 1997, and hosted ''[[Never Mind the Buzzcocks]]'' from 1996 to 2005. ==Early life== Lamarr was born in the Park South area of [[Swindon]], [[Wiltshire]]. He has three elder sisters. His father is [[Irish people|Irish]]. He passed five [[General Certificate of Education|O-Levels]] at Park School (renamed [[Oakfield School (Swindon)|Oakfield School]]) but dropped out of school at 17 and moved to [[Harrow, London]], which was the centre of the early 1980s British [[rockabilly]] revival scene. After his [[poetry|poem]] ''Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Work'' was published in 1987, his act developed from poetry to stand-up comedy. He took to performing at London's [[The Comedy Store, London|Comedy Store]] in 1985, was spotted on the touring circuit for the launch of [[Channel 4]]'s ''[[The Big Breakfast]]'' in 1992 and co-presented'' [[The Word (TV series)|The Word]]''. ==Career== ===Television=== Lamarr first came to the public's attention as a co-presenter of the early 1990s late night variety show ''[[The Word (TV series)|The Word]]''.{{fact|date=September 2018}} The magazine format of the series allowed for interviews, live music, features and even game shows. The flexible late-night format meant that guests could do just about anything to be controversial. Talking about his TV career to Jo Brown of ''Cheers Magazine'', Lamarr said ''The Word'' was: {{cquote|No fun at all; it was a horrible, horrible, repulsive environment to work in, mainly due to the company. They were just very... just an obnoxious group of people to deal with, and I think that came across in the shows they ended up producing.<ref name=ayme> {{cite web|last=Brown |first=Jo |title=Mark Lamarr Interview |work=Cheers magazine |publisher=Association of Young People with ME |date=March–April 2003 |url=http://www.ayme.org.uk/article.php?sid=13&id=26 |accessdate=6 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040618151642/http://www.ayme.org.uk/article.php?sid=13&id=26 |archivedate=18 June 2004 }} </ref>}} After leaving ''The Word'', Lamarr was an outside presenter on ''[[The Big Breakfast]]'' from 1992 to 1996. Between 1995 and 1997 he appeared as a team captain in the surreal panel show ''[[Shooting Stars (TV series)|Shooting Stars]]'',<ref name=Leave2/> where he displayed a mixture of dour boredom and contempt towards hosts [[Vic Reeves]] and [[Bob Mortimer]] who, in turn, mocked his "50s throw-back" appearance.<ref name=Leave2/> Lamarr declined to return for the fourth series in 2002, claiming he did not want to be typecast for appearing on panel shows.{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}} He said of his experience on the show: {{cquote|''Shooting Stars'' was strangely no fun whatsoever, because I was sort of playing a particularly moody, almost mute character and you end up just doing that... I mean it was always fun with Vic and Bob because they are old friends and it was nice working with them, but no, it wasn't fun.<ref name=ayme />}} Lamarr was host of ''[[Never Mind the Buzzcocks]]'' when the show launched in 1996 and continued in this role for 17 series until 2005. Under Lamarr, the show gained a reputation for scornful treatment of the boy bands and the pop music that had dominated the music scene since the early 1990s, a position that was maintained by his successor. Although Lamarr initially intended to return to ''Buzzcocks'' after one series away,<ref> {{Cite news | title = Buzzcocks to get guest presenters | publisher = BBC News | date = 14 November 2005 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4435568.stm | accessdate = 6 March 2010}}</ref> he was ultimately replaced by [[Simon Amstell]] from the 19th series.<ref> {{Cite news | title = Amstell cued up to host Buzzcocks | publisher = BBC News | date = 23 August 2006 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5275266.stm | accessdate = 6 March 2010}}</ref> The second series of the sitcom ''[[15 Storeys High]]'' was co-written by Lamarr with comedians [[Sean Lock]] and [[Martin Trenaman]], although Lamarr was credited under his original name, Mark Jones.<ref> {{cite web | title = Filmography, Mark Lamarr | work = Film & TV Database | publisher = British Film Institute | url = http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/individual/420797?view=credit | accessdate = 6 March 2010 }} </ref> ===Radio=== Lamarr has previously presented shows on [[BBC Radio London|BBC GLR]], [[BBC Radio 5 (former)|BBC Radio 5]] and [[BBC Radio 1]].{{fact|date=September 2018}} He also often guest presented the late night [[BBC Radio 2]] show, sitting in for [[Mark Radcliffe (radio broadcaster)|Mark Radcliffe]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Marr |first1=Mark |title=Who is Mark Lamarr? |url=https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/7265093/mark-lamarr-buzzcocks-host-assault-charges-dropped/ |website=www.thesun.co.uk |accessdate=22 November 2019}}</ref>{{fact|date=September 2018}} On 20 July 1998, Lamarr launched a new show on [[BBC Radio 2]] called ''Shake, Rattle and Roll'', where he played tracks from his own sizeable record collection of obscure [[rock and roll]] gems. He also presented ''The Reggae Show'' series and ''Mark Lamarr's Alternative Sixties'', playing lesser known tracks from the 1960s. On 22 April 2006, Lamarr started a new Radio 2 show called ''God's Jukebox''. The show aired from midnight to 3.00am on Saturdays and featured a wide variety of music from the previous 70 years including soul, ska, reggae, country, gospel and rap. He also, with [[Jo Brand]], regularly covered the [[Jonathan Ross]] Saturday morning show on Radio 2 when Ross was away. His final God's Jukebox show was broadcast on Christmas Eve/Day, 2010. At the end of 2010 Lamarr left Radio 2, claiming the station had lost interest in non-mainstream music.<ref name=Leave2>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/03/mark-lamarr-to-leave-radio-2|title=Mark Lamarr to leave Radio 2|author=John Plunkett|work=The Guardian|date=3 December 2010|publisher=Guardian News and Media}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2010/dec/03/mark-lamarr-departing-radio-2|title=Mark Lamarr hits out at Radio 2|author=John Plunkett|work=The Guardian|date=3 December 2010|publisher=Guardian News and Media}}</ref> Lamarr presented a music show for [[British Airways]] on-board listeners as part of their in-flight entertainment.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lime-management.com/airline-information/onboard.aspx|title=On Board|publisher=Lime|access-date=16 October 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017043111/http://www.lime-management.com/airline-information/onboard.aspx#|archive-date=17 October 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In this show he presented a mix of rock and roll, blues, reggae, soul and R&B. ===Post-radio career=== Lamarr has continued to produce various compilation albums for several record labels, with an emphasis on lesser-known rock 'n' roll tracks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://famouslastwordsrecords.com/coffee/time-for-a-recall-to-the-airwaves/|title=Time For A Recall To The Airwaves|work=Famous Last Words|date=30 September 2013|author=Nathan Olsen-Haines}}</ref> He produced a compilation for Vee-Tone Records in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Various-Wild-Streak-Rock-N-Roll/release/6818659|title=Wild Streak Rock 'N' Roll|work=Discogs}}</ref> ===Stand-up videos=== * ''Uncensored And Live'' (17 November 1997) ==Personal life== On 1 September 2018, the [[Metropolitan Police Service|Metropolitan Police]] charged Lamarr with [[common assault]] and [[false imprisonment]].<ref name=CommAss>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-45532153|title=Former Buzzcocks host Lamarr charged with common assault|publisher=BBC News|date= 15 September 2018 | accessdate=15 September 2018}}</ref> He was due to appear at [[Uxbridge]] Magistrates' Court on 2 October 2018 to face the charges<ref name=CommAss/> but on 1 October 2018 it was reported that the case had been discontinued, with the [[Crown Prosecution Service]] saying "there was insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45713740|title=Former Buzzcocks presenter Mark Lamarr's assault case discontinued|publisher=BBC News. 1 October 2018 | accessdate=1 October 2018}}</ref> On 22 March 2019, it was reported that Lamarr had received an apology from the Crown Prosecution Service about the discontinued case.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-47672556|title=Mark Lamarr receives apology over discontinued assault case|publisher=BBC News. 22 March 2019 | accessdate=23 March 2019}}</ref> ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== {{Wikiquote}} *{{IMDb name|0482848}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Lamarr, Mark}} [[Category:1967 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:British radio DJs]] [[Category:BBC Radio 2 presenters]] [[Category:English game show hosts]] [[Category:English male comedians]] [[Category:English radio DJs]] [[Category:English radio personalities]] [[Category:English television presenters]] [[Category:People from Swindon]] [[Category:People charged with assault]]'