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Gregory Daniel Davies (/ˈdeɪvɪs/ DAY-viss; born 14 May 1968) is a Welsh comedian, actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known for his roles as Mr Gilbert in The Inbetweeners (2008–2010), Ken Thompson in Cuckoo (2012–2019), Dan Davies in Man Down (2013–2017) and Paul "Wicky" Wickstead in The Cleaner (from 2021). Since 2015 he has hosted the comedy panel game show Taskmaster and he has also appeared on Mock the Week, Fast and Loose, Live at the Apollo and Would I Lie to You?
Greg Davies | |
|---|---|
 Davies in 2024 | |
| Born | Gregory Daniel Davies 14 May 1968 St Asaph, Flintshire, Wales |
| Education | Brunel University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Website | gregdavies |
For his performance in Cuckoo, Davies was nominated for the BAFTA Television Award for Best Male Comedy Performance in 2013.
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Davies was born in St Asaph, Flintshire, Wales, on 14 May 1968.[1] His Welsh parents lived in England at the time, but his father drove his mother across the border to make sure he was born in Wales, so that he would be eligible to play rugby for the Wales national team.[2] He grew up in Wem, Shropshire, which he regards as his home.[3][4][5] His father's origins lie in Porthmadog.[1] In a 2017 edition of BBC's Who Do You Think You Are? he discovered that he is descended from Owain the Great.[1][6]
Davies was educated at Thomas Adams School in Wem,[4] before studying drama and English at Brunel University,[7] graduating in 1990.[8] Prior to embarking on a career in comedy, he taught drama for 13 years at three secondary schools.[9]
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Television
In 2003, Davies made an appearance on the children's TV show Dick & Dom in da Bungalow, playing a caricatured version of himself named "Massive Greg".
In 2005, Davies played a caricature of cricketer W. G. Grace in a series of adverts for Channel 4's television coverage of The Ashes.[10]
From 2008 to 2014, Davies played the head of sixth form Mr Gilbert in the E4 comedy The Inbetweeners, and in the two follow-up films The Inbetweeners Movie (2011) and The Inbetweeners 2 (2014).
From 2012 to 2019, he starred alongside Helen Baxendale in Cuckoo for BBC Three for five series.
From October 2013, Davies starred in Channel 4's sitcom Man Down,[11] playing a teacher, Dan, who dislikes his job.[12] Rik Mayall played Dan's father. Channel 4 also commissioned a Christmas special,[13] and subsequently renewed for a second series. Rik Mayall's death in June 2014 slowed progress[14] but the second series was announced in 2015.[15] The classroom used in the show is the same classroom in which Davies taught at Sandhurst School.[16]
Since July 2015, Davies has been the host of the panel game show Taskmaster. In December 2015, he starred in BBC Two's comedy drama A Gert Lush Christmas where he played Tony, the uncle of Russell and Kerry Howard's characters. On Christmas Day he played King Hydroflax in the 2015 Doctor Who special "The Husbands of River Song".[17]
Since 2021, Davies has written and starred in the BBC One comedy series The Cleaner,[18][19][20][21] as well as serving as the host of the music panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.[22]
Stand up
Davies began his stand up career in 2005, working the independent club circuit.[citation needed]
In 2007, he was nominated three times in the Chortle Awards, in the categories "Breakthrough Act" (for his solo stand-up act), "Best Sketch, Variety or Character Act", and "Best Full-Length Show" (both as part of sketch team We Are Klang).[23]
In 2010, Davies' first solo stand-up show, Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog, was nominated for the Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Awards at the Edinburgh Festival.[24] The show was subsequently taken on his first ever tour the following autumn.[25] He was also nominated for the Edinburgh Fringe's Malcolm Hardee "Act Most Likely to Make a Million Quid" Award.[26]
In 2013, he toured his second stand up show, The Back of My Mum's Head, across the UK.
In November 2017, Davies recorded a Netflix stand-up comedy special at the Hammersmith Apollo during his Magnificent Beast UK tour. It was released as You Magnificent Beast in 2018.[27]
Stand-up shows
| Year | Title | No. of shows | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog | DVD release | |
| 2013 | The Back of My Mum's Head | 47 dates | DVD release |
| 2018 | You Magnificent Beast | 53 dates | Netflix Exclusive release |
| 2025 | Full Fat Legend | Netflix Exclusive release |
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Davies is noted for his height, standing 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) tall.[28][29]
He lives in the Kennington area of London.[30]
He was in a relationship with Labour Party politician Liz Kendall from 2007 to 2015.[5][31]
In 2022, Davies was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from his alma mater, Brunel University London.[32]
In May 2024, Davies was the guest for BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, where his musical choices included "Baggy Trousers" by Madness and "Wichita Lineman" by Glen Campbell.[33]
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| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Dick & Dom in da Bungalow | Massive Greg |
| 2006 | Girls? Eugh! | Uncredited |
| 2007 | The Musical Storytellers Ginger & Black | Mr Hopkirk |
| Saxondale | Dunc | |
| 2007–08 | CBBC Office | Various characters |
| 2008 | The Wall | Various characters |
| 2008–10 | The Inbetweeners | Mr Gilbert |
| 2009 | We Are Klang | Greg |
| 2010–11 | Ask Rhod Gilbert | Himself |
| 2011 | Fast and Loose | Himself |
| The Inbetweeners Movie | Mr Gilbert | |
| 2012–19 | Cuckoo | Ken Thompson |
| 2013–17 | Man Down | Dan |
| 2014 | This Is Jinsy | Jennitta Bishard |
| The Inbetweeners 2 | Mr Gilbert | |
| Rik Mayall: Lord of Misrule | Himself | |
| 2015–present | Taskmaster | Himself/The Taskmaster |
| 2015 | A Gert Lush Christmas | Uncle Tony |
| Doctor Who | King Hydroflax | |
| 2016 | Travel Man | Himself |
| Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods [34] | The Centurion (English dub) | |
| 2017 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Subject |
| Comic Relief 2017 | Himself | |
| 2018 | Teen Titans Go! To the Movies | Balloon Man (voice) |
| 2019 | The Inbetweeners: Fwends Reunited | Mr Gilbert |
| Greg Davies: Looking for Kes | Himself | |
| 2020 | Taskmaster NZ | Himself (Video message cameo – Series 1, Episode 7) |
| 2021–present | The Cleaner | Paul Wickstead; also series creator and writer |
| Never Mind the Buzzcocks | Himself/Presenter | |
| 2022 | The Horne Section TV Show | Himself (Episode 1) |
| 2023 | Brassic | Dick Dolphin (Christmas special) |
| 2024 | The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin | Leslie Duvall (guest appearance) |
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| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | British Comedy Awards | Best Breakthrough Comedy Artist | Firing Cheeseballs at a Dog | Nominated | |
| 2013 | 2013 British Academy Television Awards | Best Male Performance in a Comedy Program | Cuckoo | Nominated |
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