Dave Benson-Phillips
Career
Benson Phillips became interested in showbusiness while working as an usher at the Polka Children's Theatre in Wimbledon, London, and began his career as an entertainer by busking and performing at children's parties. He subsequently went on to work for Pontins as a Bluecoat, and a Children's Uncle for Haven Holidays. While working at Haven, a talent scout saw him perform, and he was invited by BBC Manchester to audition for Play School. His audition was successful, but the show was pulled out of production shortly after he signed the contract; however, it was recommissioned as Playbus (later renamed to Playdays), which ran for nine years.
In 1991, he was given his own show, Get Your Own Back, which was shown on BBC One (and later CBBC) between 1991 and 2003, and was a game show consisting of one child contestant and an adult (such as a relative or teacher) who, in the child's eyes, had done something unreasonable, and for which the child wanted revenge. In 1999, the show was nominated for a BAFTA.
In 1996, he was given his own show on ITV, Wake Up in the Wild Room. Phillips operates Chester Benson Productions, a production company which provides entertainment, removals and transportation services, and offers inflatables for hire, such as bouncy castles.
Since May 2012, he annually co-hosts Let's Rock The Moor! alongside fellow broadcaster Pat Sharp. During the summer, he appeared as a panelist on Big Brother's Bit on the Side on Channel 5.
In 2013, Phillips made a guest appearance in Sooty. Phillips plays himself in a mockumentary webseries called Getting Back with Dave Benson Phillips which began in 2017. The series by Andrew River was invited to showcase at MCM Comic Con London and the cast includes Pat Sharp and Ewen MacIntosh. The series and spin off In Production are available to watch on YouTube. He has most recently been seen working as a professional wrestler, after having also done so whilst working as a blue coat at Pontins.
Death hoax and other online attacks
In 2009, Benson Phillips was the victim of a death hoax perpetrated across the internet which maintained that he had died in a car crash. There were other false rumours that he was presenting on a soft porn TV sex line, and that he was no longer being hired because he had suffered a nervous breakdown. In 2017 Phillips spoke with the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on an inquiry into fake news.
Personal life
On 11 July 2024, Benson Phillips announced that he had Type 2 Diabetes.
Filmography
- A CBeebies Christmas Carol
- Big Brother's Bit on the Side
- Bitesize (Himself)
- Bad Robots
- Cats' Eyes
- CBBC's Proms in the Park
- Celebrity Juice
- Come Dine with Me (Himself)
- Da Bungalow Clips’ 2021 Christmas Day Video Message
- Dream Street
- Fun Song Factory
- Get Your Own Back
- Getting Back with Dave Benson Phillips
- Go For It!
- Is That A Fact?
- Jack in the Box
- The Last Leg
- The Legend of Nic and Joe
- Nick Jr.
- Petswap
- Planet Cook
- Playdays
- Playhouse Disney UK (Presenter)
- Q & A
- Rat Kan II
- Sooty
- Wake Up in the Wild Room
- Words & Pictures – The Gruffalo Story
VHS videos and DVDs
- A Day Full Of Surprises and Songs – Presenter
- Bourne Leisure Health and Safety Film
- Dave and the Animals;;
- First Bible Stories
- Fun Song Factory
- Get Up and Go!
- Get Your Own Back
- Makaton Nursery Rhymes
- My Favourite Nursery Rhymes
- Roald Dahl – The Enormous Crocodile – Narrator
- The Magical World of Animals
- Wiz Waz's World of 123
- Wiz Waz's World of ABC
- Wiz Waz's World Nursery Rhymes
- Wiz Waz's World of Starting School
- Wow! That's What I Call Nursery Rhymes
Video games
- Smarties: Meltdown (2006) – Voice of "Big Blue"
References
- ^ "Poop, poop – acting's fun!". News & Star. 27 January 2011. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ "Dave Benson Phillips, Children's Television Presenter". AllAboutCareers.com. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ "Awards Database". BAFTA. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ "Dave Benson Philips". Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ Coulon, Jade (15 May 2012). "Record 6,000 crowd pack out Cookham rock festival". Bucks Free Press. Retrieved 7 October 2012.
- ^ Big Brother's Bit on the Side Series 4, Endemol UK, Channel 5.
- ^ "Get Your Own Back's Dave Benson Phillips is... back". Digital Spy. 13 September 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "News". Getting Back with Dave Benson Phillips. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Get back with kids' TV icon Dave Benson Phillips at London Comic Con | London Comic Con". www.mcmcomiccon.com. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Getting Back With Dave Benson Phillips – YouTube Sitcom – British Comedy Guide". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ Getting Back with Dave Benson Phillips (20 August 2017), In Production on Getting Back with Dave Benson Phillips 1 of 7: NOEL EDMONDS OR DAVE BENSON PHILLIPS, archived from the original on 13 December 2021, retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ Getting Back with Dave Benson Phillips (3 September 2017), Getting Back with Dave Benson Phillips: Episode 1 of 5: The king of social media &the fallen vlogger, archived from the original on 13 December 2021, retrieved 16 January 2018
- ^ "Children's TV presenter Dave Benson Phillips set for wrestling debut as he opens up on grappling past". Daily Mirror.
- ^ "THE INTERVIEW: "It got dark, very dark indeed," says television presenter reported dead". Sussex World. 2 March 2013.
- ^ "Impact of fake news on people and politics". Sky News. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
- ^ "Instagram.com". Instagram. Retrieved 11 July 2024.