Timmy Mallett
Encyclopedia
Timmy Mallett is a TV presenter and broadcaster in the UK. He achieved cult
status on BBC Radio Oxford
and Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and later on TV-am
. Mallett is most notable for his striking visual style, involving loud shirts, colourful glasses and the giant pink foam mallet
, labelled Mallett's Mallet as well as his 'utterly brilliant!' and 'bleurgh!' catchphrases.
), Earnseat Prep School (Arnside
) and then Hyde
Grammar School (now Hyde Clarendon College).
where he worked on the student radio station, Radio Warwick
. After graduating with a degree in History, he started work straight after his graduation day at BBC Radio Oxford
. He later moved to , Centre Radio (now Leicester Sound
) as the station's launch presenter, Radio Luxembourg
and Manchester
's Piccadilly Radio where his energetic style won him many fans and Sony Awards. The programme he hosted at Piccadilly was Timmy on the Tranny, a popular weekday evening show that ran from 8pm-11pm and took its name from Mallett's show on Radio Oxford. Among Timmy's team of helpers were Chris Evans known as 'Nobby Nolevel', Andy Bird
who played the pirate radio character 'Radio Diggle', Karen Walsh was the original 'Aunty Boney kneecaps', Brian Cox made jingles, friends Sally Mais and Anna Laurie were the cleaners, and many others were regulars on the programme. This led to Mallett presenting the Manchester-based BBC2 youth music show Oxford Road Show for a year in 1984. In March 1985 he also stood in for David Jensen
on the Network Chart, at the time broadcast to most if not all British commercial radio stations.
's breakfast station, TV-am
. But Mallett's big break happened the following year when he became a presenter of Wide Awake Club, a new Saturday morning children's programme on TV-am, with co-presenters Michaela Strachan
, James Baker, Arabella Warner and later Tommy Boyd
. Future actor Mike Myers
also had a minor role with Neil Mularkey. Mallett's personality came to dominate the show to such an extent that when TV-am found itself lacking a school holidays programme after Roland Rat
left to join the BBC
, he was offered the chance to present the replacement solo. The replacement, a spin-off of Wide Awake Club, was called Wacaday
(based on the addition of 'aday' to the initials 'WAC' for Wide Awake Club) and began broadcasting in 1985.
Wacaday was even more successful than its parent. The programme was characterised by games such as Mallett's Mallet, a word association game where contestants were hit over the head by his famed mallet for getting answers wrong. In later years, a talking mini version of the mallet called Pinky Punky was introduced (the name Pinky Punky was chosen after Mallett asked viewers to write in with their ideas for a name) and soon became one of Mallett's established sidekicks along with Magic, his pet cockatiel
. Wacaday ended in 1992 when TV-am lost its franchise to broadcast. Since then, Mallett has run his own production company, Brilliant TV.
A memorable moment occurred when Mallett met the then-Prime Minister
in 1990, Margaret Thatcher
- and bashed her with the mallet.
In 1993, Mallett starred in The Children's Channel
's Around the World in 80 seconds as Captain Everything.
From 1997, Brilliant TV made three series of Timmy Towers for CITV
, starring Mark Speight
as the Abominable No Man, Rodger Bremble as Aunty Boney knees, and Alex Lovell
as the delightful Miss Thing. Timmy Towers was a panto
-style show where The Abominable No Man wanted to take over the world, kidnap kids, lock them in the Room with No TV and flush them down the toilet. Mallett's job was to save the world.
In 2004 he was a stand-in contestant for the ITV1
jungle
-based reality series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
. He did not become a contestant on the show, but recorded a video diary of his exploits in Australia, the setting for the series, for the ITV2
companion programme I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Now. In 2008 he entered the show as a full contestant.
Mallett was a trialist on The Match
in 2006. Mallett is also a supporter of Oxford United and regularly attends matches there. Mallett does a regular podcast for the Oxford Mail on United. He can also be seen occasionally watching his local club Maidenhead United
From 2007, Mallett can be heard as the voice of Smelly Beep in the pre-school
sitcom The Beeps
on Five.
As well as his broadcasting work, Mallett tours many students' union
s, and clubs, performing his own show. In January 2008, Mallett appeared at University of Warwick Students' Union
where he performed before a record audience of several thousand.
In 2008, Mallett appeared on Big Brother's Little Brother .
In September 2008 Mallett appeared on the BBC1 politics show This Week talking about being positive when things get tough.
In November 2008 Mallett appeared in the eighth
series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
. He entered the show in a unique way: by being captured in an over-sized net and imprisoned in jungle jail. The celebrities were given an option to trade their possessions for him and David Van Day
to enter. They refused. On 30 November 2008, Mallett was the fourth contestant and only celebrity to be eliminated in battle rather than public vote from I'm a Celebrity after losing a (play-off) Bushtucker eating trial to Brian Paddick
. Mallett was at a disadvantage in the "Last Chance Saloon" when it was revealed to be an eating and drinking live creatures trial—he is a vegetarian.
He also regularly performs in panto, including Sleeping Beauty
at the Grand Pavilion
, Porthcawl
, in December 2007. Mallett played the part of Mr Smee in Peter Pan
at the Playhouse, Weston Super Mare 2008-9.
". The song entered the UK charts
at number 23, rose to 13 the next week, then to 3 and finally to number 1 on 19 August 1990, where it stayed for three weeks. More than 1,000,000 copies of the single were sold around the World and it topped the charts in over a dozen countries. Follow ups included "7 Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat" "The Bump", as well as an album, Huggin' an' a Kissin.
For "Tommy's campaign" Timmy recorded "The Laughing Policeman" with Beatles producer George Martin
.
Under the name of "Del Costa" Timmy released "Hot Hot Hot" in 1992. The video was shot in Ibiza
. It's now a collector's item.
In 1986 he also became a presenter on pan-European music channel Music Box
, and for this reason he also took part in a sort of music group called The Rap Pack
made up of some of Music Box
's presenters, who released a single called Back To The Rhythm along with an accompanying video.
In 2008 Mallett featured in Skepta's video "Rolex Sweep" and accompanied Skepta to the MOBO
nominations.
During I'm a Celebrity
, Mallett and David Van Day
wrote and performed the song "Biff Baff Boff We're Celebrities". The song has been subsequently put to music by Steps producer Barry Upton
and was released on Jungle Celebrity Records in December 2008 as a download on iTunes
.
after she had fallen in.
He is a patron of Prime Minister Gladstone
's St Deiniol's Library
in Hawarden
, North Wales which is the only prime ministerial library in the country.
Mallett supported the campaign to re-route the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
(AWPR) in Aberdeen
and protect the Camphill movement
community at Newton Dee.
Mallett hosts It's a Knockout
days for the charity Children Today, based in Chester, of which he is a patron.
In April 2009 Mallett opened the Springside home in Stockport
for people with autism
and Asperger syndrome
.
and oils
and exhibits regularly. In 2002, for the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
, he completed a series of 50 portraits of people from around Cookham
in Berkshire
where he lives, including Lorraine Kelly
, Sir Clive Woodward, Ulrika Jonsson
, Jim Rosenthal
, Wendy Craig
and Stanley Spencer
's grandson John. He has said that he shares tips for his art work with his friend Rolf Harris
.
2007 Sleeping Beauty, Porthcawl
2002 Dick Whittington, Worthing
2001 Cinderella, Billingham
2000 Aladdin, Lewisham
1999 Snow White, Billingham
1996 Cinderella, St Albans
1995 Aladdin, Swindon
1994 Dick Whittington, Northampton
1993 Cinderella, Southend
1992 Jack and the Beanstalk, Reading
1991 Cinderella, Lewisham
Cult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
status on BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
and Manchester's Piccadilly Radio and later on TV-am
TV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
. Mallett is most notable for his striking visual style, involving loud shirts, colourful glasses and the giant pink foam mallet
Mallet
A mallet is a kind of hammer, usually of rubber,or sometimes wood smaller than a maul or beetle and usually with a relatively large head.-Tools:Tool mallets come in different types, the most common of which are:...
, labelled Mallett's Mallet as well as his 'utterly brilliant!' and 'bleurgh!' catchphrases.
Early life
Mallett attended Rosehill Primary School (MarpleMarple, Greater Manchester
Marple is a small town within the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Goyt southeast of Stockport.Historically part of Cheshire, Marple has a population of 23,480 .-Toponymy:...
), Earnseat Prep School (Arnside
Arnside
Arnside is a village and civil parish in Cumbria, England. It faces the estuary of the River Kent on the north eastern corner of Morecambe Bay, within the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
) and then Hyde
Hyde, Greater Manchester
Hyde is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, Greater Manchester, England. As of the 2001 census, the town had a population of 31,253. Historically part of Cheshire, it is northeast of Stockport, west of Glossop and east of Manchester....
Grammar School (now Hyde Clarendon College).
Early radio career
His media career started while he was a student at the University of WarwickUniversity of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
where he worked on the student radio station, Radio Warwick
Radio Warwick
Radio Warwick or RaW is the student radio station at the University of Warwick and winner of the 2000 and 2003 BBC Radio 1 Student Radio Association Best Station awards....
. After graduating with a degree in History, he started work straight after his graduation day at BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Oxford
BBC Radio Oxford is the BBC Local Radio station for the English county of Oxfordshire, broadcasting on 95.2 FM via the Oxford transmitter and online. The station broadcasts live from the BBC's Summertown studios in Oxford between 5am and 7pm each weekday, for over 13 hours on Saturdays & 19 hours...
. He later moved to , Centre Radio (now Leicester Sound
Leicester Sound
Leicester Sound was an Independent Local Radio station which broadcast to Leicestershire. The station merged with two other East Midlands stations, Trent FM and Ram FM to form Capital FM East Midlands on Monday 3 January 2011.-Background:Leicester Sound was launched by the owners of Radio Trent on...
) as the station's launch presenter, Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
and Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
's Piccadilly Radio where his energetic style won him many fans and Sony Awards. The programme he hosted at Piccadilly was Timmy on the Tranny, a popular weekday evening show that ran from 8pm-11pm and took its name from Mallett's show on Radio Oxford. Among Timmy's team of helpers were Chris Evans known as 'Nobby Nolevel', Andy Bird
Andy Bird
- Early life :Bird grew up in Warrington, England and was schooled at King's School, Macclesfield. In 1985 Bird gained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English language and literature at Newcastle University.- Career :...
who played the pirate radio character 'Radio Diggle', Karen Walsh was the original 'Aunty Boney kneecaps', Brian Cox made jingles, friends Sally Mais and Anna Laurie were the cleaners, and many others were regulars on the programme. This led to Mallett presenting the Manchester-based BBC2 youth music show Oxford Road Show for a year in 1984. In March 1985 he also stood in for David Jensen
David Jensen
David "Kid" Jensen , is a Danish Canadian-born, British radio DJ.-Early career:Born in a Danish family residing Victoria, British Columbia, Jensen began his career in his home country at the age of sixteen playing jazz and classical music. He then joined Radio Luxembourg at the age of eighteen in...
on the Network Chart, at the time broadcast to most if not all British commercial radio stations.
Television break
It was in television that he was to see his biggest success. In 1983 he helmed Summer Run on Saturday mornings for ITVITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
's breakfast station, TV-am
TV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
. But Mallett's big break happened the following year when he became a presenter of Wide Awake Club, a new Saturday morning children's programme on TV-am, with co-presenters Michaela Strachan
Michaela Strachan
Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan is an English television presenter.-Personal life:Strachan attended Claremont Fan Court School, Esher, a Christian Science school. Later, while at college, she briefly held jobs as an Avon lady and as a kissogram...
, James Baker, Arabella Warner and later Tommy Boyd
Tommy Boyd
Timothy Leslie Boyd , better known as Tommy Boyd, is a British radio and television presenter who now lives in Chichester, West Sussex.-Early career:...
. Future actor Mike Myers
Mike Myers (actor)
Michael John "Mike" Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and film producer of British parentage...
also had a minor role with Neil Mularkey. Mallett's personality came to dominate the show to such an extent that when TV-am found itself lacking a school holidays programme after Roland Rat
Roland Rat
Roland Rat is a British television puppet character. He was created, operated and voiced by David Claridge, who had previously been behind the Mooncat puppet in the Children's ITV television programme Get Up and Go! David worked for Jim Henson, then the second series of The Young Ones...
left to join the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, he was offered the chance to present the replacement solo. The replacement, a spin-off of Wide Awake Club, was called Wacaday
Wacaday
Wacaday was a children's television series in the UK that ran in TV-am's school-holidays slot from 1985 until 1992, in an 8:50-9:25 a.m. slot, and was hosted by Timmy Mallett....
(based on the addition of 'aday' to the initials 'WAC' for Wide Awake Club) and began broadcasting in 1985.
Wacaday was even more successful than its parent. The programme was characterised by games such as Mallett's Mallet, a word association game where contestants were hit over the head by his famed mallet for getting answers wrong. In later years, a talking mini version of the mallet called Pinky Punky was introduced (the name Pinky Punky was chosen after Mallett asked viewers to write in with their ideas for a name) and soon became one of Mallett's established sidekicks along with Magic, his pet cockatiel
Cockatiel
The Cockatiel , also known as the Quarrion and the Weiro, is the smallest cockatoo endemic to Australia. They are prized as a household pet and companion parrot throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed...
. Wacaday ended in 1992 when TV-am lost its franchise to broadcast. Since then, Mallett has run his own production company, Brilliant TV.
A memorable moment occurred when Mallett met the then-Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
in 1990, Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
- and bashed her with the mallet.
In 1993, Mallett starred in The Children's Channel
The Children's Channel
The Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a television station in the United Kingdom, Benelux and Scandinavia, which was owned by Flextech . It began broadcasting on 1 September 1984, and was closed on 3 April 1998...
's Around the World in 80 seconds as Captain Everything.
From 1997, Brilliant TV made three series of Timmy Towers for CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
, starring Mark Speight
Mark Speight
Mark Warwick Fordham Speight was an English television presenter, best known as the host of children's art programme SMart. Speight grew up in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, and left school at 16 to become a cartoonist...
as the Abominable No Man, Rodger Bremble as Aunty Boney knees, and Alex Lovell
Alex Lovell
Alexandra "Alex" Lovell is an English television presenter.-History:Lovell was born in Gravesend, Kent, grew up in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, and attended Rose Bruford College drama school in London....
as the delightful Miss Thing. Timmy Towers was a panto
Pantomime
Pantomime — not to be confused with a mime artist, a theatrical performer of mime—is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa, India, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is mostly performed during the...
-style show where The Abominable No Man wanted to take over the world, kidnap kids, lock them in the Room with No TV and flush them down the toilet. Mallett's job was to save the world.
Recent work
In 2002, Mallett forced West Ham United Football Club to stop selling copies of their mascot, Herbie the Hammer, in their club shop after he complained that it looked too similar to Pinky Punky. West Ham United called the matter "trivial".In 2004 he was a stand-in contestant for the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
-based reality series I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (UK)
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is a British reality television show, first screened in 2002, in which celebrities live in jungle conditions with few creature comforts. The show is filmed in Australia and broadcast on ITV in the UK and on TV3 in Ireland. The show is one of the largest in the...
. He did not become a contestant on the show, but recorded a video diary of his exploits in Australia, the setting for the series, for the ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
companion programme I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Now. In 2008 he entered the show as a full contestant.
Mallett was a trialist on The Match
The Match (TV series)
The Match is a reality TV show on Sky One in which a group of celebrities form a football team to compete against a team of former professional footballers . The show begins with a large squad of celebrities who train and live together, all aiming to be selected for "The Match" against the team of...
in 2006. Mallett is also a supporter of Oxford United and regularly attends matches there. Mallett does a regular podcast for the Oxford Mail on United. He can also be seen occasionally watching his local club Maidenhead United
From 2007, Mallett can be heard as the voice of Smelly Beep in the pre-school
Preschool education
Preschool education is the provision of learning to children before the commencement of statutory and obligatory education, usually between the ages of zero and three or five, depending on the jurisdiction....
sitcom The Beeps
The Beeps
The Beeps is an animated pre-school children's television series of 65 x 11 minute episodes, produced using computer-generated imagery by Impossible Television for the United Kingdom television network, Channel Five Broadcasting Ltd. Broadcast in the UK by Five on their early morning pre-school...
on Five.
As well as his broadcasting work, Mallett tours many students' union
Students' union
A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, guild of students or government of student body is a student organization present in many colleges and universities, and has started appearing in some high schools...
s, and clubs, performing his own show. In January 2008, Mallett appeared at University of Warwick Students' Union
University of Warwick Students' Union
Warwick Students' Union, also known as Warwick SU, is the students' union for the University of Warwick, in Coventry, England.-History:The Students' Union developed in tandem with the University and has existed since 1965...
where he performed before a record audience of several thousand.
In 2008, Mallett appeared on Big Brother's Little Brother .
In September 2008 Mallett appeared on the BBC1 politics show This Week talking about being positive when things get tough.
In November 2008 Mallett appeared in the eighth
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (Series 8 UK)
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! returned to ITV for an eighth series from 16 November to 5 December 2008. Ant & Dec returned to present the main show on ITV, whilst Matt Willis, Emma Willis and Mark Durden-Smith returned to host spin-off show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here... Now! on...
series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (UK)
I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! is a British reality television show, first screened in 2002, in which celebrities live in jungle conditions with few creature comforts. The show is filmed in Australia and broadcast on ITV in the UK and on TV3 in Ireland. The show is one of the largest in the...
. He entered the show in a unique way: by being captured in an over-sized net and imprisoned in jungle jail. The celebrities were given an option to trade their possessions for him and David Van Day
David Van Day
David Van Day is an English singer and media personality, formerly a member of the pop duo Dollar. He was also a member of the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls , and a latter-day version of Bucks Fizz....
to enter. They refused. On 30 November 2008, Mallett was the fourth contestant and only celebrity to be eliminated in battle rather than public vote from I'm a Celebrity after losing a (play-off) Bushtucker eating trial to Brian Paddick
Brian Paddick
Brian Leonard Paddick is a British politician, and was the Liberal Democrat candidate for the London mayoral election, 2008, coming third behind Boris Johnson and Ken Livingstone...
. Mallett was at a disadvantage in the "Last Chance Saloon" when it was revealed to be an eating and drinking live creatures trial—he is a vegetarian.
He also regularly performs in panto, including Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
at the Grand Pavilion
Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl
The Grand Pavilion in Porthcawl, Bridgend County Borough, Wales, was opened in 1932. It is well-known for its octagonal dome and striking frontage. Originally intended as a Palm Court for hosting Tea Dances, Balls and Civic functions, the Pavilion is an extremely versatile venue.Construction of...
, Porthcawl
Porthcawl
Porthcawl is a town on the south coast of Wales in the county borough of Bridgend, 25 miles west of the capital city, Cardiff and 19 miles southeast of Swansea...
, in December 2007. Mallett played the part of Mr Smee in Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
at the Playhouse, Weston Super Mare 2008-9.
Bombalurina
Mallett formed the band Bombalurina, along with female vocalists / dancers Dawn Andrews and Annie Dunkley, and released the single "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot BikiniItsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
"Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" is a novelty song telling the story of a shy girl wearing a revealing polka dot bikini at the beach, who in the first verse is too afraid to leave the locker where she has changed into her bikini; in the second, she has made it to the beach but sits...
". The song entered the UK charts
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 23, rose to 13 the next week, then to 3 and finally to number 1 on 19 August 1990, where it stayed for three weeks. More than 1,000,000 copies of the single were sold around the World and it topped the charts in over a dozen countries. Follow ups included "7 Little Girls Sitting in the Back Seat" "The Bump", as well as an album, Huggin' an' a Kissin.
For "Tommy's campaign" Timmy recorded "The Laughing Policeman" with Beatles producer George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
.
Under the name of "Del Costa" Timmy released "Hot Hot Hot" in 1992. The video was shot in Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
. It's now a collector's item.
In 1986 he also became a presenter on pan-European music channel Music Box
Music Box (TV)
Music Box Ltd. was a television production company that developed from a pioneering pan-European 24-hour cable and satellite channel that ran from March 1984 to 30 January 1987, originally one of three channels along with PREM1ERE and The Children's Channel, that formed Thorn EMI's venture into...
, and for this reason he also took part in a sort of music group called The Rap Pack
The Rap Pack
The Rap Pack was the name of a British musical group formed by presenters of a Pan-European London-based music channel called Music Box, which existed in the mid 1980s....
made up of some of Music Box
Music Box (TV)
Music Box Ltd. was a television production company that developed from a pioneering pan-European 24-hour cable and satellite channel that ran from March 1984 to 30 January 1987, originally one of three channels along with PREM1ERE and The Children's Channel, that formed Thorn EMI's venture into...
's presenters, who released a single called Back To The Rhythm along with an accompanying video.
In 2008 Mallett featured in Skepta's video "Rolex Sweep" and accompanied Skepta to the MOBO
Mobo
Mobo can refer to:*Shorthand for the motherboard in computers and other electronic equipment*Shorthand for a mobile [network] operator or MNO *Shorthand for a mobile bohemian, a person who embraces mobile technology...
nominations.
During I'm a Celebrity
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (Series 8 UK)
I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! returned to ITV for an eighth series from 16 November to 5 December 2008. Ant & Dec returned to present the main show on ITV, whilst Matt Willis, Emma Willis and Mark Durden-Smith returned to host spin-off show I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here... Now! on...
, Mallett and David Van Day
David Van Day
David Van Day is an English singer and media personality, formerly a member of the pop duo Dollar. He was also a member of the 1970s vocal group Guys 'n' Dolls , and a latter-day version of Bucks Fizz....
wrote and performed the song "Biff Baff Boff We're Celebrities". The song has been subsequently put to music by Steps producer Barry Upton
Barry Upton
Barry Upton is an English songwriter, arranger, musician and producer of various forms of pop music. He is also a audio engineer and stage performer having appeared around the world in various capacities.-Career:...
and was released on Jungle Celebrity Records in December 2008 as a download on iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
Charity work
Mallett was involved in the rescue of a woman from the waters of the marina in HartlepoolHartlepool
Hartlepool is a town and port in North East England.It was founded in the 7th century AD, around the Northumbrian monastery of Hartlepool Abbey. The village grew during the Middle Ages and developed a harbour which served as the official port of the County Palatine of Durham. A railway link from...
after she had fallen in.
He is a patron of Prime Minister Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
's St Deiniol's Library
St Deiniol's Library
Gladstone's Library, known until 2010 as St Deiniol's Library , is a residential library in Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales.The library was founded by the Victorian statesman and politician William Ewart Gladstone ....
in Hawarden
Hawarden
Hawarden is a village in Flintshire, North Wales. Hawarden forms part of the Deeside conurbation on the Welsh/English border. At the 2001 Census, the population of Hawarden Ward was 1,858...
, North Wales which is the only prime ministerial library in the country.
Mallett supported the campaign to re-route the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route
The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is a major infrastructure development proposed to take place on the outskirts of Aberdeen, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. First announced in January 2003, the construction has not yet begun...
(AWPR) in Aberdeen
Aberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
and protect the Camphill movement
Camphill Movement
The Camphill Movement is an initiative for social change inspired by anthroposophy. Camphill communities are residential "life-sharing" communities and schools for adults and children with learning disabilities, mental health problems and other special needs, which provide services and support for...
community at Newton Dee.
Mallett hosts It's a Knockout
It's a Knockout
It's a Knockout was adapted from the French show Intervilles. It ran between from 7 August 1966 to 25 December 1988 on BBC1, 28 May 1990 on ITV, 3 August 1991 to 24 December 1994 on S4C and from 3 September 1999 to 6 January 2001 on Channel 5, produced by Richard Hearsey and Ronin Entertainment...
days for the charity Children Today, based in Chester, of which he is a patron.
In April 2009 Mallett opened the Springside home in Stockport
Stockport
Stockport is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on elevated ground southeast of Manchester city centre, at the point where the rivers Goyt and Tame join and create the River Mersey. Stockport is the largest settlement in the metropolitan borough of the same name...
for people with autism
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
and Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
.
Artistry
Mallett paints in acrylicsAcrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
and oils
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
and exhibits regularly. In 2002, for the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II
The Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II was the international celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Elizabeth II to the thrones of seven countries, upon the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952, and was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50...
, he completed a series of 50 portraits of people from around Cookham
Cookham
Cookham is a village and civil parish in the north-easternmost corner of Berkshire in England, on the River Thames, notable as the home of the artist Stanley Spencer. It lies north of Maidenhead close to the border with Buckinghamshire...
in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
where he lives, including Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly
Lorraine Kelly is a Scottish television presenter, journalist and actress, best known as a presenter for TV-am, and later GMTV and ITV Breakfast, on Lorraine.-Early life:...
, Sir Clive Woodward, Ulrika Jonsson
Ulrika Jonsson
Eva Ulrika Jonsson is a Swedish television presenter in the UK, who became famous as a TV-am weather presenter and moved on to present Gladiators and became a team captain of the show Shooting Stars.-Early life:...
, Jim Rosenthal
Jim Rosenthal
Jim Rosenthal is a sports presenter on British television.-Early life:Rosenthal grew up in Oxford and attended Josca's Preparatory School before going to Magdalen College School...
, Wendy Craig
Wendy Craig
Wendy Craig is a BAFTA Award winning English actress who is best known for her appearances in the sitcoms Butterflies, ...And Mother Makes Three and ...And Mother Makes Five...
and Stanley Spencer
Stanley Spencer
Sir Stanley Spencer was an English painter. Much of his work depicts Biblical scenes, from miracles to Crucifixion, happening not in the Holy Land but in the small Thames-side village where he was born and spent most of his life...
's grandson John. He has said that he shares tips for his art work with his friend Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris
Rolf Harris, CBE, AM is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, painter and television personality.Born in Perth, Western Australia, Harris was a champion swimmer before studying art. He moved to England in 1952, where he started to appear on television programmes on which he drew the...
.
Pantomimes
2008 Peter Pan, Weston Super Mare2007 Sleeping Beauty, Porthcawl
2002 Dick Whittington, Worthing
2001 Cinderella, Billingham
2000 Aladdin, Lewisham
1999 Snow White, Billingham
1996 Cinderella, St Albans
1995 Aladdin, Swindon
1994 Dick Whittington, Northampton
1993 Cinderella, Southend
1992 Jack and the Beanstalk, Reading
1991 Cinderella, Lewisham
Selected Television programmes
- Oxford Road ShowOxford Road ShowOxford Road Show was a pop music magazine show broadcast on BBC2 from the BBC's New Broadcasting House, Oxford Road, Manchester between 1981 and 1985. The show featured music, pop music news and competitions. Later it was known as "ORS 84" and "ORS 85"...
(1984) - Wide Awake Club (1984–1990)
- WacadayWacadayWacaday was a children's television series in the UK that ran in TV-am's school-holidays slot from 1985 until 1992, in an 8:50-9:25 a.m. slot, and was hosted by Timmy Mallett....
(1985–1992) - The Maggot (1986) (for Music BoxMusic Box (TV)Music Box Ltd. was a television production company that developed from a pioneering pan-European 24-hour cable and satellite channel that ran from March 1984 to 30 January 1987, originally one of three channels along with PREM1ERE and The Children's Channel, that formed Thorn EMI's venture into...
) - Utterly Brilliant (1989–1991)
- Around the World in 80 Seconds (1993–1994)
- Way to Go (1996–1997)
- Timmy Towers (1997–2002)
- The BeepsThe BeepsThe Beeps is an animated pre-school children's television series of 65 x 11 minute episodes, produced using computer-generated imagery by Impossible Television for the United Kingdom television network, Channel Five Broadcasting Ltd. Broadcast in the UK by Five on their early morning pre-school...
(since 2007) - I'm a Celebrity... Get Me out of Here! (2008 series)
External links
- Timmy Mallett official site timmymallett.co.uk
- Timmy Mallett Exclusive Interview
- Official Wacaday site wacaday.co.uk
- Buckingham Fine Arts - Publishing house for Timmy Mallett's originals and limited edition prints
- Children Today - Mallett is patron of this children's charity
- Timmy's appearance on the Totally Chappers Webcast three weeks before entering the jungle