KNOWN for his self-deprecating and very British style of wit, Josh Widdecombe has become a well known face on the comedy circuit.
After rising to fame in his 20s he is now one of the UK’s leading comics and TV stars.
Who is Josh Widdicombe?
Comedian Josh Widdicombe was born in London on April 8, 1983, but grew up in Devon.
He studied Sociology and Linguistics at The University of Manchester.
Josh’s first job was writing poems and puzzles for the Dora The Explorer magazine.
He later worked for the Guardian as a sports journalist.
Josh got his break in comedy in 2008 when he entered the Laughing Horse New Act of the Year.
He didn’t realise it was a competition but he reached the semi-finals.
A year later he won the Leicester Mercury New Comedian of the Year Award.
Since then Josh has performed several solo stand-up tours.
He has also supported comedians such as Alan Carr and Russell Howard.
Who is Josh Widdicombe’s wife Rose Hanson?
Rose Hanson works in comedy TV as a producer.
She is best known for her work on shows such as 8 Out Of 10 Cats.
The happy couple met in 2013 and were married in 2019.
Randomly, Rose’s mum created the puppet Zippy from 80s kids show Rainbow.
Comparing himself to the loveable yellow character, Josh told Rob Brydon’s podcast: “I’d be lying if I said that hadn’t crossed my mind at points.
“In the sense there’s an obvious comparison to be made.
“And then the thought of your mum creating a fictional character that you then, not end up marrying, but if there’s a Hollywood movie and it turned out that Zippy had been made into a human, and then it was me, it wouldn’t be outlandish.”
Together the couple have two children.
Their daughter Pearl was born in October 2017, followed my their son Cassius in May 2021.
During the 2020 lockdown, Josh started the Parenting Hell podcast with fellow comedian Rob Beckett.
What TV shows has Josh Widdicombe been on?
Josh has been a regular panellist on Have I Got News For You since 2014.
He also presents the satirical news show The Last Leg with Adam Hills and Alex Brooker.
The trio have hosted the popular Channel 4 show since 2012.
To say it’s exceeded my expectations is the understatement of a lifetime. I was just expecting a couple of farmers. It’s proper blue blood, isn’t it?
Josh Widdicombe on being related to King Henry VIII
He also wrote and starred in three series of the BBC Three sitcom Josh in which he plays himself.
The comedian also won the first series of Taskmaster in 2015, and followed that up with the Champion Of Champions title in 2017.
How many siblings does Josh Widdicombe have?
Josh was born to parents Gerald and Sarah Widdicombe.
The comedian has an elder brother Henry, who is a comedy promoter.
In 2021, Josh found out that he was related to King Henry VIII.
The news was revealed to him when he took part in Who Do You Think You Are?.
Josh said: “To say it’s exceeded my expectations is the understatement of a lifetime.
“I was just expecting a couple of farmers. It’s proper blue blood, isn’t it?”
Speaking about the revelation on his podcast with Rob Beckett, the star said: “It was secret and that is my 13 times grandmother.
“None of the money f***ing came through.
“None of the power came through. Just the chip on my shoulder.”
Does Josh Widdicombe have pectus excavatum?
In 2011, Josh revealed he has pectus excavatum during an episode of 8 Out Of 10 Cats.
Revealing his condition to guest Dr Christian Jessen, he said: “I’ve got an embarrassing body… I wanted to check with you.
“Now, I’ve got like a hole in my chest.
“Look, it just keeps going in [unbuttons shirt].
“It’s like a concaveness.”
Dr Christian replied: “It’s called Pectus Excavatum ’cause it’s an excavated chest.”
What is Pectus excavatum
Here we take a look at what the condition is and how it occurs:
- Pectus excavatum is a chest wall deformity that results from the inward growth of several ribs and the breastbone, making the chest appear hollow.
- It can occur at or soon after birth in some people.
- However, it usually occurs following a growth spurt – typically amogst the ages of 11 to 14.
- It is caused by abnormal growth of the cartilage ribs that attach to the sternum (breast bone).
Information provided by the NHS
