Adrian Edmondson
Adrian Edmondson

Adrian Edmondson

  • 67 years old
  • English
  • Actor, writer and director
Adrian Edmondson

Adrian Edmondson is an English comedian, actor, musician and television presenter associated with the alternative comedy boom in the early 1980s. He is best known for his collaborations with Rik Mayall on the TV sitcoms The Young Ones (1982-1984) and Bottom (1991-1995).

Year Production Role
2024 Bottom: Exposed Announced Self
2024 No Alternative Self (Archive Material)
2023 Imagine... French & Saunders: Pointed, Bitchy, Bitter Self
2023 Screenshot: Double Acts Self (Archive Material)
2023 The Graham Norton Show - Series 31
  1. E3 - Dawn French, Adrian Edmondson, London Hughes, Laura Linney, Sugababes
Guest
2023 Cheltenham Literature Festival Self
2023 Harrogate Comedy Festival Self
2023 Rain Dogs
View episodes
  1. E1 - It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City
  2. E2 - Scenes From A Crucifixion
  3. E3 - The Small World Of Florian Selby
  4. E7 - You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby
  5. E8 - This Is Not An Exit
Lenny
2022 Friday Night Live Self
2021 Back To Life - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E1 - Episode One
  2. E2 - Episode Two
  3. E3 - Episode Three
  4. E4 - Episode Four
  5. E5 - Episode Five
John Boback
2021 Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled - Series 6
  1. E3 - Episode Three
Guest
2021 Adrian Edmondson - Signs Of Life - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E1 - Sugar Sugar
  2. E2 - Smoked Out
  3. E3 - Fegato Per Due
  4. E4 - It's One Rule For Them
  5. E5 - A Boy Named Sue
Host / Presenter
2021 Adrian Edmondson - Signs Of Life - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E1 - Sugar Sugar
  2. E2 - Smoked Out
  3. E3 - Fegato Per Due
  4. E4 - It's One Rule For Them
  5. E5 - A Boy Named Sue
Writer
2020 Out Of Her Mind
View episodes
  1. E4 - Pop!
  2. E5 - Pants On Fire
  3. E6 - The Beautiful Garden
Lewis
2020 Nicholas Parsons: A Man Of Many Parts Self
2020 I'll Get This - Series 2
  1. E2 - Episode Two
Self
2020 Top Of The Bill
View episodes
  1. E1 - Adrian Edmondson on The Pursuit of Laughter
Writer
2020 Top Of The Bill
View episodes
  1. E1 - Adrian Edmondson on The Pursuit of Laughter
Host / Presenter
2019 Harry Hill's Alien Fun Capsule - Series 3
  1. E6 - Episode Six
Self
2018 Upstart Crow - Series 3
  1. E4 - Sigh No More
Dogberry
2018 The Young Ones' 20 Greatest Moments Self
2018 How The Young Ones Changed Comedy Self
2018 Urban Myths: When Bowie Met Bolan (as Ade Edmondson) Leslie Conn
2018 Would I Lie To You? - Series 11 (as Ade Edmondson)
  1. E7 - Episode Seven
  2. Special - The Unseen Bits
Guest
2016 The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band: Anarchy Must Be Organised Self
2013 In Transit Development Writer
2013 In Transit Development Ade
2013 Hooligan's Island Development Writer
2013 Hooligan's Island Development Eddie
2012 The Comic Strip Presents... - Five Go To Rehab
  1. Five Go To Rehab
Dick
2012 The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff
View episodes
  1. E1 - Episode One
  2. E2 - Episode Two
Headmaster Wackville
2011 Ben Elton: Laughing At The 80s Self
2011 Jennifer Saunders: Laughing At The 90s Self
2010 Chain Reaction - Series 6 (as Ade Edmondson)
  1. E3 - Ade Edmondson interviews Ruby Wax
Host / Presenter
2010 Chain Reaction - Series 6 (as Ade Edmondson)
  1. E2 - Lee Mack interviews Ade Edmondson
Guest
2010 Pete And Dud: The Lost Sketches Ensemble Actor
2008 Teenage Kicks
View episodes
  1. E1 - Sex
  2. E2 - Work
  3. E3 - Sorry
  4. E4 - Health
  5. E5 - Student
  6. E6 - Fame
  7. E7 - Exodus
  8. E8 - Goodbye Cruel Worm
Writer
2008 Teenage Kicks
View episodes
  1. E1 - Sex
  2. E2 - Work
  3. E3 - Sorry
  4. E4 - Health
  5. E5 - Student
  6. E6 - Fame
  7. E7 - Exodus
  8. E8 - Goodbye Cruel Worm
Vernon
2008 Bottom Live 2003: Weapons Grade Y-Fronts Tour Eddie
2008 Bottom Live 2001: An Arse Oddity Eddie
2008 Bottom Live 3: Hooligan's Island Eddie
2008 Bottom Live: The Big Number Two Tour Eddie
2008 Bottom Live Eddie
2007 Alexei Sayle's Alternative Take
  1. E1 - Episode One
  2. E6 - Episode Six
Self (Archive Material)
2007 Teenage Kicks Writer
2007 Teenage Kicks Vernon
2004 Doctors + Nurses
View episodes
  1. E1 - Hip Hop
  2. E2 - Holy Smoke
  3. E3 - Seeing Stars
  4. E4 - Bella Bella
  5. E5 - Friends Reunited
  6. E6 - Go West
Roy Glover
2003 French And Saunders - 2003 Specials
  1. Special - Harry Potter And The Secret Chamberpot Of Azerbaijan
Director
2003 Jonathan Creek - Series 4
View episodes
  1. E1 - The Coonskin Cap
  2. E2 - Angel Hair
  3. E3 - The Tailor's Dummy
  4. E4 - The Seer Of The Sands
  5. E5 - The Chequered Box
Brendan Baxter
2002 Peter Cook - A Posthumorous Tribute Self
2000 The Comic Strip Presents... - Four Men In A Plane
  1. Four Men In A Plane
Ian Crisp
2000 Mirrorball Director
1999 Guest House Paradiso Director
1999 Guest House Paradiso Writer
1999 In Conversation With - Series 1
  1. E5 - Adrian Edmondson
Self
1999 Guest House Paradiso Eddie Ndingombaba
1998 French And Saunders - Christmas Special 1998
  1. Christmas Special
Ensemble Actor
1998 Jack & The Beanstalk Dame Dolly
1998 The Comic Strip Presents... - Four Men In A Car
  1. Four Men In A Car
Ian Crisp
1995 Look At The State We're In!
  1. E1 - The Organisation
Dewhurst
1995 Bottom - Series 3
View episodes
  1. E1 - Hole
  2. E2 - Terror
  3. E3 - Break
  4. E4 - Dough
  5. E5 - Finger
  6. E6 - Carnival
Writer
1995 Bottom - Series 3
View episodes
  1. E1 - Hole
  2. E2 - Terror
  3. E3 - Break
  4. E4 - Dough
  5. E5 - Finger
  6. E6 - Carnival
Eddie Hitler
1994 French And Saunders - Christmas Special 1994
  1. French And Saunders Christmas Special
Ensemble Actor
1994 Absolutely Fabulous - Series 2
  1. E4 - New Best Friend
Hamish
1993 If You See God, Tell Him
View episodes
  1. E1 - Episode One
  2. E2 - Episode Two
  3. E3 - Episode Three
  4. E4 - Episode Four
Gordon Spry
1993 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 5
  1. E5 - Demonella
Sid Vicious
1993 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 5
  1. E4 - Gregory - Diary Of A Nutcase
Gregory Dawson
1993 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 5
  1. E2 - Space Virgins From Planet Sex
Air Traffic Controller
1993 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 5
  1. E2 - Space Virgins From Planet Sex
K
1992 Absolutely Fabulous - Series 1
  1. E5 - Magazine
Hamish
1992 Bottom - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E1 - Digger
  2. E2 - Culture
  3. E3 - Burglary
  4. E4 - Parade
  5. E5 - Holy
  6. E6 - 'S Out
Writer
1992 Bottom - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E1 - Digger
  2. E2 - Culture
  3. E3 - Burglary
  4. E4 - Parade
  5. E5 - Holy
  6. E6 - 'S Out
Eddie Hitler
1992 The Comic Strip Presents... - 1992 Specials
  1. E1 - Red Nose Of Courage
John Major
1992 The Comic Strip Presents... - 1992 Specials
  1. E1 - Red Nose Of Courage
Coco the Clown
1991 Bottom - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E1 - Smells
  2. E2 - Gas
  3. E3 - Contest
  4. E4 - Apocalypse
  5. E5 - 'S Up
  6. E6 - Accident
Writer
1991 Bottom - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E1 - Smells
  2. E2 - Gas
  3. E3 - Contest
  4. E4 - Apocalypse
  5. E5 - 'S Up
  6. E6 - Accident
Eddie Hitler
1991 The Pope Must Die Father Rookie
1990 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 4
  1. E6 - Les Dogs
Bestman
1990 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 4
  1. E4 - Oxford
2nd MI5 Man
1990 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 4
  1. E4 - Oxford
Fan
1990 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 4
  1. E3 - GLC - The Carnage Continues...
Billy
1990 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 4
  1. E3 - GLC - The Carnage Continues...
Prince
1990 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 4
  1. E3 - GLC - The Carnage Continues...
Giles Cricket Bat Portland
1990 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 4
  1. E1 - South Atlantic Raiders - Part 1
  2. E2 - South Atlantic Raiders - Part 2
Billy
1989 Blackadder - Blackadder Goes Forth
  1. E4 - Private Plane
Baron Von Richthoven
1989 Snakes And Ladders
View episodes
  1. E1 - Episode One
  2. E2 - Episode Two
  3. E3 - Episode Three
  4. E4 - Episode Four
  5. E5 - Episode Five
  6. E6 - Episode Six
  7. E7 - Episode Seven
Giles
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 3
  1. E4 - The Yob
Michael
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 3
  1. E3 - Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Dreamy Time Escort
1988 French And Saunders - Series 2
  1. E5 - Episode Five
John
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 3
  1. E2 - More Bad News
Director
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 3
  1. E2 - More Bad News
  2. E3 - Mr Jolly Lives Next Door
Writer
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 3
  1. E2 - More Bad News
Vim
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 3
  1. E1 - The Strike
Policeman
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 3
  1. E1 - The Strike
Adrian
1988 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 3
  1. E1 - The Strike
Slim
1987 Hardwicke House
  1. E5 - Old Boys
Tiny
1987 Filthy Rich & Catflap
View episodes
  1. E1 - Episode One
  2. E2 - Episode Two
  3. E3 - Episode Three
  4. E4 - Episode Four
  5. E5 - Episode Five
  6. E6 - Episode Six
Eddie Catflap
1987 Eat The Rich Charles
1986 The Comic Strip Presents... - 1986 Specials
  1. E2 - Private Enterprise
Director
1986 The Comic Strip Presents... - 1986 Specials
  1. E2 - Private Enterprise
Writer
1986 The Comic Strip Presents... - 1986 Specials
  1. E2 - Private Enterprise
Brian
1986 The Comic Strip Presents... - 1986 Specials
  1. E1 - Consuela
John
1986 Come Dancing With Jools Holland Crew
1986 Come Dancing With Jools Holland Actor
1985 Happy Families
View episodes
  1. E1 - Edith
  2. E2 - Cassie
  3. E3 - Madelaine
  4. E4 - Joyce
  5. E5 - Roxanne
  6. E6 - Reunion
Guy Fuddle
1985 The Supergrass Dennis Carter
1984 The Lenny Henry Show - Series 1
  1. E4 - Episode Four
Ensemble Actor
1984 The Young Ones - Series 2 (as Ade Edmondson)
View episodes
  1. E1 - Bambi
  2. E2 - Cash
  3. E3 - Nasty
  4. E4 - Time
  5. E5 - Sick
  6. E6 - Summer Holiday
Vyvyan
1984 Spitting Image - Series 1 (as Ade Edmonson)
  1. E7 - Episode Seven
Various (Voice)
1984 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. E6 - Slags
Ace
1984 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. E5 - Eddie Monsoon - A Life?
Eddie Monsoon
1984 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. E4 - Gino - Full Story And Pics
Gordon
1984 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. E4 - Gino - Full Story And Pics
Bill
1984 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. E3 - A Fistful Of Travellers' Cheques
Billy
1984 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. E2 - Susie
Martin
1984 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. E1 - Dirty Movie
  2. E5 - Eddie Monsoon - A Life?
Writer
1984 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. E1 - Dirty Movie
Bean
1983 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 2
  1. Special - Five Go Mad On Mescalin
Dick
1983 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 1
  1. E4 - Summer School
Peter
1983 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 1
  1. E3 - Bad News Tour
Composer
1983 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 1
  1. E3 - Bad News Tour
Writer
1983 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 1
  1. E3 - Bad News Tour
Vim
1983 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 1
  1. E2 - The Beat Generation
Desmond
1983 The Comic Strip Presents... - Series 1
View episodes
  1. E1 - War
Various
1982 The Young Ones - Series 1 (as Ade Edmondson)
  1. E6 - Flood
1st Alien Spotter
1982 The Young Ones - Series 1 (as Ade Edmondson)
View episodes
  1. E1 - Demolition
  2. E2 - Oil
  3. E3 - Boring
  4. E4 - Bomb
  5. E5 - Interesting
  6. E6 - Flood
Vyvyan
1982 The Comic Strip Presents... - Five Go Mad In Dorset
  1. Five Go Mad In Dorset
Dick
1982 Kevin Turvey - The Man Behind The Green Door (as Ade Edmondson) Keith Marshall
1981 Boom Boom... Out Go The Lights - 1981 (as Ade Edmonson)
  1. Episode One
Self
1978 Week Ending - Series 26 (as Ade Edmondson)
  1. E5 - Episode Five
Writer
0000 Adrian Edmondson - Signs Of Life - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E1 - Creativity
  2. E2 - Money
  3. E3 - Nuts
  4. E4 - Fandom
  5. E5 - The Jacobite Rebellion
Writer
0000 Adrian Edmondson - Signs Of Life - Series 2
View episodes
  1. E1 - Creativity
  2. E2 - Money
  3. E3 - Nuts
  4. E4 - Fandom
  5. E5 - The Jacobite Rebellion
Host / Presenter

Non-comedy TV and film credits may be found here:
Adrian Edmondson on IMDb

Born
Thursday 24th January 1957 (67 years-old)
AKA
Ade Edmondson
Nationality
English
Daughter
Beattie Edmondson

Born in Bradford, Edmondson was educated at Pocklington School, Yorkshire and later at the University of Manchester, where he achieved a 2:1 in drama. Here he met his future comedy partner Rik Mayall, with whom he began a career in the burgeoning alternative comedy scene.

Soon after graduation, Edmondson and Mayall created a double act under the name 20th Century Coyote. As their star rose, they joined comedians such as Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Alexei Sayle, and Nigel Planer in moving from the Comedy Store to The Comic Strip club. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Edmondson therefore formed part of The Comic Strip, a group of British comedians who came to prominence in the 1980s. Before they knew it, The Comic Strip had attracted a large following and came to the attention of then-new Channel 4, who offered the comedians a series of 6 self-contained half-hour films. One well-known sketch in this show was a scathing, grotesque parody of "Five Go Mad in Dorset", satirising Enid Blyton's beloved Famous Five novels. Memorable characters that he created for this show include the parody heavy metal band Bad News, in which Edmondson played the lead singer "Vim Fuego", and the nihilistic alter-ego Eddie Monsoon, an offensive TV star from South Africa. In 1985 he would feature as Dennis Carter in The Comic Strip's feature film The Supergrass.

Edmondson directed the episodes "Private Enterprise" and "More Bad News", and also took on the starring role in the Channel 4 one-off comedy teleplay The Magnificent One (1982).

Just as The Comic Strip Presents... was being negotiated with Channel 4, the BBC signed a contract with Edmonson and Mayall to make The Young Ones, a brash and irreverent sitcom made in a similar style. The show focused on four students living in a shared house, all of whom studied at Scumbag College. Noted for its often violent slapstick humour, the show would make household names of its writers and performers, and was voted number 31 in the BBC's Best Sitcom poll in 2004. It retains a cult following to this day. He also played Alun in Honest, Decent And True, an episode of Screen Two which is a one-off satire of the advertising industry.

Following their success, Edmondson and Mayall returned to their 'Coyote' dynamic in the double act "The Dangerous Brothers", in which Edmondson took on the role of "Sir Adrian Dangerous" in Saturday Live (1985-1987).

In [y[1985[/y] Edmondson married fellow Comic Strip actor Jennifer Saunders, with whom he has three daughters. He has since become a grandfather. In this same year he starred alongside his new wife in Happy Families, a comedy drama written by Ben Elton about the dysfunctional Fuddle family.

In 1987, Edmondson reunited with Planer and Mayall to star in Filthy Rich And Catflap, which functioned as a scathing spoof of the showbiz world. Written by Ben Elton once more, Edmondson played the role of "Edward Catflap", a vulgar and perennially drunk minder of light-entertainment has-been and nonentity "Richie Rich". Like his character Vyvyan in The Young Ones, he was forever engaged in quite violent slapstick, but this personality was slightly closer to later "Eddie Hitler" in the 90s sitcom Bottom. In the same year, 1987, Edmondson played alongside Mayall in yet another sitcom, Hardwicke House (ITV). However, audience reaction was fiercely negative, and ITV withdrew it from broadcast after only two episodes. The rest have never been shown publicly. In 1989 he appeared in an episode of Blackadder Goes Forth as The Red Baron, the nemesis to the famous character brought to life by Mayall, Lord Flashheart, and also starred as a down-on-his-luck aristocrat in the role-reversal Channel 4 comedy Snakes And Ladders.

In the 1990s, Mayall and Edmondson continued their fruitful partnership with a new series, began in 1991, called Bottom. Here Edmondson played one of two bored and unemployed flat-sharing bachelors who loathe each other with a deep-rooted vengeance. A film version of the show was released in 1999 entitled Guest House Paradiso. Here both characters attempt to run a hotel, but things go pear-shaped very quickly. This ran for three seasons and its live version travelled to great success all across the UK, with 5 long tours between 1993 and 2003, all shown on Dave in 2008.


In 1993 Edmondson starred alongside Richard Briers in the black comedy mini-series If You See God, Tell Him. Here he played Gordon Spry, whose uncle (Briers) is paralysed and cannot concentrate for long periods.

In 2008 Edmondson created his own sitcom for ITV entitled Teenage Kicks, which began life as a radio show for BBC Radio 2 and featured himself in the starring role of Vernon Heath.

After a lengthy and successful dramatic career - including a regular member of Holby City and Jonathan Creek - in 2018 Edmondson appeared as Sergeant Dogberry in an episode of Ben Elton's sitcom about Shakespeare, Upstart Crow, and also toured a play, "Vulcan 7", that he co-wrote with longtime collaborator and comic partner Nigel Planer.

When his best friend and comedic partner Mayall died in 2014, Edmondson carried his coffin at the funeral.

Leicester Comedy Festival Awards 2017
Legend of Comedy (Nominee)

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