Noel Fielding

Noel Fielding (/ˈnoʊl ˈfiːldɪŋ/; born 21 May 1973) is an English comedian, writer, actor, artist, musician and television presenter. He is best known for his work with The Mighty Boosh comedy troupe alongside comedy partner Julian Barratt in the 2000s and more recently as a co-presenter of The Great British Bake Off since 2017. A comedian and comic actor, he is known for his use of surreal humour and black comedy.

Noel Fielding
Fielding performing in February 2006
Born (1973-05-21) 21 May 1973
Westminster, London, England
MediumStand-up, television, film, radio
Years active1996–present
Genres
Partner(s)Lliana Bird (c. 2010–present)
Children2
Relative(s)Michael Fielding (brother)
Websitenoelfielding.co.uk

Born and raised in London, Fielding was educated at Croydon School of Art and Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College. In the 1990s, he went on to do stand-up comedy and met Barratt on the comedy circuit.[1] Together, Fielding and Barratt produced a 2001 radio series, The Boosh, for BBC Radio London. This was followed by a television programme The Mighty Boosh, comprising three series for BBC Three from 2004 to 2007. The show generated a cult fan following and won a variety of awards.

During the 2000s, he also had smaller roles in a number of comedy shows for Channel 4 including Nathan Barley, The IT Crowd, AD/BC: A Rock Opera, and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. After The Mighty Boosh, he wrote and starred in two series of a solo show for Channel 4, Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy, between 2012 and 2014. He also moved into other television avenues, appearing as himself: from 2009 to 2015, he appeared as a team captain on the BBC Two music/comedy panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Aside from his comedic and television work, Fielding has also exhibited his paintings in London and collaborated with Fendi for their Fall/Winter 2021 Menswear collection. He is the founder of the band Loose Tapestries, formed with Kasabian's Sergio Pizzorno. He has also appeared as a guest in Richard Ayoade's Travel Man series.

Early life

Fielding was born on 21 May 1973 in Westminster, London,[2] the son of Ray Fielding (born 1953) and Yvonne Fagan (born 1953).[3] Ray and Yvonne separated shortly after Fielding was born and Ray married Diane Fielding when Noel was three years old. Fagan had two more children before dying in 1990, at 37 years old, from complications caused by liver damage.[3] Fielding has stated he is of partial French descent.[4] His brother, Michael Fielding, born to Ray and Diane Fielding, appears as Naboo the Enigma in The Mighty Boosh and portrays various characters in Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy.

Fielding grew up in Pollards Hill, London. His parents would later appear alongside him and his brother in episodes of both The Mighty Boosh and Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy. According to an article in The Sunday Times, his parents "had lots of parties" during his childhood. He has also stated that his parents "were just 18" when he was born.[5] Fielding was educated at Croydon School of Art in South London then studied for a BA in Graphic Design and Advertising at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College (now Buckinghamshire New University)[6] in High Wycombe, where he lived with friends and future collaborators Dave Brown and Nigel Coan.[7] He graduated in 1995.[8] Fielding has also shared a flat in Edinburgh with comedians Lee Mack, Julian Barratt, and Simon Evans.[9]

Career

Stand-up comedy

In 2010, Fielding was to perform a solo tour across the country. It was cancelled, however, so he could concentrate on writing The Mighty Boosh film with Julian Barratt and creating an album. Fielding announced via Twitter that he was too busy to do the tour.[10] In 2015, Fielding told The Guardian that the film was something he talked about writing with Barratt.[11] The album was released in June 2016.[12]

In 2010, Fielding took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital and filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March. He took part of the same event in 2014 as well.[13]

The Mighty Boosh
Main article: The Mighty Boosh
Fielding in 2006

The Mighty Boosh has won the Shockwaves NME Best TV Award three times: in 2007, 2008, and 2010.[14]

Television
Fielding on the set of The Mighty Boosh television series

At Bill Bailey's request, Fielding stood in as a team captain for three episodes during series 21 of Never Mind the Buzzcocks. He also achieved a record for the highest team score ever on the show. When Bailey returned, presenter Simon Amstell made various jokes about Fielding's departure. In 2009, Bailey left the show and Fielding became one of the regular team captains. According to Neil Gaiman's blog, Fielding was scheduled to appear in the film Stardust, but had to drop out due to ill health.[15] He also participated twice with Russell Brand in 2006 and 2007 on the annual quiz show The Big Fat Quiz of the Year. He participated again in 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2019, with Richard Ayoade.[16][17][18]

In 2011, he took part in Catherine Tate's TV movie Laughing at the Noughties in which he and other British comedians discussed the comedy highlights of the noughties.[19]

Fielding produced his first solo series for Channel 4 network's E4 channel in 2011,[20] as the broadcaster invested an additional £5 million in its comedy budget following the cancellation of reality show Big Brother.[21] Fielding said of the project, tentatively titled Noel Fielding: Boopus: "I want to make something in the spirit of Spike Milligan or the Kenny Everett Show but using modern techniques. Blending filmed comedy with animation. Television needs a madman! I want the show to be psychedelic and beautiful but have charm and personality. If Dalí made a show hopefully it would look like this."[20][22] The show began broadcasting in January 2012, titled Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy. The show's second series, titled Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy 2: Tales From Painted Hawaii, was first broadcast on E4 in 2014.[23]

Also in 2011, Fielding performed Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" dance routine for Series 3 of Let's Dance For Comic Relief, and reached the grand final.[24][25]

In March 2017 it was revealed that Fielding would co-host the upcoming series of The Great British Bake Off alongside Sandi Toksvig.[26]

Fielding appeared as a contestant on Series 4 of the Dave comedy panel game Taskmaster in 2017, hosted by Greg Davies and Alex Horne: he was the overall series winner.[27][28]

In January 2018, he was a panellist on QI alongside Russell Brand and Aisling Bea.[29]

Radio

In November 2007, Fielding starred in five episodes of BBC Radio 2 show Vic Reeves' House Arrest as a local vagrant who knocks on Reeves' door once a week to ask for work.[30]

Music

Fielding has appeared in several music videos, including Mint Royale's "Blue Song", alongside Julian Barratt, Nick Frost and Michael Smiley. The video was directed by Edgar Wright and served as the inspiration for the opening sequence of his film Baby Driver (2017).[31] He also made a brief appearance in the video for Razorlight's "In the Morning". He appeared in music videos for the Robots in Disguise songs "Girl" (alongside Chris Corner who was, at the time, boyfriend to Sue Denim), "The Tears", and "Turn It Up". In 2009, Noel was involved in the Kasabian video "Vlad the Impaler", in which he plays the titular character,[32] and reprised the role at the 2014 Glastonbury Festival.[33] The music video was directed by Richard Ayoade. He's referenced in Kasabian's "La Fée Verte", a track on their Velociraptor! album (his friend Sergio Pizzorno said "The line, 'I met Dalí in the street.' Dalí is Noel Fielding. And he is the modern-day Dalí"). Fielding also makes a brief appearance as Vlad in the video for another Kasabian song, "Re-Wired", riding a five-seater bicycle with the band, and appears as a patient in a psychiatric hospital in "You're In Love With a Psycho", in which he re-enacts the broken mirror routine from the Marx Brothers film Duck Soup with Pizzorno and Tom Meighan.[34] He has also appeared in Kate Bush's music video "Deeper Understanding" as a means of thanks for the Let's Dance For Comic Relief performance.[35]

Art
Fielding and co-stars of The Mighty Boosh at a panel at Comic Con

He held his first exhibition, entitled Psychedelic Dreams of the Jelly Fox, at Maison Bertaux, a patisserie in Greek Street, Soho in early 2008. There Noel listed some of his inspirations as Henri Rousseau, René Magritte, Willem de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, and Dexter Dalwood.[36] He has stated that he has been heavily influenced by the works of Salvador Dalí. A second exhibition entitled Bryan Ferry vs the Jelly Fox took place at Maison Bertaux, from 5 July 2010 through to 5 January 2011.[37]

On 6 September 2011, Fielding received an honorary master's degree from Buckinghamshire New University for his ongoing interest in the graphics area and support for many art organisations.[38]

In October 2011, Fielding released an art book called Scribblings of a Madcap Shambleton, which he produced along with The Mighty Boosh cast member Dave Brown. It features many of his old and new paintings, drawings and photography.[39]

Fielding's video installation of The Jelly Fox was shown at the Saatchi Gallery, and in 2012 he created a unique piece inspired by The Beatles for Liverpool Love at the Museum of Liverpool. In March 2015, his exhibition He Wore Dreams Around Unkind Faces was shown at the Royal Albert Hall.[40] In January 2021, the luxury fashion house Fendi unveiled a collection featuring abstract takes on the brand's logo, created by Fielding.[41]

Personal life

Fielding and his partner, radio DJ Lliana Bird, reside in Highgate, London. Their first child together, a daughter named Dali (after artist Salvador Dalí) was born in spring 2018.[42][43] The couple's second daughter, Iggy, was born in August 2020. [44] He was formerly in a relationship with Delia Gaitskell (Dee Plume) of the band Robots in Disguise, who made minor appearances in The Mighty Boosh and in the Boosh live shows.[1]

Fielding is a fan of Frank Zappa,[45] the Ramones, Tangerine Dream, Captain Beefheart, Led Zeppelin,[46] Roxy Music, KISS,[47] Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett, Nirvana,[48] Tame Impala, Everything Everything, Bo Ningen,[49] Kate Bush, Gary Numan, Bryan Ferry, David Bowie, Jim Morrison, Mick Jagger, Cher, Adam Ant, and David Lynch. He has portraits of Freddie Mercury in his home.[50]

In 2009, a Sunday Times article revealed that Fielding had hepatitis during his art college years and later revealed he was helped through this by friend and collaborator Nigel Coan. This forced him not to drink for six months, which got him into the habit of not drinking for a couple of years. "I used to be able to enjoy myself with just nothing. I'd stay up till four in the morning, with everyone else being drunk. Just make a bit of effort and you can get used to it."[5]

He was named one of GQ's 50 best dressed British men in 2015.[51]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1999 Plunkett & Macleane Brothel Gent
2001 Sweet Pete Sweet Short
2009 Bunny and the Bull Javier
2010 Come on Eileen Rex
2011 Horrid Henry: The Movie Ed Banger
2015 Aaaaaaaah! Carl
2015 Set the Thames on Fire Dickie
2016 Brakes Daniel
2016 The Wonderful World of Death Jones
2018 The Festival Hammerhead
2019 The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part[52] Balthazar Voice

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1997–1998 Gas Himself Episodes;

Series 1, (8)

Series 2, (2, 4, 6)

1998 Unnatural Acts Various
1998 Alexei Sayle's Merry-Go-Round Various Episode #1.2
1999 Comedy Cafe Himself Episode #1.7
2000 The Big Schmooze Himself – Arctic Boosh Episode #1.4
2002 Surrealissimo: The Scandalous Success of Salvador Dali Bauer TV Movie
2002 Brain Candy Himself TV Movie
2003 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala Himself TV Movie
2004–2007 The Mighty Boosh Vince Noir / Various
2004 The British Comedy Awards 2004 Himself TV Special
2004 Garth Marenghi's Darkplace Monkey Man
2004 AD/BC: A Rock Opera Shepherd TV Movie
2005 Nathan Barley Jones
2005 28 Acts in 28 Minutes Himself TV Special
2005 Breakfast Himself
2006–2013 The IT Crowd Richmond
2006 The Secret Policeman's Ball Himself / Vince Noir
2006 The British Comedy Awards 2006 Live Himself TV Special
2006 The Big Fat Quiz of the Year Himself TV Special
2006–2008 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Himself Three Episodes
2007 Dawn French's Boys Who Do Comedy Himself Episodes #1, #2, #3
2007 Comic Relief 2007: The Big One Himself / Various TV Special
2007 Deadline Himself Episode #1.2
2007 The Big Fat Quiz of the Year Himself TV Special
2007 The Charlotte Church Show Himself Episode #2.2
2007–2014 Never Mind the Buzzcocks Himself Team Captain
2008 Shooting Stars: The Inside Story Himself TV Movie
2009 Shockwaves NME Awards 2009 Himself TV Special
2009 Comic Relief 2009 Himself TV Special
2009 Comic-Con '09 Live Himself TV Movie
2009 Shooting Stars Himself Episode #6.5
2009–2014 Alan Carr: Chatty Man Himself Two Episodes
2009–2010 Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Himself Two Episodes
2010 How Not to Live Your Life Marcus Episode 'Don's New Job'
2010 Shockwaves NME Awards 2010 Himself TV Special
2010 Teenage Cancer Trust Concerts 2010 Himself TV Movie
2010 Channel 4's Comedy Gala Himself TV Special
2010 Just for Laughs Himself Episode 'Cheech & Chong'
2010 Michael McIntyre's Comedy Roadshow Himself Episode 'Bristol'
2010 The Big Fat Quiz of the Year Himself TV Special
2011 Let's Dance for Sport Relief Himself Two Episodes
2011 24 Hour Panel People Himself Episode #1.5
2011 Dynamo: Magician Impossible Himself Episode 'England'
2011 Horrid Henry's Movie Mayhem Himself TV Movie
2011 Catherine Tate: Laughing at the Noughties Himself TV Movie
2011 The Rob Brydon Show Himself Episode #2.8
2012 The Jonathan Ross Show Himself Episode #2.3
2012 The Secret Policeman's Ball Himself TV Special
2012–2014 Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy Himself / Various
2012 Perspectives Himself Episode 'John Sergeant: Sergeant on Spike'
2012 The Project Himself
2012 The Big Fat Quiz of the 00s Himself
2013 Doll & Em Noel Episode 'Six'
2013 Brand X with Russell Brand Himself Episode #2.1
2013 Gadget Man Himself Episode 'Summer Holiday'
2013–2018 QI Himself Nine episodes
2013 Staying in with Greg and Russell Himself
2013 The Big Fat Quiz of the Year Himself TV Special
2014 Alan Davies: As Yet Untitled Himself Episode 'Cupped by a Shammy Hand'
2014 The Last Leg Himself Episode #5.2
2015 The Big Fat Anniversary Quiz Himself TV Special
2015 Backchat Himself Episode #2.2
2015 Live at the Apollo Himself Episode #11.3
2016 Trailer Park Boys: Out of the Park Lord Pumpwhistle Episode 'Europe – London'
2016 The Big Fat Quiz of Everything Himself TV Special
2016 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Himself
2016 The Entire Universe Einstein TV Movie
2016 Travel Man Himself Episode '48 Hours in Copenhagen'
2016 Conan Himself
2016 Room 101 Himself
2016 The Big Fat Quiz of Everything Himself Two Episodes
2016 @midnight Himself
2017 Taskmaster Himself Series Four
2017 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown Himself Episode #12.1
2017 The One Show Himself
2017–present The Great British Bake Off Co-presenter Alongside Sandi Toksvig, replacing Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins
2017 Upstart Crow Thomas Morley Episode #2.4 'Food of Love'
2018 Urban Myths Alice Cooper Episode The Dali and the Cooper
2018–present Disenchantment Stan the Executioner Voice
2018 The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2018 Himself TV Special
2019 Twelve Forever Guy Pleasant Voice
2020 Close Enough Snail Voice

Music videos
Year Artist Song Title Notes
2000 Midfield General "Midfielding"
2003 Mint Royale "Blue Song"
2006 Razorlight "In the Morning" 2007 Great British bake off
2007 Robots in Disguise "Girl"
2008 Robots in Disguise "The Tears"
2009 Kasabian "Vlad the Impaler" Played the titular character
2011 Kate Bush "Deeper Understanding"
2011 Kasabian "Re-Wired" Played the aforementioned Vlad the Impaler.
2016 The Claypool Lennon Delirium "Bubbles Burst"
2017 Kasabian "You're in Love with a Psycho"

References
  1. The Guardian - Interview - Noel Fielding: A Brush with Comic Genius
  2. "Noel Fielding". BBC Comedy. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  3. Watts, Halina (25 March 2017). "Great British Bake Off's Noel Fielding family heartache". Daily Mirror.
  4. Russell Brand Show – BBC Radio 2 (13 October 2007)
  5. Rumbelow, Helen (28 November 2009). "The Mighty Boosh's Noel Fielding says that 'Kids are frightened of me'". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  6. Jones, Sam (14 December 2007). "He's a Mick Jagger of comedy ... sweet but unbelievably mischievous and naughty, like a very cheeky puppy". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  7. "The Man Who Brings Noel's Dreams to Life". The Velvet Onion. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  8. "Well-known TV stars to be among honorary graduates at Buckinghamshire New University". Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 October 2014.
  9. "An interview with Noel Fielding – Channel 4 – Info – Press". Channel 4.
  10. "Noel Fielding cancels tour". chortle.co.uk. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  11. Milman, Oliver (12 April 2015). "Noel Fielding on going solo and The Mighty Boosh: 'I'd love to do a film'". The Guardian.
  12. "Noel Fielding's album released : News 2016 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". chortle.co.uk.
  13. "Noel Fielding Added To Comedy Gala". The Velvet Onion. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  14. "The Mighty Boosh wins Best TV show at Shockwaves NME Awards - NME". NME. 1 March 2007. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  15. "Stardust news..." journal.neilgaiman.com.
  16. "Noel Fielding's new show : News 2010 : Chortle : The UK Comedy Guide". Chortle. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  17. "The Big Fat Quiz of the Year – Episode 1.8. The Big Fat Quiz of the Year 2010 – British Comedy Guide". Comedy.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  18. "Big Fat Quiz 2017". Comedy King.
  19. Googelberg, Compiled from Wikipedia pages and published by Dr. Doctor Who-Guide 2/3. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781291079807.
  20. "Noel Fielding joins E4 – E4 blog". E4.com. 29 October 2010. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  21. "Heard the one about Channel 4?". The Independent. London. 29 October 2010.
  22. Plunkett, John (29 October 2010). "The Inbetweeners to return for two specials". The Guardian. London.
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  24. "Fielding to dance to Comic Relief". BBC News. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  25. Spencer, Samuel (11 September 2018). "Great British Bake Off 2018: Who is host Noel Fielding?". Daily Express. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
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  27. "Taskmaster: one of TV's funniest, most unexpected comedies". Den of Geek. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  28. Stephenson, David (17 December 2017). "Taskmaster: Greg Davies and Alex Horne give insight into the quirky show's success". Daily Express. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  29. "QI Series O, Episode 12 - The Occult". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  30. "BBC – Radio 2 Comedy – Vic Reeves' House Arrest". BBC.
  31. Hogan, Michael (17 December 2017). "Edgar Wright: 'With Baby Driver, my oldest idea became my biggest hit'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  32. McAlpine, Fraser (9 February 2010). "Kasabian - 'Vlad The Impaler'". BBC. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  33. Keeble, Ed. "Kasabian close Glastonbury in style, joined by Noel Fielding". gigwise.com. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  34. "Watch Noel Fielding dance with Kasabian in the new video for 'You're In Love With A Psycho'". NME. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  35. "Watch Noel Fielding in Kate Bush's 'Deeper Understanding' video on NME.COM". NME. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  36. "Noel Fielding's life of Bryan". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
  37. "Noel Fielding – Artist". Hooligan Art Dealer. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  38. "Mighty Boosh stars back at university to receive honorary master's degrees". Bucks New University. Archived from the original on 11 September 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
  39. "Noel Fielding: The Scribblings of a Madcap Shambleton". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  40. "The Mighty Brush: Behind the scenes at Noel Fielding's new exhibition". Retrieved 1 February 2016.
  41. Luke Leitch (16 January 2021). "Fendi Fall 2021 Menswear Collection". Vogue. Archived from the original on 25 January 2021.
  42. "GBBO's Noel Fielding and partner to welcome baby". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 3 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  43. Earp, Catherine (13 April 2018). "Noel Fielding and Lliana Bird's unusual baby name choice revealed". OK!. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  44. https://www.digitalspy.com/showbiz/a34522671/great-british-bake-off-noel-fielding-daughter-name/
  45. "Noel Fielding's favourite song at the moment – Double J".
  46. "The Mighty Boosh on Friday Night With Jonathon Ross 5/9/08". Retrieved 24 January 2015 – via YouTube.
  47. "Mighty Boosh star at Edinburgh Festival". Retrieved 24 January 2015 – via YouTube.
  48. "BuzzcocksQT: The Sixties to the Noughties". Retrieved 24 January 2015 – via YouTube.
  49. "YouTube". Retrieved 24 January 2015 – via YouTube.
  50. "Noel Fielding interview: ‘I live in the daytime now, and I meditate and play tennis’ ". Time Out. Retrieved 20 January 2015
  51. "50 Best Dressed Men in Britain 2015". GQ. 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 7 January 2015.
  52. "See Noel Fielding and Richard Ayoade in the Lego Movie 2". Chortle. 29 January 2019.
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