Toby Foster
Toby Foster (born 13 August 1969) is a British comedian, actor, radio presenter, promoter and festival producer.
Toby Foster | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 August 1969 |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Barnburgh Junior School,Lacewood Primary School, Dearneside, Comprehensive & Wath Comprehensive |
| Occupation | Breakfast radio show presenter |
| Employer | BBC |
| Known for | Broadcasting |
He went to the Barnburgh Junior School, followed by Lacewood Primary School, Dearneside Comprehensive and Wath Comprehensive in Rotherham. He is the current host of BBC Radio Sheffield's breakfast programme.
Foster is also a stand up comedian, who promotes and comperes at Sheffield's Last Laugh comedy club, and was a founder member of the M.E.N.@Work team at Manchester's Comedy Store. He now runs his own company, Don't Shoot Productions Ltd which runs comedy nights all over the north of England, as well as The Last Laugh Comedy Festival each October in Sheffield. He comperes the highly successful Last Laugh Comedy Club at Sheffield City Hall most weekends.
He is perhaps better known to a wider audience as Les one half of double-act Les Alanos with Alan played by Steve Edge in Peter Kay's sitcom Phoenix Nights, which he starred in from 2000-2002. He has also appeared in That Peter Kay Thing and Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere.
He is affectionately referred to as "One-Take" Toby by friend and co-star Peter Kay, because of his belief that he never gets his lines wrong.[1]
Foster also played a character in the Christmas Special of Extras, credited as "Northern Comic", and featured in the mock Celebrity Big Brother show.
In 2008, he worked on the British comedy film "Snappers" which was shot on location in Torbay. The film also stars Joss Stone, Matt Milburn, Tim Healy, Suranne Jones, Matt Slack and John Bowe, amongst others. Originally due for release in October 2008, this has now been shelved for legal reasons.
Television
Foster appeared in Channel 4's Phoenix Nights as Les Campbell. His character was forms one half of the club's backing band, Les Alanos (whose name they explain comes from the two members – "Les, Alan: us"). The resident drummer, he is looking for a way into the entertainment business. From playing at the Phoenix Club, to staging a play with Alan and the local youth group (based on The Karate Kid), Les strives to make it in the business. Foster went on to work with comedian Peter Kay on several projects, including That Peter Kay Thing and Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere.
Foster made a cameo as "Northern Comic" in the 2007 Christmas Special of BBC Television series Extras. His character appeared as a contestant in the reality show Celebrity Big Brother, alongside Gervais' Andy Millman, Lionel Blair, Lisa Scott-Lee and X-Factor contestant, Chico Slimani.
Since 2019, Foster has provided the narration for Yesterday Channel's Bangers and Cash, a factual entertainment programme following a family run classic car auction in Thornton le Dale, North Yorkshire.
BBC Radio Sheffield
His current breakfast show is called Toby Foster at Breakfast (formally Toby Foster Bigger at Breakfast). The show is aired from 07:00-10:00 every weekday. He started on the afternoon show from 2 until 5pm, taking over from Tony Capstick on 2 April 2002. He then worked with Antonia Brickell on a joint breakfast show in September 2004. He has been nominated for three Sony Radio Academy Awards. In 2004 he was nominated for The Entertainment Award, in 2010 Best Interview Award and in 2012 he was nominated for Sony Speech Broadcaster of the Year. Toby was suspended from Radio Sheffield in December 2013 after using an offensive word on his Twitter feed[2] but returned in January 2014 after making a polite apology to his colleagues and the public.[3]
References
- Peter Kay - Phoenix Nights Series 2 DVD Commentary
- "'Got pretty much sacked', says BBC Radio Sheffield's Toby Foster". www.thestar.co.uk.
- "Toby Foster returning to Radio Sheffield". www.thestar.co.uk.
