KELVIN MACKENZIE: BRITISH HUMOUR
As editor of The Sun, Kelvin MacKenzie dreamt up legendary headlines like “Freddie Starr Ate My Hamster”, and as supremo of the now defunct satellite channel L!VE TV, he blessed the world with “Topless Darts” and “The News Bunny”.
But Kelvin has an unfulfilled ambition – he has prodded the nation’s funny bone in print and on the small screen, but now he wants to appear live on stage and perform his own stand-up comedy routine. As he prepares for a one-night-only spot at a top London comedy club, the intrepid tabloid legend goes in search of the secret of our best-loved national characteristic: our famous sense of humour.
As part of his quest, Kelvin goes looking for laughs on the streets of credit-crunch Britain, learns the essentials of stand-up from his own comedy coach, and seeks advice from some contemporary masters of the art. But has Kelvin got what it takes to have the audience rolling in the aisles, or will he simply be heckled off the stage?
Kelvin Mackenzie in brief
Kelvin has been a journalist for more than four decades.
Starting on a local paper in South East London, Mackenzie then moved on to the Daily Express.
Apart from a period of two years working in Manhattan as managing editor of The New York Post, he has spent his journalistic career with Britain’s No.1 selling newspaper. He was the Editor for 13 years from 1981.
A brief stint as the managing director of BskyB, was followed by three years as MD of Live TV. Finally he started his own business and founded Talksport, Britain’s most successful commercial radio station.
Mackenzie still has strong links with the Sun writing a weekly column as well as chairman and substantial shareholder in a video technology business.
But Kelvin has an unfulfilled ambition – he has prodded the nation’s funny bone in print and on the small screen, but now he wants to appear live on stage and perform his own stand-up comedy routine. As he prepares for a one-night-only spot at a top London comedy club, the intrepid tabloid legend goes in search of the secret of our best-loved national characteristic: our famous sense of humour.
As part of his quest, Kelvin goes looking for laughs on the streets of credit-crunch Britain, learns the essentials of stand-up from his own comedy coach, and seeks advice from some contemporary masters of the art. But has Kelvin got what it takes to have the audience rolling in the aisles, or will he simply be heckled off the stage?
Kelvin Mackenzie in brief
Kelvin has been a journalist for more than four decades.
Starting on a local paper in South East London, Mackenzie then moved on to the Daily Express.
Apart from a period of two years working in Manhattan as managing editor of The New York Post, he has spent his journalistic career with Britain’s No.1 selling newspaper. He was the Editor for 13 years from 1981.
A brief stint as the managing director of BskyB, was followed by three years as MD of Live TV. Finally he started his own business and founded Talksport, Britain’s most successful commercial radio station.
Mackenzie still has strong links with the Sun writing a weekly column as well as chairman and substantial shareholder in a video technology business.
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