£10000-£15000 Archives - Page 2 of 4 - After Dinner Speakers & Comedians

Baroness Mone

Lady Mone is renowned as one of the UK’s most influential ladies. The multi-award winning Entrepreneur-turned-Parliamentarian is now Start-Up Business Tsar to the British Government and advocate for female equality in business.

Founder of Ultimo Brands International, the UK’s leading lingerie brand for the last two decades, she set out with a vision of helping woman look and feel their very best. It was upon that simple concept Lady Mone built her career and influence, being honoured with a Life Peerage to the House of Lords by the Prime Minister and an OBE from Her Majesty the Queen for her outstanding contributions to business.

The Baroness grew up in the impoverished East End of Glasgow when, at the age of fifteen, her father fell ill and was subsequently declared paraplegic and wheelchair bound for life. This forced Lady Mone to leave school without any qualifications in search of full-time employment, sparking her instinct for entrepreneurship. At the age of just 22, Lady Mone excelled herself to Head of Sales and Marketing in Scotland for the Glasgow-based Labatts Brewers. Unfortunately, being made redundant after two short years.

In 1996, after only six weeks out of work, Lady Mone was at at a dinner dance wearing a very uncomfortable cleavage-enhancing bra. It was here the Baroness had an epiphany on what the lingerie industry was missing, and the world-famous Ultimo bra was born.

After the launch of Ultimo, Lady Mone quickly established herself as one of Scotland’s finest exports, winning the World Young Business Achiever Award in 2000 at the Epcot Centre in Florida, as well as Business Woman of the Year at the Corporate Elite Awards in London. Lady Mone’s status as one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs was confirmed soon after when Prince Charles invited her to join the board of Directors for The Prince’s Trust.

In October 2005, Lady Mone attended a speaking event with former US president Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev, leading to her involvement in setting up the Women’s Enterprise Project in the Middle East in support of The Sultan of Oman. It was then she began to realise that her experiences and wisdom could transform lives and inspire others in the face of adversity.

Despite facing a challenging few years in her private life, suffering an acrimonious divorce and battle to retain her business, Lady Mone is now one of the United Kingdom’s most notable global speakers. The Baroness has inspired, coached and mentored audiences and individuals in over 50 countries over the last two decades. This culminated in her being given a Life Peerage in 2015, then being asked by the Prime Minister David Cameron and the former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith to conduct The Mone Review; an insight into helping start-up businesses in deprived areas.

The proud mother of Rebecca, Declan and Bethany has now sold Ultimo to global lingerie giants MAS Holdings – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of intimates, with a $1.4 billion turnover and 63,000 employees. A truly inspiring story, Baroness Mone has now revealed all of her struggles and successes in her autobiography: “My Fight to the Top”, which has ranked at number one in three Amazon Charts.

Andrew Neil

Andrew Neil is a publisher, broadcaster and company chairman. He was named Journalist of the Year 2013 by Britain’s prestigious Political Studies Association and one of the 500 most influential people in the UK by Debrett’s in 2015.

In March 2015 The Times said “the ultimate test for assessing whether a party leader was fit to be Prime Minister is to put them in front of Andrew Neil for 40 minutes, the most forensic interviewer in broadcasting.”

He currently holds various roles: he is Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Press Holdings Media Group, publishers of The Spectator, Spectator Australia and Apollo, the world-renowned art magazine. He is also Chairman of ITP and Chairman and joint owner of World Media Rights.

In addition to his business responsibilities, Andrew is a well-known anchorman on BBC TV. He currently presents three editions of the Daily Politics on BBC2 every week as well as the award-winning This Week on BBC1 every Thursday night. He also anchors Politics Europe, which is broadcast on BBC2, BBC News Channel and BBC World.

During his career, Neil has been House of Commons lobby correspondent in London, White House correspondent in Washington DC and Wall Street correspondent in New York – all for The Economist. He was made British Editor of The Economist in 1982.

The following year he left The Economist, to become Editor of The Sunday Times of London, one of the world’s most prestigious and influential newspapers. Over the next 11 years he turned it into the undisputed multi-section market leader, renowned for its investigative journalism and scoops.

While still editing The Sunday Times he also served as Executive Chairman of Sky Television, which he launched as Britain’s first multi-channel satellite TV platform. He created Sky News and brought The Simpsons to British screens.

Until recently he was a member of the International Advisory Board of Al Jazeera, the international news channel based in Doha, Qatar; and Publisher of The Scotsman Group of newspapers in Edinburgh for 10 years.

In 2019, Andrew stepped down from the long running BBC Show, This Week, and the broadcaster took the decision at that point to cancel the show, feeling that nobody could step into his shoes and continue the format as it was known.

John Humphrys

The formidable interviewer, author and Mastermind has sometimes been parodied for his tenacious approach to politicians on Today. He is also keen to expose their missuse of the English language. After dinner he likes to turn the tables and grill the inquisitor.

Susan Calman

Susan Calman used to be a corporate lawyer but in 2006 she decided to give it all up to be a comedian. She reached the semi-finals of the BBC New Comedy Awards and ‘So You Think You’re Funny’, was a finalist in the prestigious ‘Funny Women’ competition in 2006 and she hasn’t stopped since.
In 2007 Susan was cast in ‘Ugly Kid’, a sketch show that was a sell-out at the Edinburgh Festival and following critical acclaim, was commissioned as a pilot for Channel 4. The show was renamed ‘Blowout’ and the cast went on to be awarded a Scottish BAFTA that same year.
On Radio 4 Susan has appeared on The News Quiz, The Unbelievable Truth, Now Show, Dilemma, So Wrong it’s Right and presented Woman’s Hour and Listomania. She recently recorded the second series of her sitcom “Sisters” for Radio 4 and has also started work on her fourth solo series for the station.
Sometimes Susan is allowed on television and has so far acted in How Not to Live your Life”, Rab C Nesbitt, Dead Boss and Fresh Meat. She’s also appeared on Have I Got News for You, QI, Mock the Week, Go 8 Bit, Countryfile, The One Show, Pointless Celebrities, Alan Davies As Yet Untitled, Dara O’Briain’s School of Hard Sums, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Would I Lie To You and Comedy at the Fringe. She also hosts a quiz show for CBBC called “Top Class” and recently recorded 20 episodes of a new network daytime quiz show for BBC One called “The Boss” which starts airing in April 2017.
She’s written a book called “Cheer Up Love” which was an Audible Bestseller in 2016, and has started work on her second book, which will be released in the Spring of 2018.
Susan continues to gig around the country and has always been a massive hit at the Edinburgh Fringe. She’s in the middle of her second UK Tour with her show “The Calman Before The Storm” and is playing to sell out crowds around the country.
Susan is lucky enough to be married, and has five cats called Pickle, Daisy Fay Harper, Olivia Pope, Dr Abigail Bartlet and DCI Jane Tennison. The cats are amazing.

Russell Kane

Multi-award winning comedian, presenter, actor, author and scriptwriter Russell Kane is best known as the host of three series of BBC Three‘s Live At The Electric, regular appearances on BBC One’s Live At Apollo, BBC Three’s Unzipped, ITV2’s Celebrity Juice and I Am Celebrity Get Me Out of Here Now.

Russell was nominated four times for prestigious Edinburgh Comedy Awards before winning Best Show in 2010. He then went onto make history as the first comedian to win both the Edinburgh Award and Melbourne Comedy Festival’s Barry Award in one year. His award-winning show Smokescreens & Castles was recorded in front of his home crowd in Westcliff-on-Sea’s at the Palace Theatre and released by Universal Pictures in 2011. Famed for his critically acclaimed tours Russell has been performing sell-out shows across the globe.

There is no end to his talents having published his first novel The Humorist which was nominated for a literary prize, he has also written, directed and starred in three plays two of which have toured, and one, blank verse, which was performed in the main house of the RSC in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Russell also traveled the world with YouTube stars filming the new survival programme, Stupid Man, Smart Phone, which aired on BBC Three in 2016.

Russell has also captured the social media market by storm with his signature videos, the “Kaneings” in which Russell uses his own unique style to tackle a current topic that’s dominating the news. The Kaneings regularly go viral and to date have received millions of cumulative views.

Adam Hills

Adam Hills has achieved international acclaim as one of the world’s best stand up comics. His combination of positive uplifting comedy and rampant spontaneity have seen him receive a swag of awards, glowing reviews and a legion of fans around the planet. Adam’s solo shows are established highlights at the Adelaide Fringe, the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and the Edinburgh Fringe. Adam is an in demand, contemporary comedian, who never fails to deliver an enjoyable and hilarious show at any event.

Paul Zerdin

Zerdin made his TV debut as a magician on the BBC’s Tricky Business and shortly afterwards, at the age of just 20, landed a two year contract presenting the Disney produced kids’ programme Rise and Shine for GMTV.
In 1996, Paul was the first outright winner – by over 100,000 votes of LWT’s The Big Big Talent Show, hosted by Jonathan Ross. The experience not only raised his profile, but introduced him to Nigel Lythgoe, the man who would go on to create reality shows such as Popstars and American Idol.
Lythgoe took the 22 year old Paul under his wing, paving the way for appearances on scores of shows, Tonight at the London Palladium, and Generation Game among them. It was Nigel who gave Paul his first brush with Royalty when he secured him a spot on the Prince’s Trust Gala Show in 1997. “That was a totally surreal experience”, he laughs. “I was sharing a dressing room with Julian Clary, Alan Davies and Frank Bruno with The Spice Girls next door”.
By the late nineties it was obvious that traditional variety shows were losing their appeal and it was then that Zerdin decided to introduce stand-up into his routine, a decision that has paid off handsomely.
From Ray Alan through to Keith Harris, ventriloquists have been a staple of UK entertainment for years, but it has taken Paul Zerdin to bring his mix of stand-up and ventriloquism to the forefront of contemporary entertainment to truly put ventriloquism on the comedy map and crucially, Paul Zerdin appeals to both comedy club and mainstream audiences in equal measure. The UK’s number one ventriloquist’s career has included appearances on everything from the Royal Variety Performance, Paramount and Comedy Central’s, The World Stands Up to ITV Daybreak, BBC TV’s The One Show, Sky News and Jason Manford’s Comedy Rocks.

Marcus Brigstocke

Marcus Brigstocke started his career in comedy while at Bristol University, as part of the Club Seals troupe alongside Danny Robins and Dan Tetsell. He went on to win the 1996 BBC New Comedian Award at the Edinburgh Festival.
As well as his live work, he fronts BBC Four’s Late Edition, starred in short-lived BBC1 sitcom The Savages and is a regular on Radio 4’s Now Show.
His upper-class-twit creation, Giles Wemmbley Hogg has starred in two Radio 4 series, one about his travels to the Third World, the second revolving around the 2006 World Cup.
Marcus is a likeable and amusing character.

Milton Jones

Milton Jones is regularly on Mock the Week (BBC2), has appeared on Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow (BBC1), Live at the Apollo (BBC1) and he has headlined Dave’s One Night Stand (DAVE).

MIlton Jones’s tours, Milton Jones and the Temple of Daft (2015) and On the Road (2013), both played to over 100,00 people, and now he is set to hit the road again with Milton Jones Is Out There – which is now on sale through miltonjones.com/live

In 2011, Milton’s radio show won a silver Sony Award, as well as winning Chortle Headliner of the Year for his stand up. His radio show was also nominated for a Writers Guild Award in 2012, and he has just finished his tenth series on Radio 4.

He is a previous Perrier Best Newcomer and Nominee, Sony Award winner and British Comedy Award nominee.

His sitcom pilot The House of Rooms written with Dan Evans went out on Channel Four in January 2012.

Milton has also recorded three hugely successful live DVD’s, Milton Jones – The Universe Tour. Part One – Earth Milton Jones Live, The Lion Whisperer and On the Road

Milton has also written a novel called Where Do Comedians Go When They Die? which was described by the crimewriter and comedian Mark Billingham as “Hilarious, moving, and truthful. Finally a book that tells you what it’s really like to tell jokes for a living. And no-one tells jokes better than Milton Jones”.

And then there’s 10 Second Sermons which has some thoughts on Christian faith.

Nina Conti

Unusual that a girl with a first class degree in philosophy should have become a stand up comedian as a ventriloquist, but actress Nina Conti started doing stand-up in January 2002.
Nina takes ventriloquism away from traditional family entertainment towards something more edgy. Her own clean-cut image and Monk’s cutesy appearance cannot disguise his basic animal needs and a less than wholly innocent outlook on life.
Her TV credits include Ant and Dec’s Saturday Nigt Takeaway, Loose Women and many more…
Nina is surprising, entertaining, utterly convincing and down right hilarious.

As a corporate performer the show is unique, involves a bit of audience participation, and generally just humour filled fun that never fails to impress clients.