Justin Fletcher

For the ice hockey player, see Justin Fletcher (ice hockey).

Justin Fletcher
MBE
Fletcher at CBeebies Land in 2014
Born (1970-06-15) 15 June 1970 (age 54)
Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England
Alma materGuildford School of Acting
Occupation(s)Children's television presenter, actor, comedian
Notable workFun Song Factory
Tweenies
Boo!
Tikkabilla
Something Special
Shaun the Sheep
Timmy Time
Gigglebiz
Justin's House
GiggleQuiz
FatherGuy Fletcher
RelativesGuy Fletcher (cousin)

Justin Fletcher MBE (born 15 June 1970)[1][2] is an English children's television presenter, actor and comedian, appearing mainly on the BBC pre-school television channel CBeebies.[3] Speaking and performing in various, often self-created, roles, he specialises in slapstick comedy and works with children with special educational needs through his show Something Special.

Biography

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Personal life

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Fletcher was born in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.[1] He is the son of songwriter Guy Fletcher.[4] He has three sisters and one brother.[5]

His cousin, also named Guy Fletcher, is a musician.[4]

Career

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Fletcher worked for Sounds Good in Theale as a cassette duplicating machine operator and generally amused his co-workers with his characterisations.

While in his final year studying drama at the Guildford School of Acting, Fletcher started to regularly watch Phillip Schofield in the BBC One broom cupboard with Gordon the Gopher and decided that a career in children's television was for him.[6] He then met Schofield, who suggested that he should make a show reel to showcase to television executives.

He sketched out various comedic characters and put together a Showreel called Justin Time which encompassed two different characters: Anna Conda, a myopic reptile-house warden; and Arthur Sleep, a regional newsreader who has difficulty staying awake and can sleep anywhere no matter what.[6] Both characters were used for his CBeebies show Gigglebiz.[6] His first television show after graduation was Fun Song Factory for GMTV, working with Dave Benson Phillips (he had earlier done Playdays on the stage after its cancellation, portraying the character Mr. Jolly).[7] The television show was sent to various broadcasters and production companies.

BBC and CBeebies

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He was part of the Tikkabilla programme, out of which was spun Higgledy House, a slapstick comedy for children with Sarah-Jane Honeywell, which progressed to the very popular Mr Tumble. Fletcher has also voiced the characters of Doodles and Jake in Tweenies, Miguel in Finley the Fire Engine, Sleeping Bear and Growling Tiger in CBeebies' Boo!, and additional voices in ToddWorld, Shaun the Sheep, and Timmy Time. In 2006, Fletcher became a presenter on CBeebies but left in 2007.

Fletcher developed Something Special through his own production company, and he presents it while signing in Makaton.[8]

In November 2008, CBeebies aired three different pilots made by Fletcher, with the possibility of one of them becoming a full-time series. They were called Humphrey the Painter, Gigglebiz, and Captain Adorable. In January 2009, an announcement by CBeebies was made that Gigglebiz would become the regular show, starting in September 2009, with the Humphrey and Captain Adorable characters being included, which was now a series of character-based comedy sketches linked by jokes told by children.[6][9]

His voice-over work for CBBC includes voicing Harold from Thomas the Tank Engine, which he has performed on BBC Radio 4, arena tour, and pantomime. Fletcher is a relief continuity presenter for CBeebies' presentation links and regularly performed on the CBeebies radio station on BBC Radio 7 until its change to BBC Radio 4 Extra in 2011.

Fletcher also appears as himself, along with a range of animated characters, in the Bee Bright series of educational DVDs.[10]

Fletcher also occasionally appears in a show called The Hollies School.

Justin's House

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In October 2011, CBeebies began broadcasting Justin's House, starring Fletcher with Steven Kynman[11] as "Robert the Robot" and Jane Deane as "Dee Livery".[12] The show is based in Justin's fictional house and recorded live in front of a studio audience.

Other work

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Fletcher performing in 2012

Starting in 1998, Fletcher presented Fun Song Factory for GMTV for a year as his first full-time presenting role. He later returned to the show in 2004 as the voice of Ozzy.

Also in 1998, Fletcher sang several songs as well as the theme tune to the children's stop motion animated series Tom and Vicky.

He owns a production company called Scrumptious House, which has released a DVD called Let's Sing Nursery Rhymes with Justin Fletcher.

In the CITV channel programme Jim Jam and Sunny, he is the voice of both Jim Jam and Slim the cowardly giraffe.

His voice appears on the VTech Turn and Learn Driver, the Bob the Builder phones, and a number of Crick Software titles.[13]

From December 2009 to January 2010, Fletcher played the character Buttons in Cinderella at the Capitol Theatre in Horsham, West Sussex.[14] From December 2010 to January 2011, he played the character Josh the Jester in the pantomime Sleeping Beauty at the Hexagon theatre in Reading, Berkshire.[15] From December 2011 to January 2012, he played the character Wishy Washy in the pantomime Aladdin at the Hexagon theatre.[16] Fletcher has since performed in numerous pantomimes at the venue, including Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan,[17] as well as the 2022 pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk. He also attends festivals, such as Camp Bestival in Dorset, to entertain children. Fletcher is a patron for Bournemouth-based performing arts school Stagewise.

His debut album Hands Up the Album reached number 16 in the UK Albums Chart on 11 March 2012. In March 2013, he released his second album Best Friends. In January 2015, he released his third album Just Party.

In 2015 and 2019, Fletcher reprised his Shaun the Sheep roles of Shaun and Timmy in the two film adaptations based on the series: Shaun the Sheep Movie and A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon. He also played the roles in two television films: Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas (2015) and Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas (2021).

On 12 September 2015, he appeared on Pointless Celebrities, getting knocked out in the second round.

Fletcher presented a daily radio show on Fun Kids weekdays from 9 am to 10 am called Justin's Word.

Awards

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Orders of Chivalry

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Fletcher was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours for services to "children's broadcasting and the voluntary sector".[18]

Professional awards

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  • Nominated as Best Presenter for Something Special
  • BAFTA Children's Awards 2008[20]
  • Awarded Best Presenter for Something Special
  • BAFTA Childrens Awards 2009[21]
  • Awarded Best Presenter for Something Special and Bee Bright
  • BAFTA Children's Awards 2010[22]
  • Awarded Best Presenter for Something Special
  • Nominated Best Performer for Gigglebiz
  • BAFTA Children's Awards 2011[23]
  • Nominated Best Presenter for Something Special
  • BAFTA Children's Awards 2012[24]
  • Awarded the Flynn Rossiter award for entertainment

Filmography

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Years Programme/project Role
1998–2004 Fun Song Factory Himself (Presenter), Ozzy (voice only, 2004 version)
1999–2002 Tweenies Jake, Doodles (voices only)
1999 Legoland (video game) Jonathan Ablebody, Professor Ignatius Voltage (voices only)
2000 Frogger 2: Swampy's Revenge Swampy (voice only)
Chicken Run (video game) Rocky, Fetcher (voices only)
2002–2007 Tikkabilla Himself (presenter)
2002 Higgledy House Himself
2002–2009 Make Way for Noddy Whiz (UK dub)
2003–2006 Boo! Growling Tiger, Sleeping Bear (voices only)
2003–present Something Special Himself, Mr Tumble, various characters
2006–2007 CBeebies continuity links Himself (presenter)
2006 ToddWorld Pickle (UK dub), Additional voices
CBeebies Springwatch Himself (presenter)
Jim Jam and Sunny Jim Jam, Slim the Cowardly Giraffe (voices only)
2007–2010 CBeebies on BBC Radio 7 Himself (presenter)
2007–present Shaun the Sheep Shaun, Timmy (season 1-present), Pidsley (season 2) (voices only)
2008 Famous 5: On the Case Timmy, Smidgie (voices only) [25]
2007 Finley the Fire Engine Miguel, other characters (UK dub, voices only)
2008 Green Balloon Club Himself (Original Workprints & Launch Pilot)
2009–2018 Gigglebiz Various characters
2009–2012 Timmy Time Timmy, Yabba the Duck, Paxton the Pig, Kid the Goat, Finlay the Fox (voices only)
2010 Jollywobbles Mr Jolly
2011 Olly the Little White Van Olly (voice only)
2011–present Justin's House Himself
2015 Shaun the Sheep Movie Shaun, Timmy (voices only)
Shaun the Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas
2019 A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon
GiggleQuiz Various characters
2021 Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas Shaun, Timmy (voices only)
2024 Twelfth Night! Antonio[26]

Live performances

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  • 1997, as Mr. Jolly (live stage show only)
  • Justin's Party Tour[33]
  • 2017, playing 27 theatres over 31 days
  • 2017[34]
  • 2019–2024

References

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  1. ^ a b "Five Minutes With... Justin Fletcher". Charlotte Philby. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  2. ^ "BBC - CBeebies Presenters - Justin". 22 October 2007.
  3. ^ "BBC CBeebies website". 20 September 2009. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Guy Fletcher (2) Discography at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  5. ^ "BBC - CBeebies Presenters - Justin". Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d "Interview: Justin Fletcher on Gigglebiz". CBeeBies. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  7. ^ "Interview: Justin Fletcher". CBBC. Archived from the original on 7 September 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  8. ^ "Justin Fletcher is Something Special". 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  9. ^ "Gigglebiz Homepage". 20 September 2009. Archived from the original on 9 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  10. ^ "Bee Bright". beebright.co.uk. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  11. ^ "BBC - CBeebies - Justin's House". Archived from the original on 13 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Jane Deane Home Page". Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  13. ^ "Clicker Books @home". Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  14. ^ Hewitt, Phil (4 December 2009). "PANTOMIME: All the major pantos in West Sussex and further afield". Midhurst and Petworth Observer. Johnston Press Digital Publishing. Archived from the original on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 31 December 2009.
  15. ^ "Justin Fletcher to star in Hexagon panto". 3 March 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  16. ^ "Madge Bishop to star alongside Justin Fletcher in Aladdin". Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  17. ^ "Aladdin 2018". www.readingarts.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  18. ^ "No. 58729". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 June 2008. p. 16.
  19. ^ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's - Awards - 2007". BAFTA. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  20. ^ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's - Awards - 2008". BAFTA. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  21. ^ "About Justin Fletcher". Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  22. ^ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's - Awards - 2010". BAFTA. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  23. ^ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's - Awards - 2011". BAFTA. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  24. ^ "Past Winners and Nominees - Children's - Awards - 2012". BAFTA. Retrieved 23 September 2013.
  25. ^ "Justin Fletcher IMDB Profile". IMDb. Retrieved 15 January 2013.
  26. ^ "CBeebies stars Maddie Moate, Justin Fletcher and Steven Kynman take centre stage in new Twelfth Night adaptation". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  27. ^ Thomas H Green (31 July 2009). "Camp Bestival: punks, travellers and my mum and dad". The Daily Telegraph. London, England. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  28. ^ "Ellie Goulding, Tinie Tempah and The Gruffalo for Camp Bestival". eFestivals. Bristol, England: NRG Internet Ltd. 18 May 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  29. ^ "Fall in love with Mr Tumble at Harvest at Jimmy's". East Anglian Daily Times. Ipswich, England: Archant. 26 August 2011. Archived from the original on 22 April 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  30. ^ "Camp Bestival '12". eFestivals. Bristol, England: NRG Internet Ltd. 24 July 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  31. ^ "Camp Bestival 2016 - Kids - Mr Tumble". Campbestival.net. Archived from the original on 25 May 2016. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  32. ^ "Mr Tumble". Dorset.campbestival.net. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  33. ^ "Justin's Party 2017". Imagine Theatre. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
  34. ^ Butlin's [@Butlins] (3 January 2017). "This week is Just For Tots week! We can't wait to work with Justin Fletcher in #Butlins2017 and on our very first J…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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