Dave Spikey

Dave Spikey (born as David G. Bramwell, on 6 October 1951, age 58) is an English comedian based in Chorley, Lancashire.

Spikey spent his early career working as a BioMedical Scientist in the haematology laboratory at Bolton General Hospital. It was during this period in the 1980s that Spikey scripted and performed in a number of amateur pantomimes with a group of like-minded health workers called the Bolton Health Performers.

He is married to wife Kay, who he has known since school. Despite this, and the fact that they were both students at Bolton General, Kay working in the Blood Transfusion Department, it was a while before they got together romantically. They are both vegetarians.

Early years
In 1992, Spikey was asked to form a double act with Rick Sykes, as purely a 'one-off' to support a popular musical duo called 'Intaglio'. Dave and Rick were known as Spikey and Sykey. The double act's most notable success came on Central TV's New Faces show.

A turning point came one summer Sunday evening in 1993 when Spikey got a phone call to see if 'he could get to Blackpool in half an hour'. Cannon and Ball were appearing at The Opera House and they needed a compere immediately.

He was the last host of UK gameshow Chain Letters in 1997, following on from Jeremy Beadle, Andrew O'Connor, Allan Stewart, Ted Robbins and Vince Henderson. While working on the show, he once got trapped by the rotating Chain Letters revolving sign.

Success
Spikey won the Best Newcomer award at the British Comedy Awards, and then starred in Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights, a hit comedy series on Channel Four in which he played Jerry St. Clair. Peter Kay has announced that a new series of Phoenix Nights is to be made, however it is unknown whether Spikey will return

In 2003, Spikey released his first DVD, The Overnight Success Tour. Towards the end of 2004, he wrote the ITV comedy-drama Dead Man Weds, in which he also co-starred, in 2005, with Johnny Vegas.

Since 2005, Spikey has been one of the regular team captains on the comedy panel game, 8 out of 10 Cats although did not return for the series in 2007. That year also saw the release of his second live DVD, Living The Dream. He presented the darts gameshow Bullseye on Challenge for two series.

Spikey has two new projects in the pipeline which have been commissioned by the BBC, being Magnolia, a sitcom about painters and decorators, and Footballers Lives - a comedy about a pub football team, which was due to air by the end of 2006. He was also on the panel for talent show When Will I Be Famous?.

Because of his time at hospital, Spikey's chosen subject on Celebrity Mastermind in 2006 was Human Blood. He won this show.

Dave Spikey is patron of the non-profit radio station "Chorley FM" which is not the fictitious radio station made famous by "That Peter Kay Thing" and "Phoenix Nights" TV Series.

Dave Spikey also provides the voice of the fox character in Foxy Bingo advertisements.

Dave Spikey's first book, He Took My Kidney Then Broke My Heart, was published in October 2009 by Michael O'Mara Books.

Live Shows/tours

 * Dave Spikey Live


 * 2003: 'Overnight Success'


 * 2005: 'Living the Dream'


 * 2007: 'An audience with Dave Spikey'


 * 2008: 'The Best Medicine'


 * 2009: 'The Best Medicine: Repeat Prescription'